County Treasurer

Statutory Role

In contributing towards the Council's priorities and fulfilling our role of helping the "front line services" to deliver the five corporate aims, the County Treasurer's Service has its own objective.

"To ensure that the best possible financial support is provided to assist the County Council in achieving its mission."

In addition to the above there are statutory responsibilities attached to the post of County Treasurer. These derive from Section 151 of the Local Government Act 1972 and Section 114 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988. Section 151 requires that every Local Authority in England and Wales should:

"...... make arrangements for the proper administration of their financial affairs and shall secure that one of their officers has responsibility for the administration of those affairs"

Section 114 of the 1988 Act requires that "The Chief Finance Officer is not merely a servant of the Authority, but holds a fiduciary responsibility to the local taxpayers".

In other words the County Treasurer, as the steward of public money, carries a prime responsibility to the general public and is required to report inappropriate financial management and wrongdoing.

To achieve the above objective and to ensure that the Authority maximises its performance in regard to the Corporate Performance Assessment, the Service is committed to the principles underpinning the CIPFA Financial Model and the Audit Commission's "World Class Financial Management" discussion paper. The model and document focus on what are deemed to be the most important criteria for determining whether the service provided is effective and whether there is scope for managing the strategy and aspirations of the authority. Our objectives will therefore focus on three key levels:

Securing Stewardship - making sure we have control, probity, accountability and recognise regulatory obligations and the Statutory Role of the section 151 Officer.
Supporting Performance - by being responsive to customers, efficient, effective and economic and by maintaining a commitment to improving performance.
Enabling Transformation - by being strategic and customer led, future orientated, proactive in managing change and risk and receptive to new ideas.

We will do this by:

Working in partnership with Services through dual accountability to provide high quality strategic advice.
The provision of cost effective commissioned services.
Ensuring effective Corporate Governance.
Considering risk in our approach to all issues.

To achieve this we will need:

To provide leadership to the Service and the County Council.
People who are engaged and equipped to do the tasks required.
To make sure our processes support the efficient delivery of the County Council's mission.
To ensure that stakeholders are at the centre of what we deliver.
To produce results and have systems in place to ensure we can monitor our performance.

The following information shows how these aims can be achieved. The key deliverables which will be addressed in the more detailed Service Group plans are briefly outlined below:

Financial Management

Providing a wide range of support and financial services to the Council's services and members.
Maintaining financial management at a high level in order to underpin the County Council's Corporate Performance Assessment.
Embedding the principles and practice of Dual Accountability, piloted within Social Care and Health across the County Council's revised service structure.
Appropriate support, advice and guidance to the Police Authority as it moves towards Regional Policing.

The Audit Commission

Internal Audit

Ensuring that internal financial controls are in place to safeguard the Authority and its managers.
Achievement of the Council's Risk Management Implementation Programme aspirations.
Establishing the Council's corporate arrangements for Governance assurance purposes.

Financial Services

Paying suppliers, collecting income, and providing the Service with administrative support.
A staff structure supported by training and professional qualifications which delivers a well trained, motivated and flexible workforce.

Payroll

Paying staff, pensioners and Members for the County Council and other organisations.
Delivering cost effective financial services.

Pensions

Administering and providing interpretation of the Durham County Pension Scheme for and on behalf of the contributing authorities and other accepted bodies.
Reviewing the current Pension systems to ensure they are fit for purpose.
Managing the changes expected from the introduction of new Pension Regulations and the introduction of a new pension tax regime.