1. EDUCATION & QUALIFICATIONS:
1.1. I have 7 G.C.S.E.s
C - Maths
B - EnglishLanguage
B - EnglishLiterature
C - Physics
B - Metalwork
B - Chemistry
D - French
1.2. I passedAATqualificationsin1996.
1.3. I QualifiedA.C.C.A.In2004 andwas recognisedbyOldhamCouncil as'Achieverof the Year' after
studyinginmyowntime whilstholdingafull time post.
1.4. I am a fellowmemberof ACCA.
EXPERIENCE:
2.1. I have beenemployedasanaccountantsince 1990 and workedfor3 differentfirmsof
CharteredAccountantsover10 yearsbefore movingtoOldhamCouncil in2001. I have prepared
accounts fora wide range of SME’s (Small &MediumEnterprises) fromsole tradersandpartnerships
up to multi-millionpoundturnoverlimitedcompanies.Ihave preparedVATreturns,calculatedtax
computations,keptschedulesof fixedassets,attendedandauditedstocktakesandmaintained
control accounts forSalesLedgersandPurchase Ledgers.Ihave auditedcompanieswithassistance
fromjuniormembersof staff withturnoversupto£11M. (In2000-2001). I understandthe issues
facingservicesinLocal Governmentincludingthe budgetchallengesthatall Government
departmentsare facedwithatpresentandin the foreseeable future.Ipreviouslyworkedas
Accountantfor ChildSafeguardingatOldhamCouncil.Thisinvolvesanexpenditure budgetof £29M.
Withincome targetsof £400K. I reportedtoAssistantDirectorLevel andworkcloselywith3headsof
service andI monitoredsalarycostsfor100's of staff.
2.2. I have experience of managingstaff inmyrole asInterimSeniorAccountantIwasresponsible
for holdingmonthly1:1meetings,monitoringperformance andcarryingoutannual appraisals.I
wouldregularlydiscuss, withthe Accountantsonthe team, the deadlinesthatwere approachingand
resolve issuesarising.Iamknowledgeable andexperiencedassuchstaff oftencome to me with
technical queriesandissueswiththe accountingsystem.Ihave alsohadto on occasion bringstaff
back into line whentheyare actinginappropriately.Ihave quietlytookthemtoone side and
explainedthe impacttheiractionsare havingonthe teamand whatthe likelyeffectwill be if they
carry on in sucha way.I wasable to do thisinsuch a way that didnotoffendthe personinquestion.
I back up mycommentswithsoundreasoningandassuch wasable to get the individual on-side
withoutantagonisingthem.
2.3. Afterbeingavaluedmemberof the AgressoimplementationteamIhave a goodunderstanding

2. of howaccountingsoftware systemsworkandare designedaroundthe user.Iamexperiencedinan
implementationprojectandwouldbringwithme valuable experience gained.
I have experience of answeringAgressosystemissuesfromawide range of usersandsolvingtheir
issuesswiftlyandefficiently.Postingjournalsandbudgetvirementsissecondnature tome.Ihave
specified12 systeminterfacesbetweenthe ExchequerAcademySystemandAgressowhichrunona
dailyandweeklybasis.Theseinterfacesare still runningasspecifiedsinceIsetthemupback in
2008.
2.4. I automaticallysell andpromote the service Iprovide,ithasbecome secondnature inan
environmentof annual efficiencysavingstobuildthe reputationof the team, as well asmyself asan
individual.AtOldhamCouncil we were proudtopromote the factthat we were the fastestLocal
Authorityinthe Countryto publish anunqualifiedstatement of Final Accountsin2014-15. As a
budgetsupportofficerIam experiencedat exploringandrealisingincome streamsinorderto
generate cashflows.
2.5. I have manyyearsexperience of BusinessPlanningandGuidance.Iregularlyshow managers
howto undertake aSWOT analysistoidentifyStrengths,Weaknesses,OpportunitiesandThreats.I
workwiththe managersthat I supportand provide value addedservice supportinordertohelp
themmanage theirservicesandachieve the bestpossiblelevel of service whilstatthe same time
operatingwithintheirpre-setbudget.Ienjoydiscussingseveralpossiblewaysof dealingwithan
issue inorderto achieve ourgoalsandweighingupthe relative meritsof eachapproachbefore
decidingonthe bestsolution.
