Jonathan Oakley, CFO

Helen Elworthy, Trust Finance Manager

Financial Management

Our financial management support service is overseen by the Executive Management Team and encompasses the following in the form of a core and additional service package provided by the central finance team.

Core

• Co-ordination and management of the Trust’s company accounts
• Liaison with the DfE and the Regional Director
• Annual budget planning support
• Support with three to five year financial planning models and the submission to the DfE within required statutory deadlines
• Statutory Accounts and Annual Accounts Return (supported by Auditors)
• Monthly out turn financial monitoring health checks
• Internal audit support, Governor / Trustee / Responsible Officer led
• VAT advice, consolidation, checking and submission support including liaison with HMRC and appropriate training for office/business managers
• Collective briefing and training sessions
• Procurement processes through frameworks and specialist brokers
• Compliance advice as well as dissemination of good practice
• Financial benchmarking support
• GAG Funding statement checks, investigations and follow ups
• Collation and reporting of financial information for all academies to the Trustees
• External audit planning and reviews
• Financial advice and guidance through a help line
• ESFA directed financial compliance implementation in the form of an annually updated financial procedure document
• Future funding changes information
• Liaison with pension providers
• Pension-related financial policies and regulation
• Financial modelling support for significant planned changes
• Asset management advice, support and guidance
• Reporting requirements for the Trust’s Resource Committee
• Year-end financial support covering close down of the financial systems, year-end adjustment, first point of contact for external auditors, audit preparation and training
• Surplus funds investment management
• Development and implementation of economies of scale targets
• Professional development of Office/Business Managers