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# Advances and balances

Everyone holding cash balances, both finance officers and team members, should make regular physical checks.

- Staff members with programme advances should be encouraged to check their own balances daily. Any discrepancies can usually be corrected easily while the events of the day are still fresh in their memory, but a week or even a day later it is much more difficult to remember an undocumented advance or mislaid receipt.
- Cashiers should count their cash weekly.
- Line managers should ensure that these checks are done and make spot checks themselves.
- Such spot checks are best done from as early on as possible so that everyone sees them as normal rather than exceptional or mistrustful.
- If there has been a period of chaos which has led to lost, stolen or unaccounted-for cash, consider drawing a line under the past with a voucher explaining briefly the amount involved and the possible reasons for its loss. This gives a new starting point from which to manage cash and advances. You should review the accounting procedures to try to ensure it doesn't happen again. The losses will probably be investigated later, particularly if they are substantial or there is suspicion of fraud.

Worked examples of cash counts