1 / 52

Finance Seminar Autumn 2014

Finance Seminar Autumn 2014. Presented by Cathryn Walker. Agenda. FIRST SESSION. SECOND SESSION. LGSS 2015-16 CFR Budget Monitoring Audit – SFVS Tendering / Quotes Process Electronic Reporting Cash Advances Housekeeping Top Tips Other. Schools Finance Team 2014-15 Budget

yvetter
Télécharger la présentation

Finance Seminar Autumn 2014

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Finance SeminarAutumn 2014 Presented by Cathryn Walker

  2. Agenda • FIRST SESSION • SECOND SESSION LGSS 2015-16 CFR Budget Monitoring Audit – SFVS Tendering / Quotes Process Electronic Reporting Cash Advances Housekeeping Top Tips Other Schools Finance Team 2014-15 Budget 2015-16 Budget Pupil Premium High Needs Funding 2014-15 High Needs Funding 2015-16 EYSFF 2015-16 School Balances 2013-14 School Balances 2014-15 Universal Infant FSM (UIFSM) Schools Forum

  3. LGSS Schools Finance Staffing

  4. Schools Budgets 2014-15 • Minimum Funding Guarantee of minus 1.5% or cap of 4.5% on Schools Block funding. • Basis for funding: • October 2014 Pupil Census for per pupil allocations • January 2015 Pupil Census for Pupil Premium grant

  5. Additional One Off Allocation • The impact on the funding formula for 2014/15 (£11.7 million) is as follows. • Not currently known how much one off funding will be allocated in 15-16 – will be less!

  6. Fairer Funding for 2015-16 On the 13th March 2014 the Department for Education (DfE) announced proposals to increase DSG allocations for the least fairly funded areas. Begins to address the historical funding basis within the current system. A further stepping stone to a National Funding Formula – although deferred until the government can set plans over a longer period of time. These are positive initial steps but the DfE state that: “Beyond 2015-16 the allocation of funding between local authorities will be a matter for the next spending review.”

  7. Summary of July 2014 Forum Discussion Points with Responses Allocate over all 3 DSG blocks? YES Top slice for £1.5m high needs base shortfall? YES Basis of split over the blocks? Number On Roll (NOR) with a High Needs Special Schools x4 multiplier Primary/Secondary split base on NOR? YES Schools formula factors to apply to? AWPU If use to increase the cap? YES

  8. Revised Funding to be Allocated (Oct 14)

  9. Allocation Across DSG Blocks Forum’s preference was to allocate to all blocks using the NOR with a weighting of 4 for special school pupils (to reflect the higher cost of these pupils)

  10. Schools Block Forum Discussion – Capping Levels Possible range of Cap/AWPU levels with allocation of £7.2m The fairer funding is not outside of the MFG, therefore as funds are put into AWPU, less total MFG protection is needed (protection level nationally set -1.5% per pupil). The total removed from capped schools cannot exceed the total value of the MFG protection. With an additional allocation of £7.2m to the AWPU the minimum possible level of cap is 5.7% and the maximum is 6.65%. FORUM AGREED FOR THE HIGHER CAP TO BE APPLIED IN 15-16 Note – AWPU change is indicative.

  11. 2014-15 factors – no changes proposed in 2015-16

  12. School Budgets 2015-16 • Indicative budgets will be issued November 14 (based on Oct 13 numbers) • February 15 final individual school formula budget information will be placed onto website updated for October 14 numbers.

  13. Indicative School Budgets 2015-16 • The following indicative elements will either be added to the website in March 2015 or confirmed/allocated during 2015-16: • - High Needs Place funding – Special Schools & Units / Resourced Provisions • Mainstream 6th form allocations - from the EFA • Devolved Formula Capital (DFC) • Allocations from the High Needs Panel • Early Years Single Funding Formula (EYSFF) – 3 and 4, and 2 year olds formulae • Pupil Premium – Main FSM Based on January 15 census • High needs top ups • High needs element 3 top ups for pupils in SEN units or resourced provision • Special school high needs allocations • UIFSM • Pupil Growth funding

  14. Pupil Premium Pupil Premium 2014/15 values have increased across most categories

  15. Pupil premium changes 14-15 • Schools will receive £1,300 per primary pupil who is currently eligible for free school meals (FSM) or has been eligible for FSM in the past 6 years (FSM ‘Ever 6’) and £935 for secondary FSM ‘Ever 6’ pupils. • Higher rate of £1,900 for looked-after children. Extending the eligibility criteria to include those pupils who have been in care for one day or more, as compared with the six months in care currently required. • For the first time, schools will also receive £1,900 for eligible pupils who have been registered on the school census as having been adopted from care or leaving care under a special guardianship or residence order

  16. Pupil premium changes 14-15 Contd • Northamptonshire to pilot the new early years pupil premium from January 2015 – 53p per pupil per hour – addition to EYSFF for 3 to 4 year olds NOT 2 year olds.

