Finance and Administration Co-ordinator - Social Care

Finance and Administration Co-ordinator – Children's Social Care

Fixed Term, Full Time

£28,471 to £33,495 per annum

Location:

Basildon

Closing Date:
Sunday 1st March 2026 m

The Finance and Administration Co-ordinator – Children's Social Care (known internally as a Resource Co-ordinator) plays a vital role within the Children and Families service, supporting the provision of statutory services, resources and maintaining financial oversight and scrutiny.

Please note that this is a Fixed Term Contract / Secondment opportunity for a period of 18 months.

This position has been classed as an anywhere worker but has an expectation that for the first few months the successful candidate will attend the office, in Basildon, 4 days in 5 while getting up to speed with the job but following that only 2 days per week in the office will be needed, with the remaining time allowing for remote working if desired.

Working Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5:00pm.

Interview dates:
Friday 13th March 2026 at County Hall, Market Road, Chelmsford, Essex. CM1 1QH
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Here in Essex, we continue to raise the bar about practice and our investment in our workforce is second to none. It's an exciting time to join us having received our 2nd Outstanding Ofsted rating in a row.

This role is central to ensuring financial accuracy, oversight, and operational efficiency across children's care and education packages. The Resource Co-ordinator manages complex financial workflows, maintains detailed registers, and supports strategic financial planning. They provide up-to-date financial information to senior leaders and contribute to monthly forecast outturns through accurate recording, monitoring, and reconciliation of support packages agreed at in and outside of panels and forums.

The postholder is expected to contribute to thematic and high-cost panels, complete Individual Placement Agreements (IPAs), and support the development of financial governance across the service. This includes ensuring compliance with funding agreements, identifying trends, and enabling informed decision-making.

The role demands a high level of autonomy, analytical thinking, and collaboration with social work colleagues, education colleagues, finance teams, and external providers. Strong attention to detail, the ability to self-manage, and a commitment to meeting deadlines are essential.

• Responsibility for ensuring accurate minute taking of critical financial decisions made in forms, panels and by senior leaders.
• As an active member of quadrant panels and forums, provide financial oversight of support packages under discussion. Ensure decisions are accurately recorded for case management, audit compliance, and financial tracking.
• Responsible for recording, reconciling, and implementing financial decisions made in or outside of panel/forum to ensure information is accurate and investigated where necessary and appropriately actioned (e.g. setting up/amending placement agreements, direct payments, creating and overseeing purchase orders to care providers/placements, and recharges via invoicing and journal transfers).
• Provide robust analysis and forecasting on current and future spend to the Executive Director, Local Director, Service Manager, finance colleagues, and other stakeholders as requested, including FOI requests.
• Timely reporting and reconciliation of financial expenditure, following up on queries, as necessary.
• Contribute to strategic financial reviews and reconciliation exercises.
• Support the development and implementation of digital tools and dashboards to improve visibility and efficiency.
• Work collaboratively with the wider Children and Families function and finance team to ensure compliance with budget or to prevent overspend and savings exercises are progressed to maximise delivery and commissioning opportunities.
• Resource Co-ordinators actively ensure packages of support for children and families are correctly in place and reviewed. This involves working with social workers, colleagues in Education and health and other stakeholders with curiosity and scrutiny.
• Point of contact to support financial queries (from Social Workers, providers,…