2.6. Extensiveexperiencegainedbudgetmonitoring,preparingaccounts,reportingtomanagersand
workingonestablishing&deliveringhighqualityworktodeadlines.Forexampleworkingonthe
AgressoImplementationTeamspecifyingthe interfacesbetweenthe Academysystem&Agresso.
Several yearsexperience gainedsettingandmonitoringbudgetswithinvariousDirectoratesat
OldhamCouncil.Iam competentdealingwithanalysiswork,monitoringspend,settingbudgetsand
reportingmonthlytodeadlinesincorporatingrelevantinformationacquiredfromBudgetHolders
and Headsof Service. IamexperiencedworkingwithAgressoonthis,Iam able to adjustbudgets
accordinglyusingthe PlannerModule,andupdate Managersforecastsusingthe web-basedversion
of Agresso.Iam competentatexplainingthe methodologyandprocessesof thistoothers.
I have experience of workingwithcapital budgetsworkingonboththe DisabledFacilitiesGrant
(DFG) and DisabledPersonsAdaptations(DPA).Ireporteachmonthon the current spendposition
and provide outturnforecaststoa monthlydeadline,aswell ascalculatingfinancingjournals.I
workedonthe projectionsforthe implementationof the AcademySystempreparingandupdating
forecastsof future costsovera multiple yearprojectlifespan.
I oftenprovide financial commentsforEDRSreportsand staff recruitmentrequests.Thisinvolves
researchingthe existingbudgetaswell asthe proposalsandexplainingthe financial positionandthe
implicationsof puttingthe proposalsintoaction.
I have beenheavilyinvolvedinseveral workprogrammesthroughoutmycareer.Whilstworkingas
an auditorit wasimperative toidentifyrisksandsetaboutatimetable tocomplete the auditon
budget.Ispenttime workingonthe AgressoimplementationteamatOldhamCouncil workingto
deadlinesoncomplex anddetailedinterface work.Iacquiredexperience of achievingplanned
resultswithinatimetableIdevelopedskillsandprovedIcan workwell withothersunderpressure.

3. Anotherexampleof myexperience of assistinginthe deliveryof workprogrammescanbe seen in
my inputintothe budgetbookeveryyearatOldhamCouncil aswell asthe preparationof yearend
accounts.In 2014 & 2015 I volunteeredtobe partof the QualityAssurance teamwhichinvolvedme
checkingworkingpaperssubmittedmyothers.Ireviewedthese submissionstoverifythattheywere
correct, complete before beingsavedforthe auditorstoexamine.
SKILLSAND ABILITIES:
3.1. Inmy role I regularlyreviewthe actual spendtodate comparedto the profiledbudgetand
analyse variances.Iinform managersof the positionandidentifyasuitablecourse of actionbased
on whatthe manager tellsme isonthe horizonintermsof future spendandoperational needs.I
advise atyear endon howto identifycreditorsandprepayments.Iissue monthlyreportstailoredto
the needsof the budgetholderinorderto highlightthe salientpoints.Iamconfidentatpresenting
these resultstothe boardof managersincludingHeadof Service.Idowhennecessaryreportdirect
to directorlevel.Ihave designedpivottablesand'Excellerator'reportstofacilitate exactlythis
requirement.
3.2. Aspart of OldhamCouncilsfinanceteamIam continuallygivingthoughtandinputintothe
MediumTermfinancial Strategy.Eachdecisionmade isnotjustconsideredinterms of currentyear
impactbut alsofuture yearstoo.Annual budgetsettingiskeptwellinformedbyrecordingsdecisions
throughoutthe yearand theirimpact.Council decisionsaroundefficiencysavingsare managed
withinthe MTFS arenain orderto produce a balancedbudgetbookontime todeadline eachyear.
