A school staff member has raised concerns after accumulating a significant bill of over £138,000 on a corporate credit card. The substantial sum was amassed over almost three-and-a-half years while working at two schools in Flintshire. Although an investigation by Flintshire Council found no evidence of wrongdoing, education officials have decided to prohibit schools from using corporate credit cards following a review.
The issue was brought to light during a meeting of backbench councillors on Monday, September 9, 2024, where the leader of the council’s Liberal Democrat group questioned the effectiveness of the local authority’s financial procedures. Andrew Parkhurst expressed concerns about the control over the use of cards, stating that while the payments were legitimate, the situation indicates a lack of oversight. He also raised questions as to why the excessive spending was only discovered through an internal audit and not through existing control processes.
An internal audit revealed that staff at schools in Flintshire had used three corporate credit cards from January 2020 to May 2023. The largest expenditure of £138,769 was recorded on one card, making it the highest spend by any council employee, while the other two cards had expenses of £16,488 and £15,629. The staff member responsible for the substantial spending reportedly started at one school and continued the pattern after moving to another school within the region.
Auditors noted that the education department of the authority was unaware of the card usage, despite application forms being completed, and identified unclear oversight procedures. According to council regulations, corporate credit cards should only be used for valid expenses such as train fares and hotel stays, not to bypass standard procurement processes.
In response to inquiries regarding the significant bill, Claire Homard, Flintshire’s chief officer for education and youth, clarified that schools should no longer use credit cards. She stated that the policy has been revised, appropriate actions have been taken, and the use of credit cards by schools will no longer be supported.