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Terms and Conditions

The Children’s Service Finance Advisory Network (CS-FAN) is a network designed for Children’s Service finance professionals who wish to work together to enhance their financial management arrangements. Children’s Services finance is currently facing a huge programme of change, including:

• The requirement for all authorities to establish a children’s trust which will result in the pooling of resources with partner organizations
• The changing role of LEAs from a direct provider of services to schools to one of enabling schools to manage their finances effectively
• A school funding review that will affect budgets from April 2008 and require planning during 2007
• The requirements of the Financial Management Standard in Schools
• The development of the capital funding regime through the Building Schools for the Future programme, the Prudential Code and the primary capital programme.

The CS-FAN combines the strengths of two of our highly successful existing Networks. The Children’s Services Advisory Network, which covers policy, performance and procurement issues and the Finance Advisory Network (FAN), to which over 300 public sector organisations subscribe. Led by our Children’s Services financial adviser and specialists associates, and with the capacity to draw on the expertise of our team of four corporate finance advisers, the CS-FAN will provide practical help and advice, specifically designed for finance officers

The CS-FAN will provide dedicated advice and support exclusively to finance professionals in the Children’s Services sector through:

• Up-to-the-minute briefings on legislative and technical changes and the practical implications that arise from them
• Timely and relevant practical advice to members on the actions needed to prepare for and implement reform
• Facilitated peer support between our members
• Regular series of participative events held regionally across four locations (one series each term to fit in with education planning cycles)
• An annual series of specific briefings on past and future topics

The content of the service is based around current topics within four key themes:

• Developments in Children’s Services finance policy – including impacting corporate developments
• Developments on technical issues - such as the application of national accounting standards within a Children’s Services environment
• Schools finance issues (management and technical), as affecting education officers such as financial services or governor support
• Financial management issues, including:
• The development of pooled budgets and incorporating social services financial management practic
• The application of financial management toolkits such as the Financial Standard for Schools and the wider CIPFA Financial Management Model