The Finance Bill and the CFO (4 July)

Speakers:

 

Sally Marshall, Corporate Director, Dacorum Borough Council

Sandra Cowley, Head of Finance,Stroud District Council

Jason Vaughan, Director of Resources, West Dorset District Council & Weymouth and Portland Borough Council 

 

The government’s Finance Bill represents the single most significant change to the way council services are funded that we have seen for many years. The proposals set out for Business Rates Retention, Council Tax Benefit Localisation and other technical changes to Council Tax will result in decisions being taken and unpredictable outcomes which will result in significant shifts in the funding distribution between authorities.  

 

These shifts will prove difficult to forecast and manage and represent an unprecedented risk to a Council’s funding stability. This in turn represents a significant risk to the CFO’s ability to produce a balanced budget and advise on appropriate levels of Reserves. 

 

Sponsored by SDCT (Society of District Council Treasurers)

IFRS - the way forward (4 July)

 

Speakers:

Lynn Hine, Partner, PwC and Chair of CIPFA/LASAAC
Karen Sanderson, Deputy Director, Financial Management and Reporting, HMT
Ian Carruthers, Director, Policy & Technical, CIPFA and IPSASB

A workshop to discuss the lessons emerging from the IFRS post implementation review and the first publication of Whole of Government Accounts. Likely future developments in reporting in will also be covered.

How local government is responding to its financial challenges - a current perspective across the sector (4 July)

Speakers:

    

Howard Spensley, Director Local Government, PwC
Julie Gill, Director of Resources, Cheshire West & Chester Council

How is the public sector meeting the challenge of making real cash savings in the current environment?  This session will provide an insight into how organisations are addressing the need to do more with less, both now and in the future.  It will draw on the findings of research recently carried out by PwC, and will look at how savings targets have been met, plans for the future and how the public sector see their role evolving over the next few years. 

 

We have considered issues such as public perception, the role of finance, plans for restructuring and the future council.

Sponsored by PwC

Fitter societies and communities: shared health agendas (4 July)

Speakers:

Dr Kate Ardern, Director of Public Health, NHS Ashton, Leigh & Wigan & Wigan Borough CCG

Craig Hall,Deputy Director of Finance & Contracting, NHS Ashton, Leigh & Wigan & Wigan Borough CCG

Dan Wellings, Head of Public Health Research, Social Research Institute, Ipsos MORI

 

Exploring how councils and health bodies can work together on public health and other health/social care agendas to achieve the best results.

Exploring new funding models (4 July)

     
Speakers: 

 

Charles Abel Smith, UK Green Investments

Richard Paver, City Treasurer, Manchester City Council

Paul Hardisty – QSF
Murray Collins Physical Regeneration & Funding Manger – North Lanarkshire Council
 

 

Session dedicated to alternative finance models, PWLB, tax incremental funding. The session will include discussion around), the new HRA Self-Funding programme as well as the new discount being offered by the Public Works Loan Board that has scuppered the resurgent local authority bonds – infrastructure, capital and regeneration projects will still need funding, but how?

Sponsored by BNY Mellon

Getting value from Shared Services (4 July)

Speaker:

Jackie Shokman - Moreton Bay Regional Council (Australia)

Roger Phare – TechnologyOne Operating Office, Sales and Marketing

Sponsored by: Technology One

 

Overcoming the pensions investment governance challenges (4 July)

Chair: Bob Summers, Chairman - Chair of CIPFA Pensions Panel

Speakers:

Gavin Lewis, Associate Director, UK Institutional, Russell Investments
Heath Mottram, Head of Fiduciary Management, Russell Investments

An increasing number of opt-outs, decreasing contributions and maturing schemes over recent years have resulted in greater scrutiny from Whitehall to improve governance, reduce costs and implement ideas more efficiently. Collaboration between schemes and greater input from central government has eased this pressure, but may not go far enough. We compare the pros and cons of these developments with more radical solutions, and also explore new approaches, enabling Local Government pension schemes to make a more informed choice.

Sponsored by Russell Investments.

Tackling Fraud Locally (5 July) 

 

Speakers;

Diana Melville-CIPFA
Rachael Tiffen, Fraud Interventions, National Fraud Authority

Ian O’Donnell, Executive Director of Corporate Resources, Ealing Council

How should public sector organizations protect themselves against fraud. We will show you best practice in local government which has already saved Councils millions of pounds and tell you about financial incentives to tackle fraud . With £73 billion potentially at stake annually that is a lot of money that could be used to support better public services. 

    

Breakfast workshop

Tough Minds for Tough Times (5 July)

 
Speaker:

Alex MacPhail, Guru

How do you work under pressure? Can you cope when the going gets tough? This workshop will help develop skills to get your mindset tuned into achieving goals. Great for people that lead teams these behaviours will change the way you work!

Energy Performance Contracting; overcoming the common stumbling blocks to releasing and delivering your buildings energy saving potential (5 July)

Speakers:

 

Dr Randall Bown, Energy Consultant, British Gas

Andrew Davies, Plymouth PCT

Alison Jarrett, Assistant Finance Director, Birmingham City Council
 

British Gas and CIPFA will be co-presenting the findings from their recent research into Energy Performance Contracting (EPCs) within the Public Sector. The insight promises to show how organisations are progressing through the journey, the common stumbling blocks and how to overcome them.

CASE STUDY: In addition one client will be talking about their experience of the decision to progress with an EPC and the procurement process they followed highlighting the key factors for success.

Sponsored by British Gas

Changing Shapes – The tax opportunities and issues for Local Authorities and subsidiary organisations(5 July)
 
Speakers:

Ben Powell, Lead Partner, Local Government Tax Team, Deloitte
Mark Dyer, Lead, Local Government VAT Team, Deloitte

This workshop examines the tax issues and pitfalls that public sector organisations may experience when setting up subsidiary companies and asset backed vehicles.

It will also look at new VAT relief for shared services and PAYE controversies affecting councils using contractors and personal service companies.

Sponsored by Deloitte

The Challenges to treasury- The Risk Road Map
         
Speakers:

 

Martin Easton, Birmingham City Council
Jackie Shute, PSL

 

Panel:

 

Andy Ralph, HM Treasury

Kevin Bartle, London Borough of Haringey

This workshop will outline why CIPFA believes that local authorities need a more professional approach to managing treasury management risks.

We will also discuss the results of the FREE National Treasury Risk Study which highlighted some key risk areas that require more attention. There will also be a panel debate on the key issues facing local authorities which will include leading practitioners and colleagues from HM Treasury and the LGA.

Cost cutting - keeping it fair and keeping it transparent (5 July) 

 

Chair:John Thornton, Regional President, CIPFA South East

Speakers;

Philippa Headley, Business Development Director, Public Sector, Oracle

Naresh Patel, Principal Solutions Consultant, Oracle

Austerity is with us to stay, with lower service delivery costs becoming a way of life and, of necessity, forcing cuts in related service provision. How can those cuts be made in a rational way to maximise outcomes for citizens, ensure spending remains within budget and risks are managed?

Current focus is on transformation to improve operational efficiency, provide actionable business intelligence and more accurate planning, budgeting and forecasting whilst also pushing financial accountability out to line managers through self-service.  With the expectation of further budget cuts to come, the challenge for Local Authorities is to identify what to do next.

Could Activity Based Costing, Zero Based Budgeting and Project Portfolio Planning be useful tools to help answer the challenge?

Sponsored by Oracle