Fraud Officer - Scotland

Do you have an inquisitive mind? Do you enjoy engaging with customers? If so, we need you.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is responsible for welfare, pensions and child maintenance policy and is responsible for helping people move into employment, supporting pensioners and protecting some of the most vulnerable in our society. Counter Fraud Compliance and Debt's (CFCD) aim is to drive down the level of fraud, error and debt within the benefit system, to protect the public purse.

As part of CFCD you will be at the heart of DWPs efforts to reduce fraud and error in the benefit system. This is a hugely important public service, and our challenge is bigger than ever.

If you want to join somewhere that recognises the importance of work-life balance, where you can learn new skills and progress your career, then CFCD is the place for you.

What will you be doing?

You may be required to move between a range of Fraud Officer roles within Scotland to meet changing business priorities, therefore demonstrating flexibility and responsiveness to change, based on resourcing to risk principles.

The job may include a range of duties, with the following provided as examples (what duties you do will depend on which area of work you are posted to):

• Review claims through a variety of means e.g., telephony interviews; ensuring declarations and changes have been reported at the right time and taking appropriate corrective action if errors are found.


• Ensure quality standards are maintained through adherence to all DWP policy and procedures & CFCD operational instructions.


• Work collaboratively, effectively and flexibly within a team and contribute towards team expectations.


• Promote fraud awareness within DWP and to wider external business partners.


• Conduct robust and challenging interviews with customers by telephone or in person, pursuing all reasonable lines of enquiry.


• Gather, verify, and assess all available information to submit to the appropriate Decision Maker to enable accurate benefit reassessment and overpayment calculation.


• Maintain accurate records and retain relevant evidence, redacting and annotating sensitive material when appropriate.


• Liaise with other departments/organisations such as Local Authorities (LAs), Police and HMRC within the framework of any existing partnership agreements.


• Request relevant evidence from designated information providers using Authorised Officer powers and the Operational Intelligence Service.


• Conduct Interviews under Caution in accordance with Common Law (Scotland).


• Make recommendations to a Team Leader for consideration as to the next course of action e.g., no further action.


• Develop and fully prepare prosecution cases, in line with national file standards.


• Represent the department by attending court and giving evidence in criminal cases and appeal tribunals., These locations may be subject to change. You will receive an invite with the relevant details to attend the office at the appointed time through the email account you provide us with on your application.


Interviews are scheduled to take place from 17/06/2024 to 21/06/2024, please note that these dates are only indicative at this stage and could be subject to change. Interviews will be scheduled Monday to Friday, between 09:00 to 17:00.

Communications will be electronic and/or by telephone therefore it is vitally important that you check your Civil Service Jobs account regularly, as well as your spam/junk email folder. Telephone calls may show as a withheld number, it is important that you answer so that your interview can be confirmed.

Preparing for the interview

The interview will take approximately 40 minutes where you will be asked a mixture of Behaviour and Strength based questions. A blended interview aims to be more of a conversation offering a more inclusive approach. The Behaviour and Strength based questioning explores not only what you the candidate can and has done, but also your potential.

Behaviours

You will be assessed against the Civil Service Behaviours listed above at Level 2.

To help you prepare and settle into the interview you will be sent the behavioural questions in advance of the interview. These questions should be treated as confidential and should not be shared. The interview panel may ask you other questions which will not be shared in advance, including follow-up questions, and those about your strengths.

An example of a Behavioural question would be Tell me about a time when youve had to deal with a difficult customer.

It may help to use one or more examples of a piece of work you have completed or a situation you have been in and use the WHO or STAR model above to explain:

• WHO- What it was, How you approached the work/situation and what the Outcomes were, what did you achieve? or


• STAR- What was the Situation? What were the Tasks? What Action did you take? What were the Results of your actions?


Strengths

It is difficult to prepare for strength type questions. However, you can think through your answers, focus on your achievements and aspects you enjoy and decide how these can be applied in the organisation and role.

While strengths questions are shorter and we do not expect a full STAR response, the panel is interested in your first reaction to the question and information or reasoning to support this., If you hold a level 3 qualification (2 A levels or equivalent) then please bring your certificates with you to the interview if you have them.

Before applying for this vacancy, current employees of DWP should check whether a successful application would result in changes to their terms & conditions of employment, e.g. mobility, pay, allowances. Civil Servants that would transfer into DWP from other government organisations, following successful application, will assume DWP's terms & conditions of employment current on the day they are posted, unless DWP has stated otherwise in writing.

