Accountancy and audit information

Accountancy

Accountancy services perform the following functions:

1. Provide operational and strategic financial advice to both officers and members of the Council.
2. Ensure that the Council’s financial system, procedures and statements are in accordance with statutory and professional best practice.
3. Process all creditor payments for the Council, ensuring all payments are correct and made on time.
4. Endeavour to recover all sundry debt that is owed to the Council in the most efficient, cost effective way possible.
5. Ensure that the Council has in place the most appropriate and cost effective policies for insurance.
6. Maximise the interest of investments achieved from both external and in-house treasury management of funds.
7. Maximise the potential benefits from e-government and in particular e-procurement.
8. Preparation of Statements of Accounts, and Summary Accounts
9. Preparation of financial plans and budgets in consultation with stakeholders, ensuring resources are matched to the council's priorities.

Audit

Our in-house team of internal auditors provide a wide range of services. Our external audit services are provided by Grant Thornton.

The Council's Corporate Governance arrangements

Bromsgrove District Council recognises the importance of effective corporate governance so that local communities can place trust in the way that the Council undertakes and carries out its duties.

Corporate governance is defined as the "system in which local authorities direct and control their functions and relate to their communities".

To enable the Council to evidence good governance, a review of its corporate governance arrangements has been completed, in line with national best practice, guidance and the CIPFA/SOLACE Framework.

As a result of the review, the Council has produced the Bromsgrove District Council Local Code of Corporate Governance. The Local Code summarises all of the documents and processes the Council has in place to evidence good corporate governance.

The Local Code is divided into the following five dimensions:

1. Community Focus.
2. Service Delivery Arrangements.
3. Structure and Processes.
4. Risk Management.
5. Standards of Conduct.

For each dimension, an explanation is given on how the principles of corporate governance are applied at Bromsgrove District Council.

The Head of Financial Services will review the Council's corporate governance arrangements annually and the Local Code will be updated with any amendments.

As further evidence of our corporate commitment to good governance we will issue an annual statement of assurance. This statement will set out the arrangements that we have put in place to improve governance and also highlight those areas requiring further work.

This statement can then be used to gauge our year on year improvement in implementing a governance framework and compliance with our Local Code

The local guide

Download a copy here