Kent council has outlawed its schools from buying flowers as a thank-you for departing staff after an audit found public funds were spent on gifts, including spa days. An internal audit in 2022 鈥渋rregularities involving inappropriate use of school funds鈥 to buy 鈥済ifts and hospitality, as well as payments to staff鈥 at its maintained schools. This included alcohol, spa days and transport to and from schools, a schools forum heard. The council refused to release the full findings of the audit because legal action is ongoing. It introduced a new policy this month outlawing spend on gifts for staff unless there were exceptional circumstances. It has told employees to do whip-rounds instead, raising concerns that recruitment and retention could be impacted. 鈥Ongoing legal action鈥 Kent told Schools Week 鈥渟ome anomalies in spending were identified through our regular budget monitoring processes and we recognised a need to strengthen our guidance鈥. Minutes from a schools forum about a 2022 audit say the fraud team found school funds had been 鈥渦sed for gifts, alcohol, dinners, spa days and transport to and from schools鈥. But the council refused a freedom of information request to release the audit, saying it would 鈥渞un the risk of increased damage to the school鈥檚 reputation鈥 and have a 鈥渓asting impact on individuals鈥 involved. The 鈥渋rregularities鈥 are also 鈥渟ubject to ongoing legal action. Although the criminal element of the case has been concluded, disciplinary action is pending.鈥 A council spokesperson said it was 鈥渃ommitted to ensuring best value for money and strong governance in schools鈥. But the 鈥渄raconian鈥 measures in the proposed clampdown have caused uproar. The council鈥檚 suggested banning any spend on gifts for staff, saying rewards such as for long service could 鈥渋nclude a certificate or a collection鈥. Governors would also have needed to approve funds for tea and coffee. 鈥Staff in financial difficulty鈥 Of 46 responses received during a consultation, 23 agreed with the policy and 20 disagreed. One leader said staff wellbeing was a 鈥渉uge area of need, as is recruitment and retention 鈥 We have purchased 拢50 gift cards for staff at Christmas. This made a huge difference to staff wellbeing, especially as many are in significant financial difficulty/single mums鈥. Another said the 鈥渄raconian鈥 policy suggestions were 鈥渘ot in keeping with the issues schools are facing with recruitment and retention鈥 having some way of trying to entice staff to stay rather than leave is a good thing鈥. The council has since amended the , which is now in place via the council鈥檚 鈥渟cheme for financing schools鈥. Schools can provide gifts only in 鈥渆xceptional circumstances on compassionate grounds鈥, with a 拢25 maximum spend. Gifts for recognition such as long service cannot come from school budgets, and should come from fundraising or staff collections. Budgets can be used for gifts to 鈥渧oluntary helpers, in recognition of exceptional support鈥, but as an 鈥渆xception to the general rule鈥. 鈥Discrepancy between councils and academies鈥 Councils are required to publish a 鈥渟cheme for financing schools鈥, which sets out the financial relationship between them and schools. The Department for Education sets out mandatory elements, but these do not include rules around gifts or hospitality. For academies, the department鈥檚 handbook says that when giving gifts, trusts 鈥渕ust ensure the value is reasonable, is within its scheme of delegation, the decision is documented, and achieves propriety and regularity in the use of public funds鈥. Rules outlawing such expenditure are common. A 2020 Teacher Tapp survey found 38 per cent of secondary teachers had to bring in tea and coffee, with a quarter having to provide milk. But Matthew Clements-Wheeler, the national assurance director at Keystones Knowledge consultancy, said there was 鈥渃learly a discrepancy鈥 between council schools and academies, which 鈥渓eads to tension at school level when heads in either system are trying to benchmark their practices鈥. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not unusual or illegal for academy trusts to sanction flowers or small tokens of appreciation.鈥 Trusts had more frequent checks on expenditure that could provide value for money assurances, he said. Dixons Academies Trust, , allows principals to 鈥渢o use funds responsibly for the purpose of staff wellbeing and recognition鈥 but transactions should not exceed 拢25.