A staff member at a school in Wales has come under scrutiny after accumulating a hefty bill of over £138,000 on a corporate credit card. The large sum was accrued over a period of nearly three-and-a-half years while working at two schools in Flintshire. Although an investigation by Flintshire Council found no evidence of misconduct, education officials have decided to ban the use of corporate credit cards by schools following a review.
The issue came to light during a meeting of backbench councillors on Monday, September 9, 2024, where concerns were raised about the effectiveness of the local authority’s financial procedures. Andrew Parkhurst, the leader of the council’s Liberal Democrat group, questioned the oversight of spending on corporate credit cards and raised doubts about the existing policies in place.
An internal audit revealed that three corporate credit cards were utilised by staff at schools in Flintshire between January 2020 and May 2023. One card alone saw expenditures amounting to £138,769, making it the highest spending by any council employee, while the other two cards had spends of £16,488 and £15,629. The individual responsible for the significant spending reportedly began using the card at one school and continued to do so after moving to another school in the region.
Auditors noted that the education department of the authority was unaware of the card usage, despite application forms being completed, highlighting unclear oversight procedures. The council stipulates that such cards should only be used for valid expenses like travel fares and accommodation, without bypassing standard procurement processes.
Claire Homard, Flintshire’s chief officer for education and youth, clarified that the credit card in question was managed by the headteacher and governing body of the school. In response to the situation, the policy has been amended to prohibit schools from using credit cards. The council has taken appropriate actions and made it explicit that such practices will no longer be supported in the future.
The discovery of the substantial credit card bill has raised concerns about financial controls and accountability within schools. With the implementation of stricter guidelines and enhanced monitoring, education authorities aim to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.