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Meet our specialist Education unit Our partner-led service is supported by a dedicated team of specialist managers and technical directors who have chosen to work exclusively with independent schools and charities. Our rigorous technical accreditation programme for all specialist partners and staff ensures that we remain at the forefront of best practice so our schools and charity clients receive the best possible service from us at all levels. Assurance - London Tim Baines, Lead Schools Partner Tim is one of our lead schools partners, with a widely acknowledged specialism in advising many of the UK’s leading independent schools. He is the author of the annual Independent Schools Benchmarking Survey, now in its 12th year. Tim is a regular speaker at schools conferences and a well-known commentator on sector issues. Tim is particularly skilled at developing an external audit approach which maximises schools’ overall audit coverage. Tim works closely with governors and management to deliver audit services which evolve as schools refine their own risk management systems, internal control frameworks and monitoring processes. He uses his own detailed knowledge of schools performance trends and standards to help his clients benchmark their own performance and progress. Tim is the lead partner for ‘Charity Magique’ – the sector’s leading web-based solution for charity risk management which is used by schools and charities of all sizes to record and manage their internal risk processes. Andrew Pianca, Partner Andrew is a leading specialist partner in the independent schools sector. As Chief Executive of Horwath Clark Whitehill, he is instrumental in ensuring that our services to independent schools and charities remain one of the core specialisms of our firm. Andrew draws on many years of experience of advising independent schools. He played a key role in drafting the 1995 Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP), and advising on subsequent revisions. He chairs the joint ISBA, IAPS and Charity Commission working group which produces the influential ‘Blue Book’ Guidance on reporting under the Charities SORP for independent schools. Andrew is the technical adviser to the ISBA. Many bursars and governors will have benefited from the insight that Andrew shares on new bursars’ courses and governor training and leadership workshops. He wrote the sector’s leading text on charity reporting, and is also the author of the authoritative industry guide dealing with the establishment and management of charities.
Mike Hicks, Head of National Charities and Education Unit Mike provides audit and specialist consulting services to a wide range of local and national charities, independent schools and other not for profit bodies. Mike heads up our specialist unit on a day-to-day basis, and plays a key role in the development and delivery of our comprehensive specialist events and seminars programme. He is a well regarded speaker at governor training seminars and general courses for bursars. He is an active contributor to the not for profit sector press and his opinion is often quoted on sector issues and developments, particularly in relation to governance challenges and public benefit. As a parent governor of a school, Mike has a common appreciation of the financial, reporting and risk responsibilities facing the governors of independent schools, and this comes across in the practical advice and support he gives his clients.
Tina Allison, Partner Tina is well respected by her clients for delivering practical and well rounded business advice, set within the relevant regulatory framework in which independent schools operate. She is skilled in helping governors maximise the positive impact of their reporting responsibilities, drawing on her detailed knowledge of the annual Independent Schools Benchmarking Survey to assess each of her clients against best practice and relevant performance standards. Tina is an experienced speaker on our specialist in-house seminar programme for independent schools; she also speaks on behalf of our firm at external conferences, particularly in relation to accounting and governance matters which affect bursars and school governors. In addition to her client advisory role, Tina is responsible for staff training and development within our Charities and Education Unit.
Sam Coutinho, Partner Sam provides audit and advisory services to a number of larger independent schools and charities. She is particularly experienced in supporting schools with implementing best practice in governance and risk management and contributes articles on these and other topics to sector publications. Sam has also worked with a number of schools to enhance operational and financial procedures and to design disaster recovery plans. Her experience in marketing enables her to advise her clients on the most effective reporting mechanisms whether through the statutory accounts, the Annual Review or other medium. Sam works closely with ISBA in interpreting sector challenges, policy issues and delivering training for bursars; she also supports AGBIS in relation to governance training. As a governor for an independent school, Sam has tremendous insight into the practical challenges facing governors when adopting best practice in governance in the light of significant responsibilities and an increasingly rigorous regulatory framework. Assurance - Cheltenham Mike Hall, Partner Mike is the Managing Partner of our Cheltenham office with a particular specialism in auditing and advising charities and independent schools. He works closely with Tim Baines, a specialist schools partner referred to above. As Treasurer of an international charity, Mike has an invaluable practical insight into the challenges of being a trustee, and the responsibilities this brings within an increasingly regulated framework. Mike acts for independent schools of all sizes, including the largest independent day school in the country, and advises on a variety of matters including accounting, reporting, governance, recruitment and financial management.
