Anti fraud and corruption policy
1. Introduction
1.1 We are responsible for paying or spending millions of pounds of public money in delivering services and assistance and paying benefits. We are committed to ensuring that those funds are legitimately used and only those entitled to services and benefits receive them.
1.2 Central to this, we have a dedicated Corporate Anti - Fraud team to investigate allegations of fraud and corruption across all Council service areas, including allegations against employees.
1.3 Members and Officers are expected to adopt the highest standards of propriety and to follow in full the 'Nolan' principles of public life:
- Selflessness
- Integrity
- Objectivity
- Accountability
- Openness
- Honesty
- Leadership
1.4 The prevention, deterrence and detection of fraud and corruption and protection of public funds are everyone's responsibility. Both Members and Officers of the Council have a responsibility to report any suspicion of fraud or corruption, from within the Council or from individuals, organisations, contractors or anyone else having dealings with us. Members and Officers must also declare an interest where in their private lives they conduct any form of business or activity that may conflict with this policy (see section 3).
2. Statement of Intent and Strategy
2.1 We recognise that dealing with fraud is important and that it has a duty to Council Tax payers and Central Government to ensure that all public funds are administered correctly.
2.2 Our strategy for combating fraud and corruption is made up of the following:
Prevention
- We seek to prevent fraud from entering the system in the first place by ensuring that all appropriate staff receive regular fraud awareness training.
- Rigorous recruitment procedures are applied to all staff working in high risk areas, such as Benefits and Revenues to ensure we employ staff who have the highest standards of probity.
- Ensuring compliance with Central Government initiatives, such as the Verification Framework for Housing and Council Tax Benefits.
- Ensuring that all service areas benefit from a 'healthcheck' from the our Internal Auditors to ensure legislative and procedural compliance and that robust systems of internal control exist.
Deterrence
- In appropriate cases we will prosecute offenders. In cases involving Benefit fraud the Council will deal with appropriate cases by prosecuting, giving official cautions or issuing Administration Penalties to offenders. Decisions will be based on our prosecution policy and the public interest test.
- In all cases where fraud or corruption is found recovery action will be taken to ensure the money is returned to the us, including legal proceedings where appropriate.
- We will publicise counter fraud work to the widest possible audience and all successful prosecutions will be reported to the media.
Detection
- All staff on our Corporate Anti - Fraud Team are trained and qualified to the level of Accredited Counter Fraud Officers.
- We undertake data matching with other Local Authorities and relevant external organisations to pro actively identify fraudulent activity.
- We investigate all allegations of fraud and ensure that the means to report fraud is accessible to all.
- The Corporate Anti - Fraud Team will continue to work in partnership with other organisations such as the Department for Work and Pensions, the Audit Commission, the Immigration Service, the Standards Board and the Metropolitan Police.
- We will continue to subscribe to the and work with the National Anti - Fraud Network (NAFN) to ensure it has access to all intelligence sources to combat fraud and corruption.
- We operate a Whistleblowing policy to ensure concerns of internal probity can be raised and this policy is operated in accordance with the Public Disclosure at Work Act to ensure protection for those who come forward.
3. Registers of Interests, Gifts and Hospitality
3.1 Members - The Director of Corporate and Policy Services is responsible for maintaining a register of all gifts, hospitality and all pecuniary and non pecuniary interests and will write to Members annually to update the register.
3.2 All staff - The Director of Corporate and Policy Services is responsible for maintaining a register of all pecuniary and non pecuniary interests. The registers of gifts and hospitality will be maintained by the Directors of each service area.
4. Monitoring Arrangements
4.1 The Assistant Director of Financial Governance will monitor the policy and the Council's performance, including the setting of performance targets in the Annual Service Plan and compliance with Best Value Performance Indicators.
4.2 In addition we will seek assurance from External and Internal Audit to ensure we follow best practice and to ensure sufficient resources are available to manage the Council's risks.
4.3 We will maintain a continuous review of these arrangements (at least annually) to ensure that they keep pace with future developments in fraudulent and corrupt practices in order to protect the interests of the tax payers of the Borough.
5. Conclusion
5.1 This policy fully supports our desire to maintain the highest standards of propriety, and the Council free from fraud and corruption.
5.2 We have in place a network of systems and procedures to assist in dealing with fraud and corruption when it occurs.
Contact Details
- Contact name
- Department for Work and Pensions Benefit Fraud Hotline: National
- Telephone
- 0800 854 440
