Financial management

The Finance Department is responsible for managing and monitoring the financial resources of the Council. This includes the provision of a benefit administration service.

The Finance Department is responsible for the collection and banking of all sums due to the Council including Rents, Non Domestic Rates and Council Tax and the Council’s insurance arrangements.

Every year, the Accountancy Section manages approximately £212 million net revenue expenditure and provides financial advice to both elected members and departments.  It is the Section's responsibility to produce the Council’s annual accounts. Through the production of the budgetary control reports, the section monitors levels of expenditure and identifies variances. The section also manages the Council’s treasury activity to ensure that borrowing is controlled. With input from staff in other departments, accountancy staff maintain the Council’s Efficiency Register.

The e-Government Section of the Department is leading on the expansion of the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to communicate and transact more effectively with the general public and with partners.

The Property and Technical Services Section offers a multi discipline, professional and technical service covering all aspects of new build, alteration and adaptation works. The Corporate Health and Safety Team is part of the Property and Technical Services Section and they carry out a range of Health and Safety planning and organisational development.

The Corporate Procurement Team is part of the Finance Department and is responsible for the development of procurement, tendering and implementing the electronic purchase to pay system.

To fulfil this wide and varied role, in addition to the Directorate, the Department is divided into four Sections namely Accountancy, e-Government, Property and Technical Services and Revenues.