Procurement Advice Specific to Service
- Finance

The Leeds Scheme for Financing Schools, sets out requirements relating to financial management and associated issues that schools are expected to satisfy. These include:

• planning and conducting its affairs to remain solvent
   
• establishing a framework that ensures accountability
   
• establishing proper financial management arrangements, accounting procedures and maintaining a sound system of controls
   
• providing such information as the LEA may reasonably require to satisfy the LEA that the financial management and organisation of the governing body are such as to enable it to fulfil its obligations
   
• adhering to Financial Regulations and Guidance in Letting of Contracts
   
• submitting an annual budget by a specified deadline date with supporting action plan where necessary
   
• following the guidance provided for school meals

To satisfy these requirements, schools should expect that service providers can provide:

      Financial Advice and Planning

• advice and assistance with budget preparation
   
• advice and assistance with medium-term budget planning
   
• advice and assistance with budget monitoring
   
• advice on financial management and administration including Best Value
   
• provision of an Annual Financial Statement
   
• advice and assistance with the completion of the annual Consistent Financial Reporting return to the DfES.
   
• advice and assistance with the completion of Ofsted financial forms
   
• provision of financial training

      Payments Service

• entry of all payments into an accounting system
   
• raising of income accounts
   
• follow-up action on all income accounts
   
• in-built controls within the payments system to guard against duplicate payments
   
• the recording of income paid into the school via the PIV scheme
   
• administration of taxation issues
   
• payment of invoices in accordance with the Construction Industry Scheme
   
• liaison with other Services/Departments to assist in resolving financial queries
   
• monitoring of the potential effects of the late payment of invoices

      School Meals

• support and assistance with financial issues
   
• training of dinner money collectors in schools
   
• administration and allocation of milk grants

Schools should establish whether the service is available on demand or whether it will be provided at specific times during the week. Additionally, it should be clear whether service providers specify a limit to the number of visits, calls etc. where activity over and above this limit will lead to further charges.

Schools should also ensure that the service provider has adequate arrangements in place to deal with staff holidays and sickness.

Services should be available to schools in normal school working hours, and where necessary should be available to attend meetings outside normal working hours (e.g. governing body meetings