An administrative error at a London borough saw more than £700,000 of incorrect payments made to businesses and a social care provider, according to external auditors.
Thanet District Council’s leader has requested central government support to improve governance at the authority, following disciplinary issues and legal disputes.
Nottingham City Council’s scrutiny of wholly-owned companies remains “superficial and inadequate” a year after its auditors raised similar concerns, according to an independent report.
Coventry City Council is set to create a shareholder committee to manage commercial investments, in a bid to avoid financial difficulties experienced by some authorities.
Suspected form tampering and safeguarding concerns led a Midlands authority to cancel a contract with a SEND home-to-school transport supplier with two weeks until the start of term.
The London Borough of Croydon has appointed its fourth finance director in less than three years, as the council strives to improve its financial situation.
City of Edinburgh Council has failed to identify the potential costs of exiting emergency Covid-19 traffic reduction schemes, according to its internal auditors.
A borough council failed to carry out proper investigations before spending £100m on a shopping centre and surrounding properties in its area, according to an independent report.
Poor quality assessments by departmental accounting officers have reduced the value for money of government spending during the Covid-19 pandemic, a Public Accounts Committee report has found.
A Scottish local authority has adopted a checklist for assessing prospective loans to other councils after receiving negative publicity over lending to the struggling London Borough of Croydon.
Government inspectors pulled no punches in their final assessment of Northamptonshire County Council’s management in the run up to their intervention in May 2018. Read their full list of 13...
Three years of hard work since Northamptonshire County Council’s financial collapse means the two unitary authorities that replaced it have been left with solid financial foundations, the government-...
New procurement guidance that aims to push the wider benefits of public spending alongside value for money will only have “teeth” once legislation is adopted, according to experts.
A “prevalent, negative culture” at Nottingham City Council in which officers regularly fail to comply with processes and rules has drawn criticism from its internal auditors.
Finance officers need to interrogate and address cultural and behavioural factors, which are as important as legal frameworks in ensuring good governance in the public sector.
New government guidance will aim to improve reporting and transparency by Local Government Pension Scheme pools to bring them into line with international funds, a civil servant said today.
Legislation aimed at flagging up financial issues in UK local authorities is outdated and needs an overhaul, according to London Borough of Croydon's interim finance chief.
The current system, rather than building in checks and balances, has built a bank of spectators unable or unwilling to intervene until the vehicle has crashed, says councillor Graham Chapman.
Government officials are monitoring the situation at City of York Council after auditors found it overpaid severance and sick pay to a former chief executive amid threats of tribunal claims.