THE failings of a schools finance computer system that left some schools unable to pay their staff have been raised at County Hall.
The Mercury School Finance System from outsourced company Liberata started showing major failings earlier this year leaving schools unable to pay contracts, organise budgets and in some cases, pay staff.
It was deemed so bad that Redditch headteachers unanimously rejected compensation for it as ‘nowhere near enough’.
And on Thursday Councillor Robin Lunn (Lab, Redditch North) put forward a motion calling for an explanation for its failings, asking what is being done to resolve the issues and who was responsible for it.
Coun Lunn, a governor at Webheath Primary School said: “Staff could not log into the system, they could not open reports or pay contractors. The help guidelines referred to buttons that were not on the system, the helpline was not being answered and indeed was more of a hindrance line than a helpline, and things have been going on like that for months.”
Coun Peter McDonald (Lab, Beacon) added that, since outsourcing the contract to a private company, the entire debacle had cost Worcestershire County Council hundreds of pounds in support money when the council’s own system, since disbanded, had actually earned it money by selling its services to other authorities.
Coun Karen May (Con, Belbroughton) cabinet member for transformation and commissioning, although only in post since May, accepted responsibility for the issue and said she supported the motion, that they were working on finding solutions and that a report on it would be available shortly.
Coun Lunn said: “The really crucial issue for people in schools is how soon as these issues going to be addressed. They need to know what is being done to make this system better.”
The motion was unanimously carried.
HOW bad is the Mercury School Finance System? One school finance officer said: “It’s not what it was promised to be. We were told it would be so user friendly we wouldn’t need a manual or guidance and that is simply not the case. They have since issued a manual and it is being updated all the time.
“I think I’m a fairly experienced finance officer, but some of the postings don’t collate to where you are on the budget – I spent two full days during half term trying to work it out.
“Staff salaries aren’t costed to the right point and it’s all very well saying they will be doing something about it but we are seven months into using the system and it’s a little bit late in the day.”