  17. Pupil premium changes 15-16 • 2015-16 pupil premium rates still to be announced • New early years pupil premium – 53p per hour per eligible pupil.

  18. Primary PE and Sports Grant for 2014 • Allocations for the academic year 2014/15 are calculated using the number of pupils in years 1 to 6, as recorded on January 2014 census, as follows: • Schools with 17 or more pupils receive £8,000 plus £5 per pupil; and Schools with 16 or fewer pupils receive £500 per pupil. • Where a schools’ pupils are not recorded by year group, pupils aged 5-10 are deemed eligible. • The total allocation relates to the academic year 2014/15 and is split into two payments.  Schools will receive 7/12th of their allocation in the financial year 2014-15 in November and the remaining 5/12th in the financial year 2015-16 in May 2015.

  19. High Needs Funding 2014/15 Guidance on all areas included in high needs funding guidance on NCC website http://www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/en/councilservices/EducationandLearning/services/schlfin/Documents/HNFundingGuidancev04Final140901.doc Increasing financial pressures from increasing high needs numbers - mainly in special schools Queries to: Highneedsfunding@northamptonshire.gov.uk

  20. High Needs Funding 2015/16 High Needs EFA DSG 2015-16 funding announcement in December Schools Forum January and March 2015 discussion on high needs pressures, funding and high needs funding rates Working with FACE to create a new RAS (Resource Allocation System) to use across all of high needs including Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans and reviewing existing statements

  21. EYSFF 2015/16 3-4 year olds EYSFF will include new EY pupil premium Main EYSFF being reviewed for 15-16 Discussed at Forum Oct and Dec 14, Jan and March 2015. http://www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/en/councilservices/educationandlearning/services/schlfin/pages/schoolsforum.aspx EYSFF rates and elements decided and published, including indicative budgets, March 2015.

  22. School Balances 2013/14 Information on maintained schools balances presented and discussed with schools forum. Main area of concern was high pupil premium balances being carried forward. Schools with higher (on a per pupil basis) pupil premium balances were asked to supply information on what held for and reported to Forum on an individual school basis.

  23. Balances • Schools need to be thinking about year end carryforwards and Committed / Uncommitted revenue balances. • To calculate the 8% or 5% Uncommitted balance permitted take the current Oracle Report (total Revised Budget column) minus previous years carryforward (column 1 “Balances”) then multiply by the relevant percentage.

  24. School Balances 2014/15 Consulting on changes to the balances scheme To be voted on and agreed by schools forum at 2 December 2014 meeting. Proposals include Split out different elements of pupil premium Change wording of revenue held for capital purposes so doesn’t state solely for schemes in NCC capital programme Add new lines for UIFSM capital and revenue balances (can be surplus or estimate of what ‘owed’ at end of 2014-15 as EFA have funded in 14-15 based on an estimate)

  25. Universal Infant Free School Meals Provision of FSM for eligible pupils is a statutory responsibility of schools. Universal FSM places further responsibility on schools and has been written into legislation . Places a legal duty on schools to offer free meals to all pupils in reception, year 1 and year 2 from September 2014. Expectation that hot meal will be provided. Possibility nationally to extend to additional year groups in future.

  26. Universal FSM for Infants • Funding information and guidance on NCC website • http://www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/en/councilservices/educationandlearning/services/schlfin/pages/budget_funding.aspx • In the 2014 to 2015 academic year schools will be paid funding at a flat rate of £2.30 for each meal taken by newly eligible pupils. Schools will be expected to fund existing free school meals under the existing criteria that they do currently. • Initial allocations were based on pupil data from the January 2014 Schools Census as well as planning assumptions that (i) 87% of newly eligible pupils will take meals, and (ii) pupils will take 190 school meals in an academic year.