3.3. I am naturallyanexcellentteamplayer.Icontribute wellinmeetingsandama respected
memberof the team.I leadbyexample andmy“can-do”attitude isinfectious.Idovolunteerfor
extrataskswhenmy workloadallows broadeningmyknowledge andimproving myskill set.Ileadby
example andmotivate employeesbydevelopingefficientwaysof workingtoavoidduplicationand
minimise effortthroughleanprocesses.Icommunicate wellwithmyteam lettingeveryone know
whatour deadlinesare andofferingdirectionwhennecessary.Ihave the abilitytoexplainmypoint
across to colleaguesandmanagersatall levels. Ihave onseveral occasionstakenthe initiativeto
have a quietwordwithcolleaguestopointoutwhatI have seenandexplainedthe consequencesif
theycontinue toact in a certainway.I believethatIhave done thisin sucha wayto get these
colleagueson-sideratherthanantagonisingthem.Asaresultthe whole teambenefitsandworks
bettertogether.E.G.avoidingpotential problemsbyauditingcolleaguesworkingpaperssaved
locallyontheirC: drive,notthe Network.Ihave takenthe initiative andinstigatedthe correctionof
this.I have spottederrorsincolleague’sspreadsheetworkingsandsetupformulastoimprove
efficiencywhencalculatingspend/forecasts.
3.4. Afterworkinginfinance for25 yearsI am accustomedto workingtotightdeadlinesand
deliveringaccurate informationandreportsontime.Ihave goodplanning skillsandmanage mytime
effectivelyinordertoachieve mygoals.Ibringany issuesIhave to my Finance Managerwell in
advance so that problemsare communicatedwhenIconsideritnecessary.Iamflexible inmy
workinghoursinorderto meetthese deadlinesandtake mycomputerhome withme when
requiredinordertowork fromhome.

4. 3.5. I am well organisedandIlove to streamlineaprocessandmake the whole departmentwork
betteras a result.One suchexample wouldbe keepingontopof maintenance issuesonAgresso.I
regularlyupdate user’saccessandremove oldcodessothattheycan nolongerbe used,thus
avoidingmiscodingproblemslater.Iregularlyupdate linkstoattributesonAgressoandmaintainthe
value matrix whichisanexcellentwayof ensuringthatthe correct codesare usedfirsttime byusers
and avoidsthe necessityforjournal corrections.Iconsiderplanningandimprovingprocessestobe
twoof my greaterskillsIforesee situationsthatmayhappenandI take actionwell inadvance in
orderto avoidproblems.Thisispartlydowntoeffective timemanagementandalsoadoptinglean
processesandkeepingdetailedworkingsfiledsafelyandlogically.Iamcontinuallylookingto
improve myownknowledgeandstreamline organisational processesand trainotherteam
members.Ihave shownthispreviouslyinmyexperience whilstcalculatingmeanstestedbenefitsto
FosterParentsandAdoptive ParentswhereIimplementedseveral improvedwaysof working.More
recentlyIhave beenworkingwith colleaguesinthe UnityPartnershiptoimprove the wayswe
record andprocessfinancial datarelatingtoDBS checks.
3.6. Asa resultof beingorganised,Iworkwell withapproachingdeadlinesbyplanningmyworkload
and identifyingrisks.Iprioritisemydutiesandflagupissuestomyline managerwhenconflicting
prioritiesare identified.Ihave veryhighstandardsof myself andIutilise the flexible working
arrangementstoensure thatI meetdeadlinesandprepare workingsandcalculationstoavery high
standard.
3.7. I am familiarwithMSOffice software includingWindows,Excel andWord.Havingworkedwith
spreadsheetsandaccountancysoftware packagesforover25 yearsI am comfortable usinganytype
of accountancysoftware.Iuse pivottablesregularlyandhave experience of workingwithmacros,
conditional formattinganddesigningreportstailoredtothe needsof the audience.Ioftenuse MS
Word to write financial commentstoreports.Ihave alsohad MS Accessdatabase training.
3.8. I have excellentcommunicationskills.Isee itas one of my strengths,Iam comfortable talking
withcolleaguesandmanagersatall levelsonfinancial issues.Iwasselectedtobe the ‘chairmanof
the student’sforum’bya formerBoroughTreasurer.IregularlyattendmeetingswithHeadsof
Service andexplaintothemtheirbudgetposition.
KNOWLEDGE:
4.1. I understandhowlocal governmentoperates.Ihave upto date knowledge of Accounting
Standards.I reviewthe CIPFA code eachtime Icome to prepare a working paperandI referto it
throughoutthe yearwhenindoubtabout the accountingtreatmentof anyparticularitem.Iread
articlesinthe ACCA publicationswhichhelpstoalertme toparticularissuesanditemsof discussion
on an ongoingbasis.Ihave been particularlyinterestedinthe developmentof accountingissues
aroundglobalisationsof standardswiththe International AccountingStandards(IAS)andalsothe
revenue recognitionrulesasmore andmore salesare takingplace online atcomputerkeyboards
rather thanin a shopat a cashierstill.
