Payroll & Accountant

About Hopscotch

Hopscotch Children’s Therapy Centre is a specialist paediatric clinic in central London, delivering Sensory Integration, Occupational Therapy, and Speech and Language Therapy to children with neurodevelopmental differences including autism, ADHD, sensory processing disorder, and dyspraxia. We support children and their families through EHCP-funded and private pathways, working closely with Local Authorities, schools, and multidisciplinary professionals.

We are in an active phase of growth, expanding our clinical team and developing an Alternative Education Provision at our adjacent premises. As we scale, we are strengthening our finance function so that the directors have accurate numbers, reliable payroll and a clear financial plan to grow against.

The Role

We are looking for an experienced, hands-on Payroll & Accountant to join us on site for 2 to 3 days per week. Your core job is to run our monthly payroll accurately and on time, and to own the day-to-day accounting of the clinic: bookkeeping, invoicing, reconciliations and monthly management accounts. Alongside this, you will support the Operations Director with financial planning and projections as the clinic grows.

This is a role for a qualified, part-qualified or qualified-by-experience accountant who is comfortable running the full finance function of a growing SME independently and takes pride in getting payroll and the books right every month. You will be based at our central London clinic alongside the operations and clinical teams.

Reporting Line

This role reports directly to the Operations Director and works closely with the operations team, the clinical leads and our external accountants.

Key Responsibilities

Payroll & HR Finance

• Prepare and process monthly payroll for clinical and administrative staff, including PAYE, NI, pension auto-enrolment, starters, leavers and contract changes.
• Submit RTI returns and liaise with HMRC on PAYE and other statutory submissions.
• Manage payments to associate and self-employed clinicians, and keep IR35 / employment-status records in order.
• Maintain accurate payroll records and be the first point of contact for staff payroll queries.
• Support the Operations Director on the financial aspects of new hires, pay reviews and contract changes.

Accounting & Day-to-Day Finance

• Maintain accurate, up-to-date financial records in Xero (or equivalent).
• Process sales and purchase invoices, expense claims and bank transactions; manage accounts payable and receivable.
• Raise and reconcile invoices for private, EHCP-funded and Local Authority clients, including purchase-order tracking and chasing outstanding balances.
• Perform regular bank, card and petty-cash reconciliations across all accounts.
• Prepare VAT and other statutory returns where applicable, and liaise with external accountants on year-end accounts.

Management Accounts & Reporting

• Produce monthly management accounts and a short financial summary for the directors.
• Track income and margin against budget across service lines (private clinic, EHCP-funded, Local Authority contracts and the education provision).
• Monitor cash flow and maintain a rolling 13-week cash flow forecast.
• Report on key operational metrics, such as clinician utilisation, revenue per session and debtor days.

Financial Planning Support

• Support the Operations Director in building and maintaining the annual budget and financial projections.
• Help model the financial impact of new services, pricing changes, recruitment plans and the Alternative Education Provision.
• Prepare simple scenario and break-even analysis to support growth decisions.
• Support funding, grant and tender submissions with robust financial information.
• Provide ad hoc analysis and clear recommendations to the directors.

Systems, Process & Compliance

• Maintain and improve financial systems, processes and internal controls appropriate to a growing SME.
• Ensure accurate coding of transactions across the chart of accounts and tidy supplier and customer records.
• Work with the operations team on purchase ordering and supplier contract management.
• Maintain compliance with relevant financial regulations and support any regulatory or charitable-status requirements as the organisation develops.

Person Specification

Essential

• Qualified or part-qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or AAT), or qualified by experience with a strong demonstrable track record.
• Proven experience running the full finance function for an SME, including payroll, bookkeeping and management accounts.
• Hands-on experience running UK payroll end to end, with sound knowledge of PAYE, NI, pensions auto-enrolment and RTI.
• Experience preparing cash flow forecasts and supporting budgets, and confident working in Excel.
• Strong working knowledge of Xero or comparable cloud accounting software.
• High attention to detail and a methodical, organised approach to financial record-keeping.
• Able to work independently and manage a varied workload across 2–3 days per week.
• Clear and confident communicator, able to present financial information to non-finance directors in a practical, accessible way.
• Able to work on site at our central London clinic for the contracted days.

Desirable

• Experience in a private healthcare, therapy, education or clinic setting.
• Familiarity with Local Authority commissioning, EHCP funding streams or grant-funded income.
• Experience supporting financial planning or projections for a growing business or new service.
• Experience paying and accounting for associate or self-employed practitioners.
• Previous experience in a part-time or fractional finance role.

Working Arrangements

• 2 to 3 days per week (approximately 15–22.5 hours), with specific days agreed with the Operations Director.
• Based on site at 11 Gower Street, London WC1E 6HB.
• Some flexibility in hours may be required around payroll and month-end deadlines.

What We Offer

A competitive pro-rata benefits package, including:

• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Access to a 24/7 General Practitioner.
• Legal Assistance.
• Fitness discounts, including access to over 3,600 health clubs, and other lifestyle discounts.
• Ongoing professional development opportunities.
• A centrally located clinic in Bloomsbury, WC1E.
• A collaborative, friendly team environment within a purpose-driven organisation.
• Advertised salary will be pro rate depending on the number of days