  27. Universal FSM for Infants Provisional allocations will be revised later in the academic year by the EFA based on actual take up data from an average of the October 2014 and January 2015 School Censuses and the third term of the 2014 to 2015 academic year will be adjusted accordingly. Adjustments will be made upwards as well as downwards depending upon whether actual take up is above or below the assumed take up rate of 87%, thus resulting in a clawback. Maintained schools are recommended to identify at 31March 2015 if for the first 2 terms (Sept 14 to March 15) monies are owed to or by the EFA – an option will exist to identify this on the SB1 form.

  28. Schools Forum Below is a link to the link to the website to see the latest information. • Schools Forum - Northamptonshire County Council Schools are recommended to read Forum Matters when published to keep up to date with latest developments.

  29. LGSS 15-16 The 2015/16 schools and academies brochures • Plan to publish on the 1st December 2014. • The brochures will be available through: • the new schools and academies enewsletter which will be emailed to all Northamptonshire schools and academies. • www.lgss.co.uk • www.northamptonshire.gov.uk - the traded services to schools page • There are no prices in the brochure for 2015/16 . • Bespoke charges will be sent to schools/academies who purchased LGSS services in 2014/15. • New customers:  please contact LGSS for a bespoke charge info@lgss.co.uk

  30. LGSS

  31. LGSS 15-16 Summary of key changes to terms and conditions and buyback process • Annual offering published December 2014 - 3 months notice (must be given by schools/academies) • No prices in the online brochure. • Existing customers - issued with a quote based on their current buy back. (If they wish to purchase the same services they do not need to do anything) • New customers - contact Customer Contracts team to request a quote (via the helpdesk) • Packages bought for a minimum of 1 year- an early exit fee will be payable • Schools and academies will be invoiced monthly. • Mandatory monthly direct debit - core charge spread across 12 months beginning April.

  32. LGSS 15-16 • One central contract to be issued to cover all service areas an academy has bought. (Central contracts for academies are yet to be agreed by the Project Board) • Annual customer satisfaction survey sent out in September • Performance reporting and customer satisfactions surveys used to inform the schools and academies service improvement plan. • Standard approach is developed for exiting LGSS and charges levied. • Pay As You Use services - a standard set of terms and conditions. Customer Focused • Customer satisfaction survey - October 2014 to bursars and headteachers • Introduce performance indicators for 2015/16 • Attendance at the National Schools Board Foundation • Exit interviews to understand why a school or academy has left LGSS

  33. LGSS 15-16  Customer Satisfaction Survey Results • 47.95% considered our service to be excellent; • 42.47% good; • 4.11% satisfactory; • 0% poor – really positive; and • 5.48% did not us our services. • The finance offer for 2015/16 has largely remained the same. There has been some minor refinement of the offer by rationalising some aspects of the packages offered • Enhanced and standard finance packages can be bought – e,g a dedicated school finance system (SIMS), financial training, school fund administration

  34. CFR Reporting 2013-14 • Errors on submission • Schools not entering an e-mail address. • Opening Balances differed from previous years closing balances. • Notes not entered against Yellow warning triangles. • Positive amounts on income codes and negatives on expenditure

  35. CFR Reporting 2014-15 • Schools should be checking the current report is correct when compared to Oracle and the Cumulative Expense Analysis report. • Schools should be checking that the CFR apportionment has been actioned correctly • School should check the Validation report for codes not mapped and missing expenditure / PFI Charges / Bad Debt. • Schools should check that income codes are in credit and expenditure codes are positive. Usually due to accruals.

  36. Budget Monitoring • Schools should be checking the current Oracle report and the Cumulative Expense Analysis report. • There has been issues with the budget top up file and where the budget was loaded onto Oracle so we would suggest the school completes a virement form to amend Oracle. • Don’t forget to vire Pupil Premium as per the budget proposal form if appropriate. This process will need to be repeated when the 7/12ths funding is devolved in January.

  37. Audit Points Governance and Financial Management and Compliance with the Schools Financial Value Standard (SFVS) – 2014/2015.

