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Southwark is a large, ambitious and progressive council with a ‘can do’ attitude and enviable reputation. As a Council, we are successful, passionate and forward-thinking. We are committed to our ‘Fairer Futures for All’ promise which ensures that our residents and businesses are central to everything we do. If you want to make a difference at a local level, apply to Southwark Council today.
Finance sits at the heart of Southwark, one of the most densely populated and diverse boroughs in the country, and plays a pivotal role in the direction and progress of the organisation.
The Role
Our three-year accountancy scheme goes well beyond finance, and will equip you with key skills in leadership and strategic thinking required to become finance leaders. We place a strong emphasis on personal development and support our trainees with a dedicated mentor and close-knit, collaborative finance team. The programme offers the opportunity for an extremely rewarding career in public finance, allowing you to influence key local authority decisions from an early stage and make a real difference for the benefit of our communities.
We are partnered with the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), who deliver a world-class three-year professional accountancy qualification which you will study for alongside your everyday duties at Southwark. All training is covered by the council, and is overseen by a supportive senior leadership team.
Southwark takes full advantage of its London Bridge location where employees work in a growing corporate hub with a thriving hospitality scene.
Aim of the scheme
Finance is more than just crunching numbers and counting cash. It is corporate reporting, analysing, and fostering partnerships to deliver value. Finance therefore plays a critical role in the delivery of Southwark’s services that aim to create a more just society, rebuild the local economy post-Covid, and tackle the climate crisis.
Our graduates are key drivers in this delivery and are extremely important to achieving ongoing positive change, as they go on to fill numerous senior positions within the council. Consequently, the priorities of the scheme are to help graduates successfully complete their studies, foster good working relationships, and catalyse the development of valuable technical skills and an in-depth knowledge of public financial management.
Structure of the scheme
Aside from studies with the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), graduates undertake several placements around the council for them to gain experience in different financial operations, and help them decide what working area they might want to focus on in the future.
Placements last 10-12 months and typically reflect what you are learning in your CIPFA studies. They are split between Service areas and Corporate Finance areas.
Service Placements
- Adults’ Social Care Finance
- Children’s Social Care Finance
- Education Finance
- Housing Finance
- Environment & Leisure Finance
These encompass budget setting, budget monitoring, providing advice, and closing the accounts for the service. Each service is unique and the placements will give you the chance to understand the different operations to find your passion. Across each rotation, you will work closely with clients and senior managers to ensure the effective delivery of their service.
Corporate Finance Placements
- Corporate Accounting and Reporting. This primarily involves financial planning, corporate budget setting and monitoring, and the closure of the council’s accounts. You will be exposed to how the corporate department coordinate service finance, produce statements in line with accounting standards, and ensure the council’s financial direction is guided by strategy.
- Treasury/Pensions and Investments. This rotation involves monitoring the cash flow forecasts, measuring the carbon footprint of pension investments, and investing surplus cash to meet the budgetary requirements of the council.
- Financial Control & Processing and Audit. Graduates will have the opportunity to travel to different council sites to carry out audits. Graduates will evaluate risk management processes to minimise risk points and to make recommendations and reports to highlight key issues and problems.
About you
We are looking for driven and self-motivated candidates who have strong numeric, written, and analytical skills, and the ability to work and communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders. Ability to study effectively and to pass exams is essential.
You will also have knowledge of the public sector (local government in particular) and an awareness of key issues relating to the work of the public sector.
Requirements
- GCSEs (or equivalent) in Mathematics and English (Grade C or above)
- Have, or expect to achieve, a minimum 2:1 degree (any discipline)
- 300 UCAS Points (or equivalent) achieved
Testimonials from Southwark finance officers
Tim Jones, Departmental Finance Manager, Corporate Finance
Southwark prides itself on recognising talented individuals and providing not only first class training and mentoring, but a hands-on scheme with a clear pathway for rapid career development. I’ve been supported at every step of my journey and encouraged to take ownership and responsibility for my own output from an early stage. The range of opportunities available at Southwark, from working on the most ambitious housing projects in the country to developing strategies to tackle climate change through pensions investments, is unique in the finance sector, and makes for a fascinating and rewarding career.
Molly Makinson, Divisional Accountant, Education
I think what separates Southwark’s CIPFA graduate programme from other schemes is that I felt that there was a committed investment in me and my future. Not only were my studies well-supported with paid leave, but the work which I was given during my rotations in council departments was selected to support my professional development and learning rather than the usual administrative tasks you might give a trainee. I really valued getting the opportunity to work on projects for the Strategic Director of Finance and Governance and having exposure to high level strategic decisions within the council. Also a definite highlight was the CIPFA conference in Bournemouth!
Amish Soni, Senior Finance Manager, Adults’ Social Care
Local government is an extremely rewarding area to work in. Every day is different in the public sector and we’re always focused on providing value to the community through strategic implementation of financial policies. Some days I’ll be carrying out financial analysis and other days I could be meeting with service managers to discuss exciting opportunities to implement within the borough - no two days are ever the same. And working in London Bridge with loads of amazing places to socialise after work (post-Covid!) is such a bonus.
