Why study CIPFA?

CIPFA is the world’s only professional accountancy body to specialise in public services, making the CIPFA qualification a great foundation for a career in public finance. CIPFA’s unique combination of technical accounting and managerial skills is highly prized in many areas of business and commerce making the skills you learn highly transportable between both public and private sectors.

The UK’s public services can be delivered by public, private or not-for profit organisations. These organisations receive taxpayers’ money and deliver services to UK citizens. The public sector can be seen as comprising of the following:

• Local Authorities - This encompasses councils (county, city, metropolitan, district and borough), unitary authorities, housing associations, police services, and fire services. Local authorities are directly responsible for overseeing the delivery of services to the taxpayers within their defined area.
• Health - The organisations that run health services at a local level include Strategic Health Authorities and Boards as well as Trusts and agencies. NHS Trusts deal in secondary, specialist and emergency care and primary care trusts are usually the first point of contact for patients requiring GPs, dentists, community health services and pharmacists.
• Central Government - The work of the Government is divided among departments which specialise in a particular subject such as Health, Defence and Transport. It also includes agencies and executive committees.
• Further and Higher Education - This incorporates education beyond the secondary level, especially education at the college or university stage, and also further education usually vocational or non-university courses.
• Charities - Often referred to as the community or voluntary sector, charities receive funding and are non-profit making. Increasingly charities are being called upon to deliver public services on behalf of Government.
• Private Organisations - Private-public partnerships are joint workings between the private and public sector in particular to deliver public policies, services and infrastructure. Private organisations also include accounting firms with responsibility for auditing public sector accounts.