SEND Reforms

Finance Business Partner (SEND Reforms)

Band 3:
Approx. 300 umbrella

Location:

Westminster City Council

Work Style:
Agile and Flexible Working

Westminster is home to some of the most diverse, vibrant and internationally recognised communities in the UK. As a council, we are committed to delivering excellent services, driving innovation, and ensuring value for money for our residents, businesses and visitors.

We are seeking a motivated and commercially minded Finance Business Partner to support one of our most important transformation programmes, SEND Reforms.

SEND reforms are government-led changes to England's Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system aimed at providing earlier, more consistent and more inclusive support for children and young people, whilst improving outcomes and making the system more sustainable.

This role offers a unique opportunity to work at the interface between Finance and SEND Operations, providing financial insight, improving data quality and supporting better decision-making across services. Reporting to a Finance Manager, you will play a key role in supporting operational colleagues, strengthening financial governance and helping deliver the objectives of the SEND reform agenda.

You will work closely with operational managers and finance colleagues to improve reporting processes, resolve historical data issues, and ensure financial and operational systems provide a single source of truth for decision-makers.

• Work successfully across multiple projects and priorities, ensuring high-quality outputs are delivered accurately and on time.
• Deliver timely and accurate financial information to support monthly closedown processes, balance sheet reconciliations and statutory reporting requirements.
• Partner with SEND service managers and budget holders to provide financial and commercial advice on service plans, initiatives and projects.
• Support the SEND Operations Team by improving financial understanding, reporting and governance arrangements.
• Cleanse, reconcile and validate data across Eclipse, Power BI and financial systems to ensure consistency and accuracy of reporting.
• Help clear existing reporting backlogs and implement sustainable improvements to financial and operational reporting processes.
• Develop, review and maintain procedures and guidance documents that support consistent service delivery and compliance.
• Support benchmarking, cross-authority collaboration and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Assist in financial modelling, analysis and business case development.
• Build effective working relationships across Finance, Children's Services and wider Council teams.

Support delivery of the Council's strategic priorities by implementing continuous service improvement initiatives and providing financial insight that helps the organisation respond to future challenges.

Work collaboratively across services to strengthen financial and commercial management practices, support sustainable service improvements and deliver value for money.

Act as a key link between Finance and SEND Operations, ensuring robust financial oversight and reporting arrangements are in place to support the delivery of SEND reforms.

Improve the quality, consistency and reliability of operational and financial data, enabling better strategic planning, commissioning and decision-making.

Deliver specialist financial advice and support, maintaining and improving systems, processes and procedures to maximise efficiency, effectiveness and value.

Support strong budgetary control and financial planning processes, helping services prioritise resources effectively and achieve value for money.

Identify opportunities to improve commercial performance and contribute to outcome-based commissioning approaches where appropriate.

Build productive relationships with colleagues, partners and stakeholders, influencing and supporting improvements in service delivery and financial management.