Audit in Education Nov 05

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¾¾™¾™¾™¾™¾¾¾ AUDIT A IN EDUCATION PLEASE CIRCULATE TO:- HEADTEACHER BURSAR CHAIR OF GOVERNORS Issue No.21 October 2005 ADVICE TO SCHOOLS ADVICE TO Leicestershire County Council web-site has been FRAUDULENT CHEQUE ALERT! updated to bring you a vast amount of additional information and advice. To reach the Audit page select A school has recently been the subject of a hi-tech www.leics.gov.uk/Education/support for schools & cheque fraud, where a routine creditor cheque issued by the school, and for a modest amount, appears to have Governors/Finance/Audit been intercepted in transit and the payee / amount On the site you will find information on how the amended (to £30k). This type of fraud is known as Internal Audit Section works along with more "cheque washing". The cheque was part of the general advice: school's routine computerised cheque run, and was posted to a legitimate, commonly used company. School Private Funds l Trips The vigilance of bank staff identified this amendment / Receipting of Income forgery, and ...

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• Publié par: Zuim
• Nombre de lectures: 25
• Langue: English

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AUDIT A IN EDUCATION PLEASE CIRCULATE TO:-HEADTEACHER BURSARCHAIR OF GOVERNORS Issue No.21October 2005 ADVICE TO SCHOOLS

Leicestershire County Council web-site has been updated to bring you a vast amount of additional information and advice. To reach the Audit page select www.leics.gov.uk/Education/support for schools & Governors/Finance/Audit On the site you will find information on how the Internal Audit Section works along with more general advice: ¾School Private Funds ¾School Trips ¾Receipting of Income ¾Internet Ordering ¾Maintaining Inventories ¾Fraud & Corruption ¾Making Savings ¾Identifying & making efficiency savings Also on the site are a number of Self – Assessment questionnaires that schools can download and use: - General Primary School Self – Assessment questionnaire General Secondary School Self – Assessment questionnaire Information Technology – Primary School Information Technology – Secondary School And many other documents are available for you to access. Have you missed out on or lost previous Audit in Education bulletins? Past issues of this bulletin are available within the web-site. PLEASE NOTE! Look out for future Fraud Warnings being posted within EIS

FRAUDULENT CHEQUE ALERT! A school has recently been the subject of a hi-tech cheque fraud, where a routine creditor cheque issued by the school, and for a modest amount, appears to have been intercepted in transit and the payee / amount amended (to £30k).This type of fraud is known as "cheque washing".The cheque was part of the school's routine computerised cheque run, and was posted to a legitimate, commonly used company. The vigilance of bank staff identified this amendment / forgery, and fortunately the cheque was not processed. The Police are now involved, but the likelihood of the fraudsters being identified and apprehended is considered to be small. Previous examples of this type of fraud are fortunately very rare within Leicestershire.Nevertheless, schools are asked to be vigilant with their bank reconciliation procedures, as well as general securityprocedures such as keeping unused cheque stationery locked away securely. Any such issues should be reported immediately to both the Police and the Audit Manager.

INVENTORIES

Reminder: Items not funded by the school budget (i.e. not directly imported from FMS to ER) should still be included in inventories. Examples include computers acquired under the ‘laptops for teachers’ scheme, and loaned items (e.g. photocopiers, works of Art).

Several schools have reported problems during the Summer with regard BANKING DELAYS to their cash collection, specifically concerning lengthy delays in the  editingof collected income to the schools' bank accounts.The Corporate Accounting team of the Resources Department has recently met with the Commercial Manager of the Nat. West. Bank and with representatives of the bank's Tamworth Cash Centre (where cash collected by Kings is delivered to). The bank fully accepts that there have been unreasonable delays at times in the crediting of income to bank accounts.They assure us that the issue has now been resolved and should not reoccur. Under the Authority's banking agreement with the Nat. West., the bank pledges to credit income to school bank accounts on a "best endeavour" basis.We would expect this to be, at worst, within a week. Schoolscontinuing to experience unreasonably lengthy banking delays are asked to e-mail the Corporate Accounting team with further details Please note that these queries should be th forwarded to Harriet Cobley ([e-mail]) from 28November 2005.

AGED DEBTOR REPORT DEBTOR CONTROL ACCOUNT Question How can I save money? Answer A number of consumable-type items are purchased by Following a recent incident, we would like to schools / Colleges which could have been obtained remind all schools / Colleges that they should cheaper through ESPO / CTSS / the Central Print Unit. regularly check (monthly) and reconcile their Schools / Colleges should consider obtaining quotes SIMSAged Debtor Report / Debtor Control from LEA traded Service Units for the following areas: Account. •Property contents insurance, staff absence insurance, school, journeyinsurance etc. (Education The check should not only monitor any Administration) ‘outstanding debts’ (ensuring follow up action •PAT testing (CTSS) is taken where required) but to ensure that no •Minor works (CTSS) 'outstanding' debts have in fact been paid, but •Electrical repairs (CTSS) erroneously processed as 'non-invoiced' •Hire of yellow buses (CTSS) Software training courses (LEAMIS) income. • •Hardware / software upgrades (LEAMIS) •Reprographic and printing services (CPU) •Financing of leases (Resources Investments Section) •Financial Support (GroupBursar Services and consultancy

General Finance & Budget Issues: Marjorie Allen-Carter, Chris Merritt Ed Finance Unit, Tel. [phone] VAT Queries: Bev King, VAT Liaison Officer, Tel .[phone] Software Licensing/SIMS Queries: LEAMIS Helpdesk, Tel. [phone] Receipt books Income team, Tel. [phone] Risk & Internal Control: Education Audit Team, Tel. [phone]

Does your school / College operate in a way that you know saves you money? Have you ever thought why don’t they do it that way - its quicker and/or cheaper? Can you think of a process that could save you time/money but were always unaware how best to raise? Schools Colleges who wish to pass on their thoughts and suggestions of any potential efficiency savings should e-mail us at [e-mail]