Centre for Maternal and Child Enquiries
MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTANT
RECRUITMENT PACK
1. RECRUITMENT INFORMATION
a. Background
b. Job Description
c. Person Specification
d. Appointment Process
2. Financial Statements for the Period Ended 30th June 2009
3. Business Plan 2009-12
4. APPLICATION FORM
BACKGROUND
1. Organisational background about CMACE
The Centre for Maternal and Child Enquiries (CMACE) started work on 1 July 2009.
Whilst it is a new charity with ambitious plans for the future, it has inherited work
programmes with a long and distinguished pedigree.
Its immediate predecessor was the Confidential Enquiry into Maternal and Child
Health (CEMACH) which was set up in April 2003. During this period, CEMACH was
an operational unit of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
(RCOG).
Turnover is approximately £2m with an overall staff of 35. The organisation continues
to be highly reliant on one main contract, for approx £1.4m, with the National Patient
Safety Agency (NPSA). This has been agreed up until March 31, 2011. The post
holder will be expected to support work required to assist in securing the renewal of
this contract as well as the efforts being made to widen the organisation’s funding
base.
2. The work of CMACE
CMACE carries out research and clinical audit in the fields on maternal and child
health. It inherited ongoing surveys from its predecessor bodies, the Confidential
Enquiry into Maternal and Child Health (CEMACH), the Confidential Enquiry into
Maternal Deaths (CEMD) and the Confidential Enquiry into Stillbirths and Deaths in
Infancy (CESDI). Its remit was extended in 2003 to include children to the age of 18.
The approaches and methodologies CMACE uses to achieve its objectives include,
for example, confidential enquiries, research projects, clinical audits and
epidemiological and organisational surveys. Supporting these approaches, CMACE
has considerable underpinning skills in the design of research projects, dataset
development, database design, data collection and analysis.
CMACE also designs and delivers an active nationwide conference and interactive
workshop programme to promote the findings of its work and the practical
implementation of its recommendations.
3. Use of Funding
In return for the funding provided by the NPSA, CMACE intends to carry out six
concurrent strands of work.
These include the two ongoing programmes, i.e. the triennial maternal death enquiry
report and the annual perinatal mortality surveillance report.
The remaining four strands of work will all be project based enquiries, i.e. two
projects on maternity outcomes for mothers and babies and two projects on children.
The current maternity projects are on obesity in pregnancy and intrapartum morbidity
and mortality. As regards children, an enquiry on head injury care is currently
underway and topic selection for the second child health enquiry is underway.
Approximately half the resource provided by the NPSA is committed to the two
ongoing work programmes described above and the other half is committed to work
on the four projects.
Other funding comes from many sources. These have included research projects
funded by the NSPCC and by the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk. There
have also been locally commissioned clinical audits/confidential enquiries and a
number of Local Safeguarding Children Boards have contracted with us to provide
child death data collection services. The organisation’s aim is to increase the funding
received from other sources than the NPSA in order to increase CMACE’s overall
impact in improving outcomes for mothers, babies and children.
4. Governance
The memorandum and articles of association were signed by the founding members
of the company. These were:
-
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
Royal College of Midwives
Royal College of Anaesthetists
Royal College of General Practitioners
Faculty of Public Health of the Royal College of Physicians
Royal College of Pathologists
Royal College of Psychiatrists
The articles stipulate eight trustees on the board. These include the Chair, four
healthcare professionals, two non-clinical professionals and a lay member
5. Internal Structure
The organisation is managed by its Chief Executive and Senior Management Team
(SMT) who are responsible for operational management. The SMT has skills in a
range of areas including clinical practice and research methodologies. The SMT
attends meetings of the Board. The Head of Resources, who is the line manager for
the Management Accountant post, is a member of the SMT.
The Baker Street office houses the central team and a regional team covering
London and the South East. There are three other regional offices in England and
sub-contracts with a number of other bodies which assist in data collection and local
enquiry activity. There are affiliated offices in Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland and
the Republic of Ireland.
6. Finance and Central Services
Finance and central services are provided by a small team which includes the
Management Accountant and is headed by the Head of Resources. The team is
relatively new and has been established to support the organisation as an
independent entity and meet its legal obligations.
CMACE uses the Exchequer accounting system and is in the process of developing
its use of this system to improve and progress its financial reporting particularly in the
area of project costing.
The Management Accountant role within the team is to support the overall operation
of the finance function in particular budgeting, costing and monthly financial
reporting. The role is for two days a week and is for a duration of 9 – 12 months
maternity cover.
7. Further information
Further information about CMACE can be obtained by accessing the website
www.cmace.org.uk For further information about the role, please contact in the first
instance Mary Humphreys on 020 7486 1191 or by email to
mary.humphreys@cmace.org.uk or Laura Heys laura.heys@cmace.org.uk
JOB DESCRIPTION
Post:
Salary:
Grade:
Time
commitment:
Location:
Line
Accountability:
Staff in Finance
and Central
Services Team
Management Accountant
c £28k pro rata
Grade 6
2 days per week based on a 35 hour week, i.e. 14 hours per
week
The postholder will be based at central office.
The Central Office is at Lower Ground Floor, Chiltern Court,
188 Baker St, London NW1 5SD
Head of Resources
Head of Resources (0.6 wte), Office Manager (1.0 wte),
Management Accountant (0.6 wte) and Accounts Assistant (0.4
wte).
Purpose of Role
To provide a budgeting, costing and financial management reporting service to
CMACE.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
1. Preparation of monthly management accounts statements showing actual
income and expenditure against budget for review by the SMT and the board
2. Preparation of cost accounts for projects and contracts, including the NPSA
contract, showing actual expenditure against estimated expenditure specific
to that project or contract
3. Preparation of annual budgets
4. Preparation of cost schedules when tendering for new work
5. Preparation of cost schedules in business cases
6. Management of the finance function in the absence of the Head of Resources
7. Supervision and support for the accounts assistant as necessary
8. Other duties as required to fulfil the purpose of the role.
Individual Personal Plan (IPP)
CMACE runs an IPP system in which objectives for the year are agreed with the line
manager and performance is monitored against the agreed plan.
Family-friendly employment policies
CMACE aims to be a family-friendly employer. CMACE runs a flexible hours scheme
which offers, subject to certain basic requirements, a significant measure of choice in
respect of hours of work.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Qualifications
Experience
Essential
 Part CCAB accountancy
qualification or full accounting
technician qualification
Honours degree

