Business Manager, Cavendish View School in Liverpool

At Ambito, we believe everyone should have the opportunity to live a healthy, active and fulfilling life, regardless of their background or disability. The aim of our services is to provide a safe and stimulating environment for adults, young people and children.

Job scope:

The Business Manager is part of the Senior Leadership Team with responsibility for the leadership, management supervision and development of the support services teams ensuring an efficient, safe, healthy, clean, attractive and comfortable environment is provided within budget and business aims and objectives. There is an expectation of the post holder to act with a high degree of autonomy including responsibility and accountability for managing delegated budgets and resources.

The role also involves creating, implementing, monitoring and evaluating development plans aimed at bringing about continual improvement in these areas.

Job Responsibilities:

• Ensure the smooth, efficient, effective and economical running of each of the support department, to include Finance, Administration, HR, Facilities and Site Maintenance, ICT, Housekeeping and Catering, Health and Safety as pertinent to each of your departments.
• Effectively lead financial management including managing and monitoring budgets, financial performance, and activities.
• Provide professional leadership and management of the support teams to enhance their effectiveness and performance to achieve excellent standards.
• Promote the highest standards of business ethos and compliance.
• Carry out and/or facilitate audit processes to monitor service delivery standards.
• Ensure that IT systems and hardware are fit for purposes, meeting the needs of the company, employees and children and young adults, liaising with central and local IT teams as appropriate.
• To demonstrate a commitment to customer service excellence and deliver against the requirements of Ambito’s quality framework.
• To work within Ambito’s policies and procedures at all times.

Leadership and People Management

• As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, contribute to the development and implementation of the strategic and operational plans, projects, and objectives.
• Take delegated responsibility as appropriate for specific time periods and areas such as financial and other relevant decisions and actions.
• Line manage the team leads of each of the Support Services ensuring the development and effective performance management of all members of the teams.
• Ensure clear direction for each support team function providing regular feedback through informal one to one meeting and formal supervision or performance management processes

Financial Resource Management

• Support the annual budgeting process ensuring all relevant parties at site are included so that budgets are realistic and cover all likely expenditure and highlight any new or expected expenditure.
• Communicate agreed budgets to budget holders educating as necessary to allow for regular accurate reporting on budget.
• Manage agreed budgets including:
  • Monitoring and analysing reports including ensuring expenditure is within the figures and guidelines laid down and alert appropriate manager if budgets are nearing spending limits.
  • Highlight budget variance on a regular basis to the SLT, along with proposed corrective action. Manage agreed corrective action with budget holders.
  • Ensure that records and systems are kept up to date and monitored.
• In liaison with central functions and operating within processes and procedures work with SLT to prioritise and adjust expenditure throughout the year to keep within allocated budgets, e.g. major repairs and capital expenditure.
• Be vigilant for and report immediately, following relevant procedures, suspected fraudulent activity, liaising with SLT and central functions and implement agreed course of action.
• Ensure relevant formal and acceptable finance agreements are in place for all suppliers following company procedures and guidelines.
• Oversee the site based payroll activities liaising with central function as appropriate to ensure everyone is paid accurately and in a timely manner.
• Support the process of fee payments supporting accurate children and young people records including funding agreements.

Administration

• Manage the administrative function to ensure all processes, procedures, reporting and records are maintained, up to date and delivered in line with compliance and regulatory requirements.
• Ensure administrative processes are efficient, effective and interact smoothly without duplication to provide complete systems, ensuring clear areas of responsibility.
• Introduce and maintain systems to measure and improve all administrative processes and systems and ensure the administrative function plans to meet future needs and plans.
• Prepare information for publications and returns for regulatory and other external bodies, other agencies and stakeholders within statutory guidelines.

Management Information Systems and ICT.

• Ensure each team has the technology resources required by them to effectively carry out the roles required of them and report where issues exist.
• Liaise with the central ICT team on group wide systems, technologies, and plans.
• Ensure contingency plans are in place in the case of technology failure.

Human Resources

• In liaison with central HR function, oversee all local HR related procedures including maintenance of accurate and safe employment records and ensure that all HR processes, including safer recruitment are followed, are compliant and in line with the requirements of the regulatory bodies and company procedures and policies.
• Ensure that the Salutem HR policies, including the equality policy are communicated appropriately to all staff.

Facilities and Site Management

• Liaise closely with the Principal and others on larger projects to ensure that local teams and resources are appropriately deployed to Capex requirements.
• Ensure that all property, fixture and fittings, grounds and other facilities are maintained to high standards of safety and security.
• Ensure that maintenance team have and follow systems and procedures for routine and emergency servicing and maintenance of all facilities, property and grounds.
• Ensure, in liaison with the central team, that all necessary insurances are in place and up to date.
• Ensure systems are in place to ensure that all contractors undertaking work on site adhere to health safety and safeguarding procedures.
• Ensure in liaison with local maintenance department that all vehicles are taxed, have up to date MOTs carried out, maintained in a clean, tidy and safe condition and are serviced in accordance with schedules.

Safeguarding

• Liaise with Salutem recruitment team to ensure safer recruitment practices are being followed.

Housekeeping and Catering

• Support housekeeping department that the site is maintained in a clean wholesome and presentable way, with deep cleaning taking place as appropriate.
• Support catering departments to ensure all food and other perishable items are labelled, stored and disposed of appropriately.

This job description should not be seen as all encompassing, and the post holder will be expected to undertake any other responsibilities appropriate to the post as identified by the company.

Our Core Values

• We are Supportive by promoting opportunities for everyone so they can reach their full potential
• We are very Ambitious to provide the best possible outcomes for the people who use our services
• We are Loyal because we put the people that we support and our staff at the centre of everything we do, and we deliver on our promises. We also are committed to ensuring that our services are meeting the needs of all stakeholders
• We are Unique because we are ambitious and innovative about the diversity of the services that we provide without compromising quality
• We are Transparent by being open, honest and fostering a culture of mutual respect. We promote a culture where we learn by our experiences and we are committed to doing things better and setting the highest standards in what we do
• We are Engaging because we work in partnership with the people that we support, our staff and all our stakeholders
• We encourage everyone to experience a Meaningful life by being aspirational and by offering opportunities