North West accountancy firm Mitchell Charlesworth has appointed the accountant Tracey Simpson to its audit and accounts team.
Tracey joins Mitchell Charlesworth after spending eight years at PKF, which has recently merged with BDO. Tracey brings more than 20 years experience to her role as a manager at Mitchell Charlesworth. Her areas of specialism include academies, GP practices, and small to medium sized firms with a turnover of up to £7m.
Mitchell Charlesworth has offices in Liverpool, Manchester, Chester, Warrington and Widnes. Its partner Paul Wainwright said Tracey brings considerable expertise and knowledge to the firm.
“We are delighted to welcome Tracey to the audit and accounts team,” he said. “Tracey has wide experience across a range of accountancy disciplines and she has worked extensively in some of our key sectors including education and health.”
Tracey said she is looking forward to helping Mitchell Charlesworth’s clients grow.
“We see the academy sector as a key area, with both primary and secondary schools needing a broad range of help and assistance as they convert to academy status,” she said. “With school budgets becoming increasingly stretched, many converting schools do not have the required back room resources or financial department to cope with the subsequent autonomy that comes with academy status. With our support and guidance, we can ensure that the transition to academy status goes as smoothly as possible and that academies are prepared for the challenges they must face in an ever-changing environment.
Tracey has also gained extensive experience in the care and medical sector.
“I have worked with many GP practices over the years, focussing particularly on making practice managers more knowledgeable about their finances and reporting responsibilities.” she said.
Tracey urged GPs not to wait for the annual visit from their accountant as it can sometimes be too late for them to head off for example increasing superannuation contributions.
“Having the right accounting software is one of the ways that doctors can ensure they do not fall into the next charging tier for superannuation contributions,” she said. “As doctors’ funding becomes more constrained, it is imperative that they are aware of the practice’s profits on a real time basis. They should also ensure they are monitoring their different income streams and that enhanced services are financially viable.”