Finance Business Officer Review
at Action for Children
Level 3 Apprenticeship
Accounting
Salford
Review Submitted: May 2023
Overall Rating
5 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
5/5
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Overview of Role
5/5
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Skills Development
5/5
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Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
5/5
I am responsible for approving invoices / journals, reviewing monthly & quarterly forecasts & performance, Monthly management accounts, Monitoring Deferred incomes, chairing quarterly finance review meetings, supporting with income & expenditure queries, Completing external financial returns, supporting bids & tenders, annual budgets, support services with forecasting, completing year end processes, inducting & training, VAT queries, Monitoring P-Card, Voluntary income, Payroll.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
5/5
I really enjoy learning and developing my skills. The online classes are great, and my experience of the tutors has been excellent. They really understand the demands of the apprenticeship and what it's like to juggle alongside a career. The content, pace and variety are fantastic. I would love to carry on learning and complete Level 4.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
5/5
Yes, recent work on contribution / profit and types of budget are especially relevant to my role. It has also been extremely useful spending time on spreadsheets. This has always been an area I wanted to learn / develop but never had the luxury of giving it the time and space it needed.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
5/5
Sally has given us a clear structure to the whole programme, I know what is being covered and when and when the exams are. The resources are sent out in good time and the use of SharePoint to share information is excellent. Portfolio work is also set in advance with scheduled submission dates.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
5/5
I sometimes don't get the time the apprenticeship requires due to busier periods at work, e.g. year end. However, I discuss the pressures in my monthly supervision and my line manager lets me delegate and prioritise appropriately. I don't actually need the month end gap in training, it would be interesting if others actually do need this break.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
5/5
Excellent support is available. I know that I can email my tutor and she will respond. I also have regular Check in meetings to discuss my progress. There is also the understanding of what the apprenticeship involves and tutors are flexible in their approach. Paragon have been particularly supportive when I had to take an unavoidable break in learning.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
5/5
I can't progress without this qualification; it's essential. As I work in the unstable Charity sector, the qualification gives me the confidence that I could potentially seek employment elsewhere if needed. It gives me confidence in my decisions and learning the technical language has been particularly useful in my role.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
5/5
We do regular fundraising and awareness activities, plus marketing. I have atttended fairs and car boot sales, coffee shop Marketing events and Young Person Activity days. The finance team meet in person at least every couple of months and I go down to the head office in Watford once a quarter.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Action for Children to a friend?
Yes
Why?
I'm proud to work for Action for Children. The work we do across the country is invaluable. I couldn't work in finance in an organisation that didn't have a positive impact. I have worked in the commercial sector previously and I love that my role helps children and families across the UK.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Action for Children?
Be your authentic self. Action for Children is a diverse organisation with inclusion and equality at the forefront. It's a great place to work. The pay isn't as competitive but the flexible working and work / life balance pays for itself. There are lots of staff networks and support.
