Services offered 2012/13 - Sunderland Learning Hub

SERVICE STANDARDS & HOW GOOD PERFORMANCE WILL BE MEASURED:• Internal review and monitoring procedures in place to ensure the uniformity and quality ofadvice and support.• Guidance on budget setting routinely available as part of the annual budget process andsuitable software and training offered to enable schools to model and plan their budgets• Academies with budget difficulties readily identified and assisted in finding a resolution to theproblem• Finance service staff will establish and maintain links with other services to ensure:- Academies have ready access when they need it to individual advice on budget settingand management- Academies feel well supported and the majority rate these aspects of LA work as at leastgood in the Audit Commission annual survey of schools.MONITORING AND EVALUATION• Corporate annual survey and report to schools on quality of service provided.• Audit Commission annual school survey will be used to measure schools' level of satisfactionwith the serviceTERMINATION OF THE AGREEMENTShould either party wish to terminate this agreement, notice is required by 30 th April preceding thestart of the next years’ agreement.SCHOOL RESPONSIBILITIESTo ensure the terms of the agreement are met and the standards set out above are achievableAcademies need to:• Allow access to relevant and necessary data, information and records in order to support thepreparation of financial information and reports required under this SLA.• Maintain all records as required by the Academies Financial Procedures and other statutoryinstruments• Retain such information, receipts and other documentation as is necessary to comply withstatutory returns and to enable finance service to fulfil its functions• Nominate a named contact person• Check the validity of information supplied and give timely notification of any faults or errors indata or other documentation• Allow access to relevant and necessary data, information and records in order to support thepreparation of financial information and reports required under this SLA.• Ensure staffing changes affecting the budget are notified to Schools Finance Officer within areasonable time.• Ensure regular monitoring of financial transactions made in the accounting system to ensureanomalies are investigated and corrected at the earliest opportunity.35