Certitude is a values-driven charity with over 30 years’ experience supporting people with learning disabilities, autistic people, and those with mental health needs.
We are now seeking a Finance Business Partner to join our Finance team and work closely with operational leaders across supported living, residential, and community-based services. This is a highly visible role, focused on turning financial data into meaningful insight that improves outcomes, strengthens services, and delivers value for money, while remaining aligned with our mission and Charities SORP.
The key responsibilities of the Finance Business Partner include:
- Act as the primary finance contact for defined service localities, providing proactive, trusted business partnering support.
- Produce monthly management accounts with clear variance analysis and insightful commentary on income, staffing, agency usage, sleep-ins, travel, and overhead recovery.
- Support Team Managers with budgeting, reforecasting, cost control, and financial planning aligned to safe staffing and support needs.
- Lead unit economics and service performance analysis, including rota efficiency, voids, empty rooms, and overall service sustainability.
- Work closely with the Development Accountant to ensure pricing models, service charges, and cost allocations accurately reflect the true cost of delivery.
- Build and maintain finance KPI dashboards in collaboration with Operations and the Senior Management Accountant.
- Support bids, retenders, and contract variations by providing robust costings, pricing models, and funding justifications.
- Analyse performance across block, spot, framework, and personal budget contracts, reconciling delivered versus commissioned activity.
- Support commissioner discussions around uplifts linked to inflation, National Living Wage, and changes in acuity.
- Work with the Financial Controller to ensure accurate and timely billing, with correct treatment of restricted, unrestricted, and deferred income.
About Certitude:
With a workforce of around 1,500 colleagues and a turnover of approximately £70m, Certitude combines strong financial foundations with a clear social purpose. While our roots are firmly in London, we are expanding beyond the capital, creating exciting opportunities to shape how financial insight supports sustainable growth and high-quality care.
We are proud of our values and the impact we make, and we are committed to equality, diversity, and creating a great place to work for our colleagues.
The successful candidate will:
- Be part-qualified and actively studying towards a recognised accountancy qualification such as ACCA or CIMA, or equivalent.
- Ideally bring experience from social care or another people-intensive, service-led environment, though strong candidates from other sectors are very much encouraged to apply.
- Have hands-on experience producing management accounts, with the ability to deliver clear, insightful commentary and demonstrate effective finance business partnering in support of budgets and performance.
- Be comfortable working across multiple cost centres and managing an expanding portfolio of services or departments, with the confidence to analyse trends, review financial performance, and present financial information to non-finance stakeholders.
- Be proactive, inquisitive, and willing to challenge the status quo, with the confidence to ask “why” and drive improvement.
This opportunity is being offered on a hybrid basis with the expectation you can visit their Balham High Road office a minimum of two days a week.
Applications will be under constant review before the closing date so please submit your application to our exclusive agent Robertson Bell. Apply now to be considered!
Registered Charity 
501 - 1000
Thank you!
Robertson Bell is delighted to be exclusively partnering with Ibstock Place School in the search for a Head of Finance. Ibstock Place is a leading independent co-educational school known for its strong academic performance, inclusive ethos, and commitment to providing an outstanding educational environment.
With significant investment in facilities and a continued focus on operational excellence, the School is seeking a commercially minded finance leader to play a key role in supporting its long-term financial sustainability and strategic ambitions.
The Head of Finance is a senior leadership position, reporting to the Bursar and working closely with Governors and budget holders across the School. You will provide strategic and operational oversight of the finance function, ensuring robust financial management, high-quality reporting, and effective governance.
Key responsibilities include:
- Lead and manage the finance team, including performance management, development, and succession planning.
- Oversee budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning processes, ensuring alignment with the School’s strategic priorities.
- Produce timely, insightful management information with clear narrative to support decision-making.
- Lead the preparation of statutory returns and annual accounts, ensuring compliance with all regulatory and reporting requirements.
- Manage the year-end process and act as the primary contact for external auditors.
- Maintain strong cash flow oversight and prepare accurate cash forecasts.
- Ensure effective financial controls, policies, and procedures are in place and continuously improved.
- Oversee the financial systems environment, ensuring it remains fit for purpose and fully utilised.
- Support and guide budget holders, promoting financial accountability across the School.
- Deputise for the Bursar on financial matters as required.
Candidate Profile
We are seeking a proactive, collaborative, and technically strong finance professional who can operate both strategically and hands-on.
Essential experience and attributes:
- A recognised professional accountancy qualification (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent).
- Proven experience in a senior finance leadership or management role.
- Strong track record of budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting.
- Experience working with Boards, Governors, or senior stakeholders.
- Excellent understanding of financial controls, compliance, and best practice.
- Demonstrated ability to lead and develop teams effectively.
- Strong communication skills with the ability to present complex financial information clearly.
Desirable:
- Experience within education, charity, or not-for-profit environments.
Why Join Ibstock Place School?
- Opportunity to play a pivotal role in a respected and well-established independent school.
- Broad and varied remit with genuine influence across the organisation.
- Collaborative leadership team and strong organisational values.
- Chance to contribute to the continued development of facilities, services, and financial strategy.
Location & Working Pattern
The role is based on site at the School in Roehampton, South West London, with on-site presence expected to support close collaboration with stakeholders.
