Kelvin College - Response re North Glasgow Audit Report

At least one member of staff at Kelvin College is glad that

"the report does not relate to Glasgow Kelvin College, which remains committed to the to the highest standards of governance, transparency, social responsibility and accountability".

This quote is from a memo to All Staff (1 April 2014!) from the Principal of Kelvin College.

The memo advises staff that the Auditor General for Scotland, Caroline Gardner, has issued a report to the Scottish Parliament regarding matters in North Glasgow College’s accounts audit for 2012/2013.

The memo states …..

“The Auditor General reports that the Board of North Glasgow College failed to follow best practice and is also critical of the fact that the college failed to consider properly costs in relation to payments in lieu of notice, accrued annual leave and pension fund strains in its initial calculation of the costs of all its severance packages. This resulted in a substantial unplanned deficit being carried into the merger.”

It also states ….

“As the report is currently being considered by the Scottish Parliament, we are unable to comment further at this time …….”

The Correlate would implore the Scottish Parliament and the Public Audit Committee to, in the public interest, initiate a thorough review of the financial activities in Scotland’s FE Colleges with a forensic examination of severance, retirement and any other remuneration made to senior college staff prior to and through mergers.

Also this review should be extended to the use of any transformational funding and, in light of four staff from Adam Smith College being referred to the procurator fiscal, include claims made against European project funding.

The Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council are called upon to 

• Publish the complete financial status of each college going into and through a merger?
• List those in deficit going into or through merger
• Publish the names and positions held of senior staff awarded early severance, retirement, redundancy or enhancements to pensions et al prior to and through mergers.

The Scottish Further Education sector is hurting badly from a number of attacks on its funding, staffing and opportunities for the communities it should be supporting and any unwarranted loss of resources must have an additional negative impact on the provision and indeed the quality of that provision.

It can only be good for staff and student morale to have a sector where the governance is demonstrated to be open, transparent and truly accountable and where necessary appropriate action is taken!

The Audit is attached as an appendix to a Report by the Principal and Vice Principal - Finance and Corporate Services and The Audit Action Plan - beginning Page 19 of the report - may be of interest)

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