For officers of councils that spend and receive less than £25,000 a year, who want to understand how to prepare and publish their council’s Annual Governance & Accountability Return to comply with the Accounts & Audit Regulations, as well as publishing the information required by the Transparency Code for Smaller authorities.
There are alternative sessions for Councils over £25,000 that submit their accounts for audit.
You do not need to attend more than one of these sessions, as the content is similar.
This session introduces the Annual Governance & Accountability Return and the stages of the approval process, enabling you to complete all the relevant steps correctly. It includes additional information on exemption from audit and transparency, only applicable to councils with annual receipts and payments of less than £25,000.
Topics include:
• Closing the accounts
• Exemption from external audit
• Internal audit
• Reviewing internal control
• The Annual Return
• Electors rights
• Transparency and publication requirements
By the end of this session you will:
• Be able to identify the steps needed as part of the year-end process
• Understand how to close the council’s accounts
• Understand how to complete the Annual Return
• Be able to correctly allow the exercise of electors’ rights
• Be able to identify the information a small council must publish
Session leader: Steve Parkinson, The Parkinson Partnership LLP
Steve is a former Town Clerk and an accountant with 30 years’ experience in public and voluntary sector finance. He now specialises in delivering training and advice on VAT and finance matters for the local council sector.