Within a similar
organisation, i.e. charity or
medium sized enterprise.
Experience of preparing monthly
management accounts

Financial systems: Good
knowledge of accounting software
packages and their use
Experience of providing
data to supporting tenders
and business cases

Experience of developing
and improving
management reporting

Experience of the
Exchequer financial
system

Management – some line
management responsibility
for finance staff

Knowledge of other
finance functions such as
financial accounting, audit,
bank reconciliation,
treasury and exchequer.
Good experience of using
Excel
Report writing in lay terms
about financial data
2 “A” levels or equivalent

Experience of budgeting and
costing

Personal
Qualities







Desirable
 Full CCAB recognised
accountancy qualification
Computer literate
Numerate
Able to set and keep to strict
deadlines for financial reporting
Able to relate to staff of many
backgrounds in a friendly but busy
open-plan office.


APPOINTMENT PROCESS
1. The interview panel will be formed by:
 Laura Heys, Head of Resources
 Carolyn Cottrell, Management Accountant
2. The timetable for the appointment process is as follows:
-
advertised 16th June 2010
closing date 2nd July 2010
interviews week commencing 12th July
3. Although no formal presentation will be required as part of the interview process,
candidates will be invited to give their views about any significant issues they believe
may arise from the financial statements for the period ended 30th June 2009 included
in the information pack.
4. Applications can be made by completing the application form contained in the
information pack and returning it to Mary Humphreys, CMACE Office Manager,
Chiltern Court, Lower Ground Floor, 188 Baker St, London NW1 5SD or by email to
mary.humphreys@cmace.org.uk