Assurance - Thames Valley Barry Hughes, Partner Barry is the partner in charge of the firm’s Charities and Education Unit in the Thames Valley. He has specialised in the not for profit sector for over 20 years and acts for many well known charities and independent schools. As well as providing audit services to his not for profit clients, Barry is experienced at advising on charity restructures and mergers.
Alastair Lyon, Partner Alastair has advised a broad portfolio of clients in the commercial and charity sectors during his working career. He now works almost exclusively with not for profit clients including several independent schools. He is particularly skilled at advising his clients on effective accounting and reporting under the Charities SORP and best practice, and regularly advises governors on the role and structure of the finance department, risk management and governance considerations.
Assurance - Manchester Vicky Szulist , Partner Vicky has worked with charities, independent schools, social housing clients and other not for profit organisations throughout her career and has a wealth of experience in these sectors. She is an accomplished speaker at sector seminars on a wide range of topical issues, including governance, trustees' responsibilities and technical matters. Vicky has advised on the corporation tax, VAT and charity issues relating to mergers and group restructures as well as the best route to incorporation. She also draws on her commercial experience of dealing with larger and more complex groups when advising clients in the not for profit sector.
Assurance - Midlands Helen Drew , Partner Helen heads up the Midlands region’s independent schools specialism. She acts for several independent schools and academies, as well as a number of Student Unions. She also provides audit and advisory services to several local charities. Helen heads up Practice Assurance for our national firm and advises all our partners on quality and compliance issues. She is an active ICAEW Committee member in the Worcester and Birmingham areas.
Taxation Nigel Glover, Partner Nigel advises a wide variety of not for profit organisations, including charities and schools. As he also acts for many commercial organisations, he brings a practical, proactive perspective to his clients’ tax planning challenges. Nigel and his team advise on a variety of tax matters including the establishment and effective use of trading subsidiaries, optimising tax efficient funding arrangements, maximising gift aid opportunities, dealing with the tax implications of charity mergers and reorganisations, and property issues. Nigel and his specialist team are active members of the Charity Tax Group and contribute comment and technical articles to the sector press. Our tax specialists speak regularly at sector conferences on the tax challenges facing charities, schools and their trading subsidiaries.
VAT Arthur Blackburn, Partner Arthur works with a number of well known national charities and independent schools, providing general VAT advisory services as well as focusing on more complex areas such as land and property issues and partial exemption arrangements. Arthur lectures regularly on our specialist seminar programme and also at sector conferences.
Employer Services David Daly, Partner David is a specialist tax partner who heads a dedicated team of specialists that advise our charity and schools clients on all aspects of employment tax compliance and remuneration. This includes detailed risk assessments of PAYE, benefit and expenses procedures, reviews of employee benefits such as teachers’ living accommodation, advice in respect of peripatetic teachers and relevant salary sacrifice arrangements. A former Inspector of Taxes, David has many years of experience specialising in PAYE, National Insurance and benefit-related matters. David’s aim, and that of the EAG team, is to provide clients with the assurance that their procedures are sound and that they are not at risk of incurring significant liabilities and penalties for failing to comply with difficult legislation, whilst ensuring that they maximise opportunities to provide a competitive remuneration package. David is a well known lecturer on the subject of benefits and expenses and has co-authored one of the most authoritative industry guides on the topic.
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