4.2. AfterworkingatOldhamCouncil inthe finance teamsince 2001 I have a goodunderstandingof
howLocal GovernmentFinance operates.IamfamiliarwithCIPFA requirementsaroundworking

5. papersand International AccountingStandardswhichIreview eachtime Iamaskedto prepare a
workingpaperona technical area.Ihave carriedout budgetsettingannuallyaswell aspreparing
final accountsworkingpapers.Ihave workedcloselywithfinance managersandHeadsof Service in
orderto produce the requiredreportsforinformeddecisionmakingbydelegatedofficersorfull
cabinetsuchas restructuringa service oridentifyingwhere efficiencysavingscanbe found.
4.3 I understandthatcontinual improvementis the directionof travel andthatchange isinevitable
inany organisation.Iembrace change andwelcome new efficientwaysof working.Itwaswiththis
attitude thatI tookon the role as change agentand workedonthe Agressoimplementationteam
developinganewsystemtoreplace the oldoutof date systemwe hadat the time.Ioftenconsider
whywe do somethingacertainwayand if it can be done more efficiently.Iroutinelyconsider
personal developmentbothformyselfandmycolleagueslookingtofurtherimprove anddevelop
skills,buildingonstrengthsandimprovingonweaknesses.Iamvocal inteam meetingsandputideas
forwardsforbetterwaysof working.Icriticallyreview service plansandconsiderefficienciesand
continuousimprovement.Iamwillingtoputthese ideastomyline managerina constructive
mannerwhichiswelcomedfeedbackandvaluedinputintothe service plan.
4.4. I am aware of financial managementinalarge organisationIhave attendedFinanceAwayDays
each yearsince 2001 at OldhamCouncil andI know thatcommunicationisvital toinformeveryone
of changes.Itis importantalsothateach individual understandstheirrole andhow theyfitintothe
organisationasa whole.
Standardsmustbe followedandmaintainedbyeveryone toensure aconsistentapproachand
ensure thateach taskis undertakenandnothingisforgottenormissed.
PERSONALQUALITIES
5.1 I am self motivatedandhave goodtechniquesfordealingwithsituationswhenthingsdonotgo
my way.I am naturallyan optimisticindividual whowill alwaystrytofinda silverliningtoany
situation.
5.2 I have a positive can-doattitude andhave adoptedthe Council’svaluessuchasworkingwitha
customerfocus,supportinglocal leaders,takingownershipanddrive change anddeliveringhigh
performance.
5.3 I am capable of maintainingaprofessional responsibilitytothe managementteam. Iunderstand
that itis fundamental thatwe workasa teamand supporteachother’seffortsaswell asco-
operatingtogethertoachieve ourshare goals.
5.4 I have a friendlyandefficientnature whichIfindequipsme well tobuildpartnershipsand
relationshipsinthe workenvironment.Iworkwell inateam andadopt a helpful andapproachable
mannerat all times.
One example of thisiswhilstworkinginthe Environmental Directorate atOldhamCouncil Itookthe
initiativetovisitmycounterpartbasedatGroundwork.We were responsible forworkingtogether
and reportingexpenditure andforecastsonaSRB6 fundedproject.Mypredecessorshadnever
made contact face to face and have hadproblemscategorisingexpenditureas Groundworkwere

6. workingwithadifferentchartof accounts.I arrangeda meetingandwenttotheirpremisesandbuilt
up an improvedworkingrelationshipwhichwasrecognisedbymanagementbothatOldhamCouncil
and Groundwork.
5.5 I workwell aspart of a teamI am alsoperfectlyhappyworkingalone withoutdirectsupervisionI
will askforassistance,if andwhenrequired,butmainlyIwill workundermyowninitiative and
deliveron time highqualityof workthatcan be trustedto be accurate and capable of being
presentedtomanagementmeetings.
5.6. I oftenshowflexibilityinmyworkingarrangementstoattendmeetings.Iamwillingtochange
my start,finish andlunchtimesinorderto attendappointments.