Counter Fraud Officer

Job Category : Financial

Location : London Borough of Hillingdon

Hours Per Week : 36.00

Start Date : Immediate Start

Start Time : 09:00

End Time : 17:00

Salary: £18.54

A. Job Description

1. Resident & Community Contribution

• To demonstrate understanding of the Council’s Customer Care Standards and ensure that these standards are met in order to deliver the Council vision of ‘putting our residents first’.

• Support the Council’s Policies to protect the public resources it administers.

2. People Management

• No direct supervisory responsibility however may be required to provide advice and guidance to colleagues as well as assisting in induction and training of peers and new employees.

3. Operational Service Delivery

• Responsible and accountable for the efficient and effective management of an individual complex caseload, making decisions and carrying out work actions as directed by the Counter Fraud Manager and Counter Fraud Lead Investigator.

• Ensure all decisions are proportionately made with common sense and sound judgement, supported with lawful grounds.

• Responsible for the proactive detection of fraud and irregularity, identifying and setting in place appropriate responses and actions.

• Generate an awareness of fraud within stakeholder services, and in doing so ensure all suspicions of fraud are referred for assessment.

• Assess and refine all information received, producing intelligence reports for referral and planning work actions to support new and existing investigations.

• Identify any relevant witnesses, planning and effectively managing their interviews to maximise the information received.

• Plan and manage the effective interview of suspects, including officer safety and public safety issues.

• Manage evidence to local standards for decision making, and evidential standards for law courts.

• Attend County, Magistrates and Crown Courts to give testimony as a sworn professional witness, which may include justifying and explaining decision-making, actions, findings and conclusions at the discretion of the Court.

• Maintain a current and in-depth knowledge of relevant Acts, codes of practice and local policies.

• To ensure that all enquiries are carried out in accordance with relevant legal requirements and local policy.

4. Service Planning & Development

• Maintain knowledge of the current Team Plan and understanding of own contribution in order to ensure delivery of this plan.

• Assist in the development of the service through participation and contribution to team meetings.

• Maintain knowledge of the current Team Plan and understanding of own contribution in order to ensure delivery of this plan.

• Implement updated working practices to ensure that the service maintains a ‘commercial’ approach to its activities and adopts best practice wherever possible.

1. QUALIFICATIONS

Accredited Counter Fraud Technician (ACFT) or equivalent professional qualification.

Educated to GCSE standard or equivalent.

Maintain professional Accreditation by conducting, recording and maintaining Continuous Professional Development (CPD).

3. EXPERIENCE

Demonstrable experience in any industry of successfully carrying out detailed verifications /investigations in a Counter Fraud Team or equivalent.

Experienced and effective investigative interviewer, engaging with individuals under a diverse range of circumstances and in contentious situations.

Experience of undertaking an investigative, problem solving role.

Experience and effective interpretation and application of Statute, Regulations and Codes of Practice relating to local taxation and valuation, in real world scenarios.

Experience and effective interview planner, building effective interview strategies designed to maximise information received.

Experienced and effective report writer, drafting effective reports for a broad and diverse readership including Heads of Service.

Experience and effective giving evidence as a professional witness in civil court, criminal court or tribunal.

Ability to apply a creative mindset to investigative problem solving, to question any assumptions that may have been made and to query the validity of all information received.

Understanding and appreciation of criminal and civil law and its application to counter fraud work

Ability to effectively manage and secure material obtained and generated during investigations/inspections, including any exhibits, in accordance with CPIA, PACE and Council policy.

Understanding of the Statutes, Regulations and Codes of Practice, and local policy, that relate to counter fraud work, including public sector housing, council tax liability and premises liable for Non Domestic Rates purposes and the ability to:

 Identify appropriate lines of enquiry;

 Determine the objective of pursuing a particular line of enquiry;

 Identify the investigative action(s) necessary to efficiently achieve that objective taking into account resources, priorities and proportionality; and

 Conduct enquiry actions and gather the maximum amount of material and information.

Tenancy fraud role responsible for effectively completing a range of high risk cases through a range of investigative methods with a primary focus on residential visits to confirm the legitimacy of service users. To Identify irregularities and fraud indicators and, where appropriate, referring the case to a Counter Fraud Investigator to commence a full investigation.

This role will include a significant visiting function which will require substantial regular work outside usual office hours.

A full driving license and access to a vehicle with suitable business insurance is essential