About the job

Job summary

The Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA) is a fast paced delivery and operational team that is responsible for holding departments and arms-length bodies to account for their handling of fraud in the public sector. The Authority will write the standards for counter fraud work across government and hold public bodies to account against these. Working in the PSFA offers access to a wide range of stakeholders across government and the opportunity to work with various sectors in a high profile policy area with high media, parliamentary and ministerial interest.

The Team

As well as being part of the PSFA, a new authority established in 2022, you will also be part of the Government Counter Fraud Function (GCFF). The PSFA is at the centre of this function but a role in this team will make you part of a Counter Fraud Function that spans government and has members in all departments, at all levels, in all sectors. The PSFA is outcome and performance driven, offers a depth and breadth of expertise and works jointly with HMT to tackle fraud in the public sector. 

The PSFA, whilst sitting within the Cabinet Office, reports jointly to the Cabinet Office and Treasury Ministers. Maintaining close working relationships with HMT colleagues is key to ensure the PSFA can deliver its mandate effectively.  The PSFA is a team of c.90 staff members with locations across the country – including Manchester, York, Glasgow and London. As a result, hybrid working is fully embraced and teams are encouraged to collaborate in the various Cabinet Office Hubs around the country. 

Within that team, the Digital Economy Act (271) Debt and Fraud Data Sharing Secretariat, promotes and facilitates debt and fraud data sharing across the public sector and private entities through the DEA gateway. The Team readily and actively collaborates with bodies to manage & reduce debt and to combat fraud.  From conception, scoping to delivery the Team provides expert advice including legislative and data governance support, pilot design and delivery, governance and management of Ministerial permissions/sign offs and further into business as usual.

Job description

Working at the heart of counter-fraud, debt management and data sharing work within Government, you will be responsible for promoting and facilitating fraud data sharing pilots using the Debt and Fraud Powers of the Digital Economy Act (2017) (DEA).

The successful candidate must be able to deliver results and prioritise their time in a highly complex and fast-moving environment with changing priorities. The individual should be proactive, confident, and calm under pressure, with excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills. 

This is a fast-moving, demanding and influential role, supporting the Cabinet Office’s Debt and Fraud Digital Economy Act Team.  Your primary role will be the fraud agenda, though you will be asked to undertake debt related activities as and when needed.

In this role, you will promote and facilitate data sharing to combat fraud with public bodies and third parties to strengthen the counter-fraud data-sharing work cross-Government, you will manage pilots up to and through the Digital Economy Act Review Board and produce Ministerial Submissions to gain approval for the pilots, which will include acting, within a team, as Secretariat to the Digital Economy Act Review Board.

You will support the team in developing policy and legislation related to the debt and fraud data sharing powers of the Digital Economy Act.

The role is a challenging one with a high level of exposure and responsibility and is a unique opportunity to understand the full scope of Government counter-fraud and counter fraud data-sharing in a complex and evolving department. You will be expected to work independently and represent the Public Sector Fraud Authority both inside and outside of the Cabinet Office.

Communicating with impact, nuance and sensitivity - both orally and in writing - will be essential. 

You’ll quickly build and maintain strong relationships with the offices of senior Civil Servants and other senior digital and technology professionals, as well as other stakeholders, balancing and mitigating tensions and dependencies across a wide audience in order to deliver.

The role may also include line management of staff.

Person specification

Responsibilities:

• You will have leadership skills and experience in stakeholder management. Using innovative engagement, you will lead cross-departmental networks, and work collaboratively with stakeholders at all levels.
• You will have a technical aptitude and be comfortable in discussions concerning fraud, data, data protection, debt & fraud & data sharing policy and data sharing legislation.
• In addition to the points in the description above, you will support, develop and deliver work in the following areas:
• Form effective, collaborative partnerships and relationships with stakeholders at all levels.
• Use clear communication to promote, encourage and support the use of the Digital Economy Act (DEA) data sharing powers across public authorities to combat fraud.
• The ability to positively challenge and overcome objections and myths that are presented as barriers to debt and fraud data sharing.
• Develop cross public sector and third party capability in understanding and applying the DEA, through working with public sector and third party bodies on fraud data sharing strategies, guidance and internal comms and processes, etc.
• Support the development of debt and fraud data sharing policy and legislation
• Producing, maintaining and expanding the Cabinet Office’s Digital Economy Team’s pipeline of counter-fraud pilots and contributing to the creation of debt-related pilots.
• Providing accurate, timely, helpful advice and support to the wider Public Sector Fraud Authority public authority and third party stakeholders and where appropriate to the Government Debt Management Function.
• Manage pilots through the Review Board process, including business case development, quality assurance for all products and seeking Ministerial approval.
• Monitor the pilots to ensure they deliver against their aims.
• Build, maintain and improve understanding of the government debt and fraud data landscape.
• Provide high quality briefing and advice, working collaboratively with the press office where appropriate.
• Provide a secretariat function for the DEA Debt and Fraud Review Board, ensuring that this role is undertaken with confidentiality and sensitivity. Including but not limited to maintaining Board level documentation, preparing the agenda and supporting papers and taking minutes
• Develop own understanding of the wider work of the team - particularly around the use of data in combating fraud.
• Demonstrate a strong commitment to the Cabinet Office Purpose and the Civil Service Values

Essential Criteria:

• Experience operating flexibly and working-at-pace, planning and prioritising to meet tight deadlines.
• Being able to build, maintain and expand good working relationships with colleagues and stakeholders.
• Communicating using appropriate styles to maximise understanding and impact.
• Exceptional writing skills with experience in drafting correspondence, with a high level of attention to detail.
• Confidence to work in a variety of environments on a variety of topics at the same time

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience of providing secretariat support for a Board or Group.
• Project management experience, including how project management techniques can be applied to successfully manage processes.
• Understanding of counter fraud and counter fraud policy.
• Understanding of Data protection requirements and regulation and data sharing legislation.
• Experience with data management and policy (e.g. for data protection, analytics, data sharing, etc).
• Undertaking of legislative review work and/or consultation production.

Additional information:

A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. Although requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £35,400, Cabinet Office contributes £9,558 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours.

Application process

You will be asked to submit 4 separate statements, one for each behaviour listed below, with a maximum word count of 250 words per statement.

Leadership

Communicating and Influencing

Delivering at Pace

Making Effective Decisions

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be undertaken using the lead Behaviour, Leadership.

Selection process

The interview will be based on behaviours mentioned above and in the advert.

Expected timeline 

Expected sift date – TBD
Expected interview date/s – TBD
Interview location - TBD

A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months, from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to Cabinet Office 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. Determine your eligibility at: https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

Reasonable adjustments

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via cabinetofficerecruitment.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’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

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 /Disclosure Scotland 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.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading. 

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

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

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 applicant’s 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.

Further information

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

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment  Principles, and wish to make a complaint, then in the first instance you should contact Government Recruitment Service by email at : cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission at info@csc.gov.uk.  For further information on the Recruitment Principles. and bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission, please visit their website at: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk.

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

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.