Financial management in the Department for Children, Schools and Families
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
Financial management in the Department for Children, Schools and Families
（Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General / Comptroller and Auditor General）（HC, 267 . Session 2008-2009）
Stationery Office, c2009
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Note
"30 April 2009."
At head of title: National Audit Office
"Ordered by the House of Commons to be printed on 28 April 2009."
Description and Table of Contents
Description
The Department for Children, Schools and Families (the Department) has made progress in improving its financial management, with strong commitment at senior management and board level. The Department's ability to reach a high standard of financial management depends partly on successful working with local authorities, other partner organisations, and the schools themselves. It does, however, face specific challenges, including the need for better strategic management of its large capital programme and to encourage better financial management in schools. The Department has built up a large capital underspend, which increased from GBP 1.9 billion at 31 March 2008 to around GBP 2.4 billion at the end of March 2009. Its capital expenditure programme will need to be carefully managed given the history of underspending and the challenge of bringing forward GBP 924 million of expenditure from 2010-11 to 2009-10 as part of the Government's fiscal stimulus. At March 2008, schools in England had a net cumulative surplus of GBP 1.9 billion. Only 1 in 5 local authorities reduced their total net school surplus in 2007-08.
Local authorities are accountable for school spending and the Department should encourage them to redistribute excessive uncommitted surpluses in line with local needs. In 2007, the Department was one of three departments that had not implemented in-year accruals accounting systems, which would help to improve the accuracy of financial forecasting and reporting. The planned introduction of a shared services arrangement for finance with procurement and personnel support should also help improve financial management and lead to efficiencies.
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