Accounting qualifications body ICAEW has joined forces with Cass Business School to relaunch the 'experience route' for the Diploma in Charity Accounting.

The post-graduate Diploma in Charity Accounting can now be achieved either through the study route, for those new to charity finance, or via the experience route, for senior professionals with at least three years’ relevant experience in the sector.

The study route is classroom-based; the experience route is obtained by virtue of the experience participants' gain in their day-to-day work. 

The experience route was launched in 2005 and was always planned to run for a limited time. It ended, as expected, in December 2008. But the professional bodies decided to relaunch the experience route after research conducted last year showed that lots of finance people in the sector wanted to study for the Diploma that way.

In addition, a new optional three-day executive learning course is offered by Cass Business School. Professor Paul Palmer from Cass said the new course was ideal to keep sector finance staff abreast of key updates and best practice. "It will refresh their skills and provide vital information that will arm them with the knowledge for professional development or to apply for the Diploma in Charity Accounting experience route."

The experience route is open to those who have worked on voluntary sector policy, resource management, marketing and fundraising, strategy, diversity and governance, charity accounting, audit and tax and financial management.

Charity Commission chief executive Andrew Hind said: "The Diploma in Charity Accounting makes an important contribution to building standards of financial leadership and expertise in the sector and I very much welcome this relaunch."