The following background criteria should be considered for those being employed into the roles of LCFS and LCFT. This list is indicative and not intended to be exhaustive:
- accredited counter fraud specialist or technician
- NHS background
- inspection or investigation experience
- suitable educational background or relevant professional experience
- ability to analyse complex data to identify risk areas for fraud
- ability to use a range of IT software
- good interpersonal skills
- ability to work as part of a team and individually, using own initiative as appropriate
- experience in writing reports for senior management
- good presentation skills
- no conflict of interest with any other employment, if taking on a role part time
The following suitability criteria should be considered during the pre-employment check process - again this is an indicative list and not intended to be exhaustive:
- previous convictions related to fraud and/or deception
- previous convictions related to violence and /or theft
- knowingly making a false statement or omitting to include any required answer to a question at any point during the recruitment process or on the nomination form
- periods where an applicant has worked and claimed benefits without declaring their correct salary to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) or its predecessor (the Department for Social Security)
- an applicant being implicated in another person’s fraudulent benefit claim. These circumstances will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis
- notification of previous cautions and convictions, whether ‘spent’ or ‘unspent’, taking into account the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and the position applied for (see also Annex A above). These circumstances should be dealt with on a case-by-case basis
- notification of current and/or discharged county court judgements and/or bankruptcy orders. These circumstances should be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
- the employing organisation being unable to confirm a candidate’s identity
- the employing organisation being unable to establish a candidate’s right to work in the UK
- false qualifications being provided or the employing organisation being unable to establish the authenticity of qualifications
- false references being provided, references not being provided by an appropriate authority or the employing organisation being unable to establish the authenticity of references
- a false educational history being given or the employing organisation being unable to establish the authenticity of the candidate’s educational history
- a false employment history being given or the employing organisation being unable to establish the authenticity of the candidate’s employment history
- failure to fully account for any gaps in employment or educational history or the employing organisation being unable to establish the whereabouts of the individual during these gaps
- failure to declare an outside activity that may be seen as a conflict of interest
- notification of any disciplinary offence (whether pending or resolved) during current or previous employment or the employing organisation being unable to establish the terms of a disciplinary offence
- the employing organisation not completing the form correctly
- any other reason for which the employing organisation is not satisfied by the information supplied during the recruitment process
It should be noted that those charged with conducting criminal investigations are required, when making witness statements (whether or not this forms part of a prosecution case), to disclose to the Crown Prosecution Service or any other prosecutor any disciplinary findings of guilt, criminal convictions/cautions whether spent or not, whether they are subject to any current or pending disciplinary investigation and whether they have been charged with a criminal offence in any proceedings. These matters may be disclosed to the courts in any subsequent trial. This is an important factor that must be considered when determining the suitability of an individual for performing the role of LCFS or LCFT. No exception under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act applies to this disclosure.