JOB SUMMARY

As part of the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) response to tackling fraud within the welfare system, the Department utilise covert surveillance to gather evidence to prove/disprove offences
This is an opportunity to join our team of highly trained, dedicated Operatives in this challenging but highly rewarding role. This is not a normal office hours role. It will require you to work unsociable hours (early start and late finishes) including some weekend work alongside a good level of fitness.

LEARNING REQUIREMENTS

Successful candidates must also be willing to attain the mandatory learning as follows

• RoSPA (Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents) Defensive driving L2
• Foot surveillance tactics
• Mobile surveillance tactics
• ACFIP (Accredited Fraud Investigation Programme)

These qualifications are essential to undertake the technical functions of the role.
Please Note- Successful appointments to this role will be subject to completion of the above learning. Failure to comply or failure to achieve the required level to pass the courses may be dealt with under disciplinary or poor performance procedures and may lead to termination of the employment contract or exceptionally, redeployment into another DWP role

GOVERNMENT COUNTER FRAUD PROFESSION (GCFP)

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.

STAGE 2 – WRITTEN APPLICATION AND SIFT

As part of the application process, you will be asked 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 when constructing your personal statement. You do not need to answer each individually as one example of evidence may cover all of the questions. You should also consider both the job description and person specification details above when providing your evidence.

• Detail a time when you have had a successful outcome by complying with key operating instructions or a complex policy (Lead question).
• Give an example of when you gathered and presented information. How did you ensure the accuracy of the information?
• Tell us about a time when you had to make a quick decision in a dynamic or high-pressure situation. What factors did you consider, and what was the result?

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 don’t have to explain the whole process, just what you have done and the skills and experience you have used. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
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.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead question. If so, we will sift on:

• Detail a time when you have had a successful outcome by complying with key operating instructions or a complex policy? (Lead question).

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to an interview.
If high application volumes are received, the benchmark for candidates to proceed to the next stage may be raised. In line with our commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS), we aim to advance all DCS candidates who meet the minimum standard. However, we may only progress those candidates who best meet the required standards.
However, in the event we don’t receive a high number of applications we may not undertake a sift and progress all candidate to interview who successfully completed the test.
Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
You will also be asked to complete a CV with details of your education, professional qualifications and full employment history. Your CV will not be formally assessed so please put the main evidence of your skills into your personal statement. Your CV will be used to add context to your personal statement.

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)
• 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

We will be holding a webinar event to let you know more about these roles on the following date.

• Monday 11/08/2025 between 12:30 and 13:30PM Webinar Covert Surveillance Officer- Home Counties 11th August 202

As part of the application process, you will be asked 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 when constructing your personal statement. You do not need to answer each