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. Applications will be screened and if evidence of plagiarism or copying examples/answers from other sources is found, your application will be withdrawn. Internal DWP candidates may also face disciplinary action.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Reasonable Adjustments

At DWP we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.

We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service via dwprecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the Assistance required section in the Additional requirements page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you are deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals


• nationals of the Republic of Ireland


• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK


• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)


• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)


• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020


• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
  
  Demonstrate effective leadership and communication skills.


• Have excellent organisational and planning capabilities.


• Demonstrate strong judgement and decision-making skills.


• Present information to internal and external audiences in a professional and credible manner.


• Be able to work effectively as an individual and as part of a team.


• Deal appropriately with challenging and vulnerable individuals.


• Inspire others through positivity, drive, and energy in order to achieve outcomes and deliver change.


• Have a flexible and adaptable leadership style with an ability to reach a diverse audience and be prepared to engage effectively with our partners.


• Have a desire to showcase public service at its best.


• Be willing to travel between sites if required depending on business needs.


• Have the ability to work in a demanding and complex environment with changing priorities., 2) Can you demonstrate when you have had to work with a wide range of stakeholders to achieve a shared outcome?


3) Can you detail when you have had to prioritise your workload in line with conflicting and changing priorities?

Your personal statement needs to set out evidence of how your experience meets the requirement set out above. Your layout is entirely your preference; you may choose narrative, bullets, etc. One narrative example may cover the requirement needed. You dont have to explain the whole process, just what you have done and the skills and experience you have used. Share with us what makes you suited to this role and why. What you can do, the skills you have that are transferable, and the life experience or passion you have that are linked to this role. If you do not have work-based examples then please give examples from school/college, clubs, volunteering or other activities you have been involved in.

DWP colleagues will have the opportunity to join HASSRA, a vibrant and successful organisation that provides a first-class programme of competitions, activities and benefits for its members (subscription payable monthly). It also has an important part to play in helping us achieve a healthy work-life balance and wellbeing in the workplace

With great benefits including:

• Generous annual leave 23 days on entry, increasing up to 30 days over time (prorata for part time employees), plus bank holidays and one day of leave for the Kings Birthday. The exact number of days of annual leave will be determined by any current years of service.


• Competitive maternity, paternity and parental leave we also recognise the importance of a good work-life balance and offer flexible working and a family friendly approach to work.


• Training and apprenticeships and up to 5 days personal development & learning allowance.


• Flexible/hybrid working.


• Employee discount schemes.


• Free wellbeing support.


• Opportunities to make a real difference through joining forums, initiatives & charities.


• Interest free travel loans.


• Vodafone advantage discount scheme.


• HASSRA - DWP colleagues will have the opportunity to join HASSRA, a vibrant and successful organisation that provides a first-class programme of competitions, activities and benefits for its members (subscription payable monthly). It also has an important part to play in helping us achieve a healthy work-life balance and wellbeing in the workplace.


• Highly sought-after civil service pension - your pension is a valuable part of your total reward package where:


• The employer makes a significant contribution to the cost of your pension.


• Your contributions come out of your salary before any tax is taken. This means, if you pay tax, your take-home pay will not be reduced by the full amount of your contribution.


• Your pension will continue to provide valuable benefits for you and your family if you are too ill to continue to work or die before you retire., Part-time and job-sharing working patterns within working hours will be considered but must meet business needs. We will do our best to let people with existing part time contracts retain their contracted hours provided they are in line with current business needs. Please note that successful part time and job share candidates will be required to work full time for specific periods to complete all training and consolidation.


Hours of Work

The full-time working week in DWP is 37 hours. You may be required to work at any time between the hours of:

• 7:45am and 8:00pm on any day between Monday to Friday, and


• 8:45am to 5:00pm on Saturday.


Managers will agree working patterns with successful applicants within these business hours and review these as appropriate.

You will be given advance notice of your personal schedule.

Please note:

• If you are offered the role you applied for, in a location you have expressed a preference for, and you decline the offer or are unable to take up post within a reasonable timeframe you will be withdrawn from the campaign and removed from the reserve list, other than in exceptional circumstances.


• If DWP makes an offer of an alternative role or location to that which you originally applied for, and you decline that offer, you will be able to remain on the reserve list.


• Note - Exceptional circumstances could be when a candidate has requested a contractual Part Time Working Pattern and this pattern cannot be accommodated in the initial role offered, or in cases of serious ill health.