Programme overview
Foundation bookkeeping, ledger maintenance, reconciliations and digital accounting software proficiency for finance teams.
How it is delivered
Every apprentice is paired with a dedicated, industry-experienced tutor for 1:1 coaching scheduled around your workplace, with Off-The-Job training built into real projects and Functional Skills support where needed.
What you will learn
Every apprenticeship follows a national occupational standard. These are the knowledge, skills and behaviours the apprentice will build and be assessed on.
The role in one sentence
Maintaining an efficient and accurate finance function within a business
Knowledge (16)
What the apprentice will know
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K1:
Principles of English law that may have an impact when working in accountancy, including elements of contract law, employment law, company law, data protection, and anti-money laundering regulations.
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K2:
Foundations of professional ethics and codes of conduct in a finance and accounting environment.
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K3:
The different types of legal entity and organisational structures, and their relevance for financial and accounting activities.
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K4:
Digital financial and accounting packages and applications, including databases and spreadsheets.
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K5:
The role of accounts and finance within an organisation, including interaction with internal and external stakeholders.
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K6:
Principles of using and maintaining financial records, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, cash management, and payroll.
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K7:
Fundamental concepts of the commercial landscape and its impact on the organisation.
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K8:
Principles of bookkeeping and controls.
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K9:
Principles of cost recording systems within an organisation.
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K10:
The differences between financial and management accounting.
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K11:
Principles of corporate social responsibility (CSR), ethics, and sustainability regarding finance and accounting.
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K12:
Principles of cyber-security and working safely online within a finance and accounting context.
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K13:
Principles of data handling, including the significance of dates and the timing of transactions, such as dates of invoice and payment.
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K14:
Principles of data security and legislative requirements regarding data handling in a financial and accounting context.
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K15:
Approaches to diversity, inclusion, and cultural awareness, and their impact on finance and accountancy activities.
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K16:
The impact of sustainability and environmental good practice on accounting and finance activities.
Skills (7)
What the apprentice will be able to do
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S1:
Record transactional data.
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S2:
Use the organisation’s standard tools and processes to examine data to identify transactional issues, such as reconciliations and inconsistencies between invoices.
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S3:
Recognise and rectify routine errors, escalating as necessary.
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S4:
Plan and review accounting and finance tasks.
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S5:
Communicate with stakeholders to deliver accurate and timely results, avoiding jargon, using language tailored to the audience, and different media methods, with an appreciation of the risks and benefits to the business of social media and other digital applications.
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S6:
Use finance and accounting software packages to accurately input and manage data to contribute to routine accounting tasks.
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S7:
Handle data and digital technology in line with cyber and data security requirements, using data securely and safely, including backing up data.
Behaviours (8)
How the apprentice will work
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B1:
Team working to provide support and collaborate with others to help achieve the goals of the organisation.
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B2:
Flexible and responds constructively to changing work requirements.
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B3:
Self-motivated to seek and act upon feedback, displaying commitment to personal and professional development.
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B4:
Vigilant in their approach to accounting and finance tasks, paying close attention to detail and aware of the consequences of errors.
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B5:
Professional in their approach to their work and others to meet the requirements of professional ethics and codes of conduct.
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B6:
Focussed on the importance of delivering excellent service, identifying, meeting, or exceeding stakeholder expectations.
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B7:
Takes responsibility for sustainable outcomes in their actions and approaches to the role, performing duties respecting environmental good practice, specific to both the occupation and those recognised externally.
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B8:
Committed to personal wellbeing and an awareness of the support and resources available to help them.
Duties (10)
The tasks of the job, and the KSBs each one uses
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Duty 1:
Be aware of the organisation's needs and activities and their impact for accounting and finance. Uses K1, K2, K3, K5, K7, K10, K11, K15, K16, S1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B8
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Duty 2:
Identify, collate and process financial and accounting data from primary sources such as business records. Uses K1, K2, K3, K4, K6, K8, K9, K12, K13, K14, S1, S6, S7, B3, B4, B5
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Duty 3:
Examine financial and accounting data to identify issues with quality and reliability as instructed and in accordance with guidance. Uses K1, K2, K3, K4, K6, K8, K9, K12, K13, K14, S2, S6, S7, B3, B4, B5
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Duty 4:
Rectify errors in financial and accounting data, escalating problems beyond their remit as appropriate. Uses K1, K2, K3, K4, K6, K8, K9, K12, K13, K14, S3, S6, S7, B1, B3, B4, B5, B6
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Duty 5:
Reconcile transactional data to minimise the chance of errors in financial and accounting outputs such as sales and purchase invoices, sale and purchase orders, bank statements, and payroll. Uses K1, K2, K3, K4, K6, K8, K9, K12, K13, K14, S3, S6, S7, B3, B4, B5, B6
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Duty 6:
Plan and review workloads with supervisor to ensure best use of time to complete allocated tasks efficiently. Uses K4, K5, K12, K13, K14, S4, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B8
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Duty 7:
Communicate with internal and external stakeholders using appropriate methods and professional language. Examples may include letters, ‘phone, face-to-face, e-mail, video call, online chat functions, etc. Uses K1, K2, K4, K5, K10, K12, K13, K14, K15, S5, S7, B3, B5, B6
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Duty 8:
Use financial and accounting software packages to input and manage data safely and securely in line with organisational instructions. Uses K1, K2, K4, K6, K8, K9, K10, K12, K13, K14, S1, S6, S7, B3, B4, B5
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Duty 9:
Provide support to team members to help ensure that financial and accounting activities are carried out within expected timescales and quality expectations. Uses K1, K2, K4, K5, K10, K13, K14, K15, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B8
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Duty 10:
Keep up to date with developments to enhance relevant skills and take responsibility for own professional development. Uses K1, K2, K4, K6, K7, K11, K12, K13, K14, K15, K16, B3, B5, B7, B8
Source: Skills England, Accounts or finance assistant (ST0608 v2.0). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Read the end-point assessment plan