  38. Audit Points The percentage of schools with limited assurance for Governance and Financial Management has increased from 23% in 2013/14 to 53% in 2014/15, these schools had weaknesses where management checks were either not in place, or were not consistently demonstrated. Therefore it was considered that schools were exposed to the risk of fraud. • An Income Policy was not in place in 27% of schools. • In 57% of the schools a school development plan was only in place for a one year period, schools were not planning one year in detail and two in outline. • Three year financial projections had not been completed in 27% of the schools. • In 40% of schools there was insufficient evidence that the Headteacher had checked that the budget and expenditure on the school’s local accounting system had been reconciled to the NCC records on Oracle. • 33% of schools had not completed and approved a Business Continuity Plan.

  39. Audit Points • In 33% of the schools there was no evidence that the Headteacher had completed checks that the Business Manager/Bursar had checked the payroll each month or that they had completed a management check on the reports to review payments to the Business Manager/Bursar to confirm that these were correct. • In 80% of schools Headteachers did not check that all income received in the school had been banked. • Although the Private Funds had been audited in all of the schools visited, in 27% of the schools the accounts had not been presented to the Governors. • 47% of the schools had not completed the Thematic Audit templates and had therefore not identified and been able to address weaknesses in their internal control environment.

  40. Audit Points Areas of Good Practice: • A Pecuniary Interests Register was in place and updated annually; • The roles and responsibilities for finance in the school were documented; • The delegated authority for expenditure was documented; • The approval of the budget by the Governing Body was minuted; • The Governors minutes recorded discussion on the level of balances and their use; • Financial Monitoring reports were provided at least three times per year; • The outturn predicted in the monitoring reports/SIMS was the same or very similar to the actual outturn; • Virements of budget were approved by the Governors; • A Charging policy was in place; • Bank reconciliations were completed monthly by the Bursar/Business Manager; • The Headteacher checked the bank reconciliation each month; • Procedures were in place for the purchase of goods and services; • Quotations and tenders were obtained for high value purchases; • There was a separation of duties in place for ordering and payment of goods and services i.e. at least two persons were involved in this process; • The Private Funds accounts had been audited.

  41. Audit Points - SFVS • Last year there was a lot of chasing schools who had not  submitted by the 31st March. • Often this was because schools were waiting to approve the budget - but the return is on the current financial year i.e for 2014/15 so schools should not wait to approve the 2015/16  before submission - this is based on approval of the 2014/15 budget so can submit at any time. • This can be completed and submitted to Governors for approval in January/February before year end and budget pressures.

  42. Audit Points The last thematic audit was on Purchasing and Payments and are currently awaiting the report to be finalised. One point identified was that schools do not have a contract register in place or was not being updated. Schools should maintain a register of their contracts to keep track of renewal dates. A blank one is available on our website under the Procurement for Schools section.

  43. Tendering & Quotes Schools should be advised that: • Two written quotations should be obtained for goods or services over £1000 and less than £10,000 in value; • Three written quotations should be obtained for goods or services over £10,000 and up to £30,000; • Goods and services over £30,000 are subject to a formal tender process; and • Evidence should be retained in the school to prove that best value has been sought and to demonstrate this to the Governing Body.

  44. Journals & Virements Please be aware that there are new forms to complete when submitting the above. These can be found on the Schools Finance website under the forms library. These should then be returned to Finance as attachments to e-mails.

  45. Journals

  46. Virements

  47. Cash Advances The plan is that 14-15 arrangements will continue in 15-16 • One system where all maintained Primary, Secondary and Special Schools have 12 advances split between 12% in April 8% thereafter. • Schools regardless of payroll status receive all of their budget allocation in cash via monthly payments on a set date with any budget or other top ups also issued at the same time (new) • LGSS Payroll schools will have the salaries deducted from the advance. • Schools are notified monthly via email.

  48. Housekeeping Supplier Maintenance on FMS Some schools are still using the NCC – Audit and Financial Services address. This is not valid and schools should be using NCC Exchequer Fair. Please make the necessary amendments on FMS. Salary Scales on FMS • The Teacher scales are now available from our website. Attached to the Personnel 7 update notes and how to action this on SIMS. • Still awaiting the outcome from the latest proposals with regards to support staff.

  49. Top Tips Old Bank Accounts still causing issues for year end bank reconciliations. PC01 – Z before description. Have the journal wizard switched on as it will prompt bank account. Tools/User Options. Preferred method for submittal to Schools Finance – scan pages on mass not individually. Commitments – Full year including UIFSM.

More Related