Torfaen County Borough Council has developed a grants protocol, providing officers with a framework for the administration and control of their grant-aided schemes. It is a working protocol with a number of processes to ensure the smooth running of grants and the grant certification process by the Wales Audit Office.

Benefits/positive outcomes that have resulted from it

The central focus point of the initiative is the role of Grants Co-ordinator, who acts as a central contact point between the authority’s officers and the Wales Audit Office auditors. The role represents good practice as the officer is responsible for co-ordinating the effort between the authority and the Wales Audit Office in respect of the certification of grant claims.

It helps to ensure that the certification process runs more smoothly, deadlines are met and queries are resolved in a more timely fashion.

Underpinning critical success factors

The overall initiative has a number of elements to it that contribute to its overall success, making it a good example of good practice. These are outlined below:

• The authority has in place a nominated Grants Co-ordinator who acts as the main point of contact for the Wales Audit Office, and a liaison with senior accountants in the course of the audit or if there are delays in the receipt of grant claims.
• A senior accountant is assigned for each of the authority’s service areas, who liaises with officers in respect of the preparation of grant claims and collation of material in support.
• The authority has developed a grants database, which is maintained by the Grants Co-ordinator. Information is fed into this (via the Grants Co-ordinator) from senior accountants and other officers.
• The Grants Co-ordinator and representatives from the Wales Audit Office meet monthly to cross-reference the authority’s grants database to the index published by Wales Audit Office to ensure consistency.
• The authority has developed a standard submission checklist which is completed and attached to each grant file passed to the Wales Audit Office for certification. This has to be signed off by an officer to say that all of the required working papers are included, and checks undertaken.

Name: David Lilly (Chief Accountant)
Email: David.Lilly@torfaen.gov.uk
Tel: 01495 766105