Legal and Finance roles

Assistant Accountant Apprenticeship (Level 3)

What will I do in this job role? 

As an Assistant Accountant apprentice you will work with colleagues in teams which provide the following functions, helping the Council to deliver high quality services which may include: 

• Strategic planning involving preparation of the medium term financial plan and strategy, the annual revenue and capital budget and statement of adequacy of reserves. 
• Technical financial advice on revenue and capital projects and programmes across the Council - particularly reshaping of Council services in the light of reducing budgets. 
• Preparing and contributing to the monitoring of revenue and capital budgets, supporting budget managers monthly and reporting to the Corporate Management Team and Cabinet. 
• Supporting the development of future saving proposals and business cases for change. 
• Producing financial statements including the annual Statement of Accounts. 
• Providing training on a range of financial issues across the Council and with partners. 
• Managing the Cumbria Business Rate Pool working with District Councils. 
• Supporting Accountable Body responsibilities for the Council and advising on financial matters relating to partnership and other contractual arrangements.

What will I achieve? 

• A Level 3 Assistant Accountant Apprenticeship

Professional Accounting or Taxation Technician Level 4

Occupation

Individuals in the role of a Professional accounting or tax technician will have responsibility for creating, and/or verifying and reviewing, accurate and timely financial information within the organisation in which they are employed or on behalf of another organisation. This will be performed in order to meet relevant ethical, professional and legal standards, and will utilise the individual's knowledge of the business systems and processes, as well as standard accounting and tax practices. This role may exist in an accounting practice, a professional services company, HMRC or the accounting function of a business or other organisation.

Examples of roles as a Professional accounting or tax technician include, but are not limited to, Assistant auditor, Assistant management accountant, Assistant financial accountant, Accounts payable and expenses supervisor, Commercial analyst, Payroll manager, Senior bookkeeper, Senior financial officer, Tax investigations officer, Personal tax assistant and Business tax assistant.

Typical job titles include: 

Assistant auditor, Assistant management accountant, Assistant financial accountant, Accounts payable and Expenses supervisor, Bookkeeper, Commercial analyst, Payroll manager, Senior bookkeeper, Senior financial officer, Tax investigations officer, Personal tax assistant, Business tax assistant 

Duration

It is anticipated that candidates will typically complete the apprenticeship within 18 to 24 months.

Level 7 Solicitor

Occupational profile:

This role has responsibility for providing legal advice to clients through:

• acting ethically, with professionalism and judgement;
• progressing legal matters and transactions;
• applying legal knowledge and commercial judgement to produce solutions which meet clients' needs and address their commercial or personal circumstances;
• deploying the full range of legal skills - research, interviewing and advising, advocacy,
• negotiation, drafting, communicating orally and in writing;
• establishing and maintaining effective and professional relationships with clients and other people; and
• managing themselves and their own work effectively.

Requirements

In order to successfully meet the Apprenticeship standard leading to qualification as a solicitor, apprentices must demonstrate that they can:

Ethics, professionalism and judgement

1. Act honestly and with integrity, in accordance with the law and with regulatory requirements and the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)Handbook and Code of Conduct
2. Maintain the level of competence and legal knowledge needed to practice effectively, taking into account changes in their role and/or practice context and developments in the law
3. Work within the limits of their competence and the supervision which they need
4. Draw on a sufficient detailed knowledge and understanding of their field(s)of work in order to practice effectively Apply understanding, critical thinking and analysis to solve problems

Technical legal practice

1. Obtain relevant facts
2. Undertake legal research
3. Develop and advise on relevant options, strategies an solutions
4. Draft documents which are legally effective and accurately reflect the client's instructions
5. Undertake effective spoken and written advocacy
6. Negotiate solutions to clients' issues
7. Plan, manage and progress legal matters and transactions

Working with other people

1. Communicate clearly and effectively, orally and in writing
2. Establish and maintain effective and professional relations with clients
3. Establish and maintain effective and professional relations with other people

Managing themselves and their own work

1. Initiate, plan, prioritise and manage work activities to ensure that they are completed efficiently, on time and to an appropriate standard, both in relation to their own work and work that they lead or supervise
2. Keep, use and maintain accurate, complete and clear records
3. Apply good business practice

Duration

5-6 years

This may be reduced if exemptions from training are applicable.

Entry requirements

Individual employers will identify any relevant entry requirements in terms of previous qualifications or other criteria.

Our recommended minimum entry requirements are:

• 5 GCSEs, including mathematics & English - grade C or above (or equivalent);
• 3 A Levels (or equivalent) - minimum grade C. And / or:
• Relevant employer- led work experience;
• Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship in a relevant occupation - Business Administration, Legal Services, Providing Financial Services;
• Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship in a relevant occupation - Legal Services, Professional

Services, and Providing Financial Services (may be entitled to exemptions from training);

• Paralegal Apprenticeship (may be entitled to exemptions from training);
• Legal Executive Apprenticeship (may be entitled to exemptions from training);
• Law Degree/ Graduate Diploma in Law / Legal Practice Course (entitled to exemptions from training).