Wednesday 14 August 2013
The Health and Social Services Department and Treasury & Resources Department have today published their responses to a review into HSSD's financial management. The review has also been published in full today.
The review was commissioned by Chief Executive Mike Brown and focuses on the governance and controls around the management of finances within HSSD. It was undertaken by Finnamore, a consultancy firm which specialises in health and social care.
The review makes 14 recommendations across eight areas, in relation to:
- Changing the financial management culture
- Delivering the Financial Management Improvement Plan
- Improving governance
- Prioritising financial planning
- Improving reporting
- Developing systems
- Managing risk
- Improving capability and capacity
HSSD Deputy Minister Deputy Martin Storey said:
"The Board and the Department welcomes this review of HSSD's financial management. We have had time to read the full review closely, and have responded positively to all 14 of the recommendations it makes, setting out what we will do, and are already doing, to improve our financial management. This report is important in helping to further understand what the issues have been, and to ensure that actions are taken to deal with those issues.
"The reviewers considered HSSD's own Financial Management Improvement Plan (FMIP), a series of 28 actions approved by the Board in January this year. The Department is pleased to note that the review found that, 'overall the FMIP has many merits. It is comprehensive and if implemented successfully will address most of the financial management concerns that have been expressed over the last 12 months.'
"The review, and the responses from HSSD and Treasury & Resources, have shown that while there have been issues in relation to financial management in the past at HSSD, there is a strong willingness for the two departments to work together to overcome these issues. The HSSD executive team's commitment to putting the recommendations of the review into action during a period when there has been some change at HSSD is both notable and laudable."
Treasury & Resources Minister Deputy Gavin St Pier said:
"The Treasury & Resources Board welcomes this report which is evidence that HSSD's financial challenges go beyond simply increased demand for its services. It is vital that Guernsey's biggest-spending Department puts in place an effective framework for financial management, and this report will play an important role in achieving that. Treasury and Resources will provide its full support to HSSD as it progresses with delivery against the report's recommendations.
"The review emphasises that there are States-wide implications for some of its findings, and that many of the recommendations could be, indeed should be, applicable to other departments. For that reason the review should not be seen as the end of a process, but rather as the start of the next stage of improving financial management across the States, an ongoing process led by the States Treasurer."
The review was commissioned in January 2013 and completed in June 2013. Since its completion, the recommendations made have been assessed by HSSD and Treasury & Resources.
Chief Executive Mike Brown said:
"This review has been of enormous value in taking a cold, hard look at HSSD's financial management, pinpointing areas where problems have emerged, and setting out ways of dealing with those problems to support financial recovery. I have every confidence that the teams at HSSD and Treasury & Resources, working together, will ensure that the objective of effective financial management is met."
-ENDS-
Further Information
- The full report and the appendix containing the responses to the recommendations in the report is published at www.gov.gg/finnamorereview
- The cost of the report was just under £21,000.
Contact Information
Tel: 01481 717 020
E-mail: pressroom@gov.gg