Assistant jobs in Sheffield, south yorkshire

Why Access Social Care Exists 

Every day millions of older and disabled people are denied the social care they need. Most local authorities can’t meet the growing demand for care, and none are confident they can meet their legal duties in the future. This affects all of us - we will all need care at some point in our lives. 

We all have a right to hold public bodies to account, but most of us cannot afford lawyers so rely on legal aid. The 92% drop in legal aid cases since 2010 means that we have nowhere to turn. Without access to justice, our rights do not exist.

What we do 

Access Social Care (‘ASC’) provides legal advice and information for people with social care needs, helping achieve a better quality of life. We work with communities to increase knowledge of the law and our rights. We highlight the gap left by cuts to Legal Aid and provide advice for those who can’t afford it. 

Our network of lawyers and caseworkers provide access to justice when things go wrong. We collaborate with social services whilst ensuring legal obligations are met. We are working towards a future where social care is adequately funded, and we all get the support we need. 

We provide rights awareness training to front line managers, and legal advice and casework support to families and individuals. As well as providing access to justice, our aim is to drive system level change through evidence-led influencing and strategic casework.

This is an exciting time to join ASC. We have a new strategy. We are dedicated to the people who need our help, and we care deeply about our team. We think that work should be an exciting and satisfying place to be.

About the role 

This newly created role is responsible for the day-to-day processing and recording of financial transactions at ASC. The post holder will support the Finance & IT Operations Manager by ensuring financial data is accurate, up to date, and compliant with internal processes. The role will also be the first point of contact for routine finance queries across the organisation and will contribute to maintaining clear and accurate financial records, reports, and documentation.

Responsibilities

1. Accounts Receivable & Invoicing

• Prepare and issue sales invoices in line with contractual terms and approvals.
• Record invoices accurately and issue receipts where appropriate.
• Identify and resolve invoicing issues and accounting discrepancies.

2. Accounts Payable & Creditor Administration

• Maintain the creditor ledger and schedule regular payment runs.
• Ensure payments are approved and processed accurately and on time.

3. Bank Reconciliation

• Prepare and reconcile bank accounts to Quickbooks system, on a weekly basis.
• Ensure all entries in Quickbooks are complete, accurate, and supported by documentation.
• Ensure the integrity of the accounting system and support internal controls.

4. Payroll Administration

• Prepare and administer payroll in line with approved processes.
• Ensure all payroll data is accurate and submitted to the outsourced provider on time.
• Support the Finance & IT Operations Manager with payroll requirements.

5. Other Requirements

• Identify and resolve invoicing issues, accounting discrepancies and other financial related issues.
• Act as the first point of contact for day-to-day financial queries from colleagues.
• Maintain an accurate and full financial filing system.
• Run standard reports from Quickbooks accounting system to support reporting and filing requirements.
• Prepare documentation for internal and external audit purposes as required.
• Prepare and maintain process documentation and user guides for finance procedures to ensure consistency and continuity of operations.

This list of tasks is not exhaustive and will be reviewed from time to time in discussion with the post holder.

Person Specification

All staff at ASC are expected to share and demonstrate our values:

Trustworthy

Recognised for excellence, we will be the best we can be in everything we do.  We will be truthful, independent and outcomes focussed.

Fair

We believe in treating people with kindness and compassion in a way that is right, reasonable and just.

Fearless

We will do what is right, not what is easy.  We will bravely challenge injustice.

Inclusive

Our beneficiaries’ voices will influence our thinking and decision making at all levels of our organisation. Collaborative in our thinking, we will work with others to achieve our goals.

Positive

We will be constructive and progressive in our challenge.  We will optimistically and dynamically drive for change.

In addition to our values, you will also need to be able to demonstrate or tell us about the following areas at your interview:

Personal attributes you will have:

Purpose driven with a commitment to our mission and values.

Essential:

• Commitment to working within the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion.
• Proactive and willing to take initiative within defined procedures.

Experience you will have

Minimum:

• Experience in accounts payable and receivable, or similar financial processing.
• Experience of reconciling accounts and checking financial data for accuracy.

Essential:

• Experience in maintaining accurate financial records and filing systems.

Desirable:

• Experience in administering payroll or preparing payroll information.

Skills you will have

Minimum:

• Numerate, with the ability to work accurately with financial data.
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Teams, Excel, Word, Outlook and accounting software (QuickBooks preferred).

Essential

• Good communicator (oral and written), able to respond clearly to colleagues' queries.
• Organised, able to prioritise tasks and manage time effectively.
• Able to produce clear, accurate records and documentation.
• Comfortable following financial processes and internal controls.

Knowledge you will have gained

Essential

• Basic understanding of accounting principles (e.g. double-entry bookkeeping, invoices, payments).
• Understanding of the importance of confidentiality and data security.

Desirable

• Familiarity with payroll processes.

How to apply

We hope that having read this far, you will want to apply!

Please ensure that your CV and supporting statement do not include your name – use initials only. This will ensure that we avoid unconscious bias in our shortlisting process. To apply, please provide the following documents:

• An up-to-date CV
• A completed Equality and Diversity Recruitment Monitoring Form (a link to this can be found on the job pack)
• A supporting statement of no more than two pages, addressing:
  • The essential requirements of the person specification.

If you want support applying, please email us.

Please ensure you have the right to work in the UK before expressing your interest in this role. We are sorry that we cannot consider applications from candidates who do not have the right to work in the UK.

We only reach out to candidates who have been shortlisted. If you do not receive communication from us within two weeks following the application deadline, please consider that we will not be moving forward with your application. 

Timeline for recruitment process

If we receive a high number of applications for this role, we may close the role early. Therefore, we encourage you to apply as soon as you are able.

Closing date: 23:59 on Monday 2nd February

Interviews will take place on Wednesday 25th February & Thursday 26th February.

Please ensure you keep these dates free.

At Access Social care, we aren’t interested in tokenism. We know that if we are to make the biggest difference for the people that need us the most, we need to get Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and anti-racism right. Part of this is recruiting greater diversity in all our teams. 

With this in mind, we particularly welcome applications from candidates with experience of the communities we serve, including people with direct experience of the social care system, and from marginalised groups, particularly Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups, older and disabled people, and trans and non-binary people.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme

For every role we advertise, we outline a set of minimum skills or experience that are key to doing the job well. If you have a disability (this includes long term health conditions or mental health conditions) and you meet these minimum criteria, you can request to be considered under our Guaranteed Interview Scheme.

If you would like to apply through this scheme, please clearly show in your supporting statement how you meet the minimum requirements for the role and indicate in your application email that you wish to be considered under the scheme. If you are applying via Charity Jobs, please ensure that you indicate at the beginning of your supporting statement that you wish to be considered under the scheme.

Being offered an interview through this route does not mean you are guaranteed the job. The selection decision will still be based on who performs best at interview.

If you are invited to interview, we will ask if you need any reasonable adjustments to support you during the process.

Please note: If we receive a high number of applications from candidates who meet the essential criteria and request to be considered under the scheme, we may need to prioritise those whose applications most closely match the role requirements.