Contents Location About the job Benefits Things you need to know Apply and further information Location Birkenhead, Blackburn, Lytham St Annes, Middleton, Southport About the job Job summary 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 Debts (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 Counter Fraud Compliance and Debt Directorate (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. Job description Your work as a Fraud Officer will involve different aspects subject to changing business priorities, therefore we need people who are very adaptable and flexible. The job may include a range of duties, with the following provided as examples: Conduct robust and challenging interviews by telephone or in person in accordance with all legal and policy requirements, pursuing all reasonable lines of enquiry. 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, and 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. 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 within the framework of any existing partnership agreements. Prioritise workload in line with conflicting and changing priorities. Person specification As a Fraud Officer you will: Demonstrate effective, flexible leadership and communication skills with an ability to reach a diverse audience and be prepared to engage effectively with our partners. 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. 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. Learning requirements The DWP is committed to investing in people and ensuring their teams are a professional workforce. It is a requirement of counter fraud post holders within DWP to attain, and retain, membership of the Government Counter Fraud Profession (GCFP) at Practitioner level. This means if you are successful in applying for this role you will need to undertake an annual self-assessment to evidence your knowledge, skills, and experience within your role to attain and retain practitioner level membership. We provide post holders with a learning routeway to support them in achieving as well as any workplace adjustments they may require. Failure to attain membership of the GCFP at practitioner level may result in DWP seeking an alternative role for you. In applying you will have indicated that you have read and fully understood the professional requirements for this Counter Fraud Officer role. Webinar events We will be holding two webinar events to let you know more about these roles. These will take place on the following dates: Friday 17.1.25 14:00 15:00 Fraud Officer - North West Webinar Event - 17.01.2025 Thursday 23.1.25 12:00 13:00 (Northwest and Central) Fraud Officer - North West/Central Webinar Event - 23.01.2025 If you would like to join one of these events, please click on one of the links above and complete your details to register interest. You will then be automatically enrolled onto the webinar and can access the event on the day via the link sent to your email address. If you attend a webinar for this role you may be sent a survey afterwards to help us improve our service. Behaviours We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: Making Effective Decisions Working Together Leadership Benefits Alongside your salary of £30,975, Department for Work and Pensions contributes £8,973 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides. DWP have a broad benefits package built around your work-life balance which includes: Working patterns to support work/life balance such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours. Generous annual leave at least 23 days on entry, increasing up to 30 days over time (prorata for part time employees), plus 9 days public and privilege leave. Support for financial wellbeing, including interest-free season ticket loans for travel, a cycle to work scheme and an employee discount scheme. Health and wellbeing support including our Employee Assistance Programme for specialist advice and counselling and the opportunity to join HASSRA a first-class programme of competitions, activities and benefits for its members (subscription payable monthly). Family friendly policies including enhanced maternity and shared parental leave pay after 1 years continuous service. Funded learning and development to support progress in your role and career. This includes industry recognised qualifications and accreditations, coaching, mentoring and talent development programmes. An inclusive and diverse environment with opportunities to join professional and interpersonal networks including Womens Network, National Race Network, National Disability Network (THRIVE) and many more. Things you need to know Selection process details This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Ability and Experience. Stage 1 - Application Form Please complete the first stage short application form. Stage 2 Casework Skills Test After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Casework Skills Test. If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application. Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the tests is 23:55pm on 28th January 2025. If you fail to complete the online test before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website. Stage 3 Written Application and Sift Those candidates who pass the Casework Skills Test will be invited to complete a personal statement detailing the relevant skills and experience you can bring to the role. In no more than 750 words, please carefully consider the questions below. You should address these questions when constructing your personal statement. Explain how you have conducted a robust and challenging interview or conversation either via telephone or face to face and achieved an outcome? Describe when you analysed a range of information sources to make a difficult decision Can you detail when you have had to prioritise your workload in line with conflicting and changing priorities? Please consider both the job description and person specification details above when providing your evidence. Your personal statement needs to set out evidence of how your experience meets the requirements set out above. Your layout is entirely your preference; you may choose narrative, bullets, etc. One narrative example may cover the requirements 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. To Note- Depending on the volume of applications, we may choose to progress all candidates who meet the required score at the test stage, straight to interview without conducting a sift. For this reason, the timeline post-test is subject to change depending on the approach we take. Please note the closing date for your full application is 23:55 on 28/01/2025 The sift is scheduled to be held from 03/02/2025 to 14/02/2025. These dates may be subject to change. Stage 4 - Interview If you pass the written application sift with the required score you will be invited to a blended interview and will receive an electronic notification to your Civil Service Jobs account. The interviews will be conducted face to face in a selection of the locations listed in the Candidate pack (slide 2). If you require any reasonable adjustments to attend a face-to-face interview, please ensure you state those on your application form when asked to do so. Interviews are scheduled to take place from 03/03/2025 to 14/03/2025, 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 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 what you, the candidate, can and have 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 on behaviours, and those about your strengths. An example of a behavioural question would be Tell me about a time when you have 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 to explain: WHO - W hat it was? H ow you approached the work/situation? What the O utcomes were, what did you achieve? or STAR - What was the S ituation? What were the T asks? What A ction did you take? What were the R esults 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 do not have work-based examples then please give examples from school/college, clubs, volunteering or other activities you have been involved in. If you withdraw your application at any stage, it will not be progressed any further. Stage 5 Offer Once all interviews have been completed, you will be notified of the outcome by email. Successful candidates will be posted in strict merit order based on their location preferences and the geographical requirements of the business. Dependent on their position on the merit list, if none of their location preferences remain at the point we make a job offer, DWP may offer a role at an alternative advertised location. If we are unable to offer a role in any of the preferred locations, and candidates are unable to accept a role at an alternative advertised location, we will add them to the reserve list. The successful candidate(s) will be notified of a start date following successful security checks, which is likely to be during May/June 2025. 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 we 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. You should also note that if successful in this campaign, you will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 18 months before applying for any other lateral moves within DWP. Important information Candidate pack It is important that you take time to read the candidate pack which can be found at the bottom of this job advert. This provides further information about the role and working in DWP. Location Please see slide 2 of the Candidate Pack for the location addresses for these posts. You should only apply for suitable posts where you can travel to and from your home office location daily within a reasonable time. Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas. Relocation costs will not be reimbursed. Hybrid working This job role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in their DWP office and part of the week from home. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your office will be your contractual place of work. The number of days that anyone will be able to work at home will be determined primarily by business need but personal circumstances and other relevant circumstances will also be taken into account. If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working, including whether a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for you, will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post. Working pattern Part-time, part-year, term-time compressed hours 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 candidates with agreed alternative working patterns 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. Further information Find out more about Working for DWP A reserve list may be held for a period of 3 months from which further appointments can be made. Any move to DWP from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including tax free childcare. To find out if you are eligible visit https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out. In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grscabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading. Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicants details held on the IFD will be refused employment. A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government. Learning and development DWP takes development seriously. Our aim is for our colleagues in these roles to be appropriately skilled and qualified as determined by the business. To support this aim you may be required to undertake a work-based qualification, such as an apprenticeship, which will support you in further developing your professional knowledge and skills for this role and your future career development. The qualification can be undertaken in work time. You agree to take this job on the basis that you may be required to undertake a work-based qualification; your failure to participate fully in the professional programme, once appointed, may be a breach of your employment contract. If DWP decides that it is no longer a requirement for you to undertake and attain a work-based qualification, it will release you from this obligation. Any decision to release you from this obligation will not be a breach of contract by DWP. Important 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 and conditions of employment, for example mobility, pay and allowances. Civil Servants who transfer into DWP from other government organisations, following successful application, will assume DWP's terms and 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. The evidence you provide must relate to your own experiences. If evidence of plagiarism, or sharing of questions, information or answers throughout any part of the selection process is found, your application will be withdrawn. Examples of plagiarism can include: Presenting the work, ideas and experience of others as your own. Copying content from an online/published source. Using forms of Artificial Intelligence to produce application content which you present as your own. 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.grscabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs. Complete the Reasonable Adjustments 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 Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window) Working for the Civil Service The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy. Diversity and Inclusion The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window). Apply and further information This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative. The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window). Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records. Contact point for applicants Job contact : Name : CFCD Recruitment Team Email : cfcd.recruitmentinboxdwp.gov.uk Recruitment team Email : dwprecruitment.grscabinetoffice.gov.uk Further information Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commissions Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact DWP by email: HR.BUSINESSASSURANCEDWP.GOV.UK. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission. Click here to visit the Civil Service Commission. Attachments 385598 - EO Fraud Officer - North West Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 546kB) DWP Terms and Conditions January 2024 Opens in new window (docx, 17kB) Success-Profiles-Candidate-Overview-Accessble-Version Opens in new window (docx, 67kB) Share this page Print Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn GMail