Internal scrutiny can often be seen as something that's worrying, or a boring compliance piece that gets in the way of day- to-day trust operations. However, effective internal scrutiny can bring multiple benefits to a trust.
Here are 5 ways that internal scrutiny can benefit your trust beyond compliance with ESFA regulations:
1. External expertise
A good internal scrutiny partner can not only save you time, resources and energy, but they can also bring a new perspective to the way that your processes and procedures help to manage risk in your trust.
The value of working closely with someone who holistically understands education management should not be underestimated and a good internal scrutiny partner is an impartial and honest party from the same professional background to share your ideas with; whether examining part of your long-term strategy or exploring areas where improvements might be needed.
2. Celebrating successes
Internal scrutiny isn't just about finding problems and suggesting improvements. An effective internal scrutiny partner should also be highlighting areas that are being done well and validating where processes are working. This confirms to trustees that the trust is being well managed and can go a long way in boosting team morale.
3. Keeping it simple
Schools are complex organisations and a really effective internal scrutiny programme will not just validate the compliance of your existing processes but will challenge the very existence of those processes to ensure that everything works as efficiently as possible, keeping children at the centre of the conversation.
4. Supporting effective governance
A good internal scrutiny programme is a key part of enabling your trustees to discharge their duties. By providing an external view of your risk management and making recommendations for improvement to trustees, they can be reassured that risk is being managed effectively and that changes to manage risk are being made, if necessary.
5. Helping with other regulatory requirements
Your internal scrutiny programme can help you prepare for other standards that are increasingly being required. An example of this is 'cyber essentials', which is only going to increase in importance over the coming months. Your internal scrutiny partner can look at your IT provision and help accelerate your progress towards meeting these challenging standards.
Conclusion
These are just some of the benefits that good internal scrutiny can bring to your trust, on top of being compliant with ESFA regulations. Internal scrutiny can seem like a scary thing – someone coming in and checking your processes - but working with a high-quality internal scrutiny provider has multiple benefits for your trust, and ultimately to the children in your care.
If you'd like to learn more, read our blog on 'creating a positive culture around internal scrutiny' here.
Keystone Knowledge's team of school professionals can support your trust with effective internal scrutiny. Click here to find out more about our team and our services.