Finding the Funds

Sindy Fortescue looks at how managing the Trust's money has changed since the days when there was just a single unit.

I first got to know The Disabilities Trust when it had just one unit, Ernest Kleinwort Court. I came into the unit every year to prepare and audit the accounts, working in one of the kitchens, because that was the only spare space!

I remember there was just one big red cash book - rather different from today where there is a sophisticated IT system in place and financial management reports are provided each month for every unit. What's the cost of providing a service for one day? How does one unit compare to another? What's the financial viability of each unit? We go into it in a lot of detail.

That's important when it comes to negotiating fee levels. Previously it was relatively easy to obtain funding and certainly far less time- consuming. You were dealing with a handful of local and health authorities all of whom were empowered to act on their own decisions.

We're now dealing with many more funders including PCTs which have specific procurement departments and people who manage their own budgets and want to know what you can provide for a given price. It's a much more complex picture than in the 1980s.

In addition to the initial negotiations all the fees have to be renegotiated every year. The requested fee increase for 2008-09 was 3%, well below inflation. We explain why an increase is needed but it still often means lengthy negotiations. It's a constant challenge. But we're adamant at the Trust that we expect funders to pay the full cost of the services we provide. We won't subsidise a service. We're committed to providing very high quality services, but expect funders to pay an appropriate fee.

Sindy Fortescue is Director of Finance of The Disabilities Trust, and has been involved in either auditing or the preparation of the Trust's accounts since 1985.

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