Final reminders OCC Recent Issues — Procurement Cards

Final reminders OCC Recent Issues - Procurement Cards - Cash Handling - Authorisation levels - Foreign Trips

Purchasing Cards • Recent Issues: – Fraudulent Use – flights, big money items – Inappropriate Use – for the benefit of the pupil? – Authorisation – if Head Teacher card, then should be reviewed by Co. G not Bursar – Card sharing – Receipts not always retained Key points coming out in School News New Guidelines Issued – on Schools section of OCC website

Cash Handling Theft (over £ 5, 000 taken from a number of schools in the last two financial years) Records have not been sufficient enough to be able to know how much income has been taken from an event (such as a fundraiser), and subsequently how much has been stolen Schools are only insured for up to £ 1, 000 Cash is an easy and tempting target for anyone.

Authorisation Levels • An Audit of the Scheme of Delegation (authorisation approval levels) identified Level 0 authorisations allocated to Head Teachers, Deputy Heads, Bursars and Business staff. • Level 0 is > £ 0. 5 m • Risk that large transactions are approved inappropriately • OCC will be requesting that levels for individual schools are reduced

Authorisation Levels • More appropriate levels should be selected in line with School’s own scheme of delegation or Financial manual of guidance for schools • • • Authorisation Level Amount 0 Greater than £ 0. 500 m 1 Up to £ 0. 500 m 2 Up to £ 0. 200 m 3 Up to £ 0. 100 m 4 Up to £ 0. 050 m 5 Up to £ 0. 025 m 6 Up to £ 0. 005 m 7 (schools only) Up to £ 0. 001 m

Foreign Trips • 4 recent examples where a School has requested Cash for trips just a few days before the trip • PLAN ahead • pay upfront (flights, hotels, activities etc) using a procurement card • Procurement card can be used abroad if the cardholder notifies RBS (using the contact number on the back of the card). • Contact OCC early if there is a requirement for CASH

Closedown • • • Instructions from OCC. No transactions after 31 st March. Supply accrual already complete. No other accruals. All central transactions such as Food with Thought will be entered before year end. • Period 13 transactions – P card / central

Closedown Returns for OCC • Last day for Capital Transactions 10 th March. • Capital spreadsheet will be made available by OCC around 20 th March • Return this by 24 th March • Year end Master spreadsheet already sent • Return this by 31 st March – even if NIL • Both returns to: Technical. Finance@oxfordshire. gov. uk

Key date • SFVS return to OCC by 28 February 2017 • Technical. Finance@Oxfordshire. gov. uk • Nick Baggett, Education Finance Manager, Oxfordshire County Council Schools Support Section, Corporate Finance County Hall New Road Oxford OX 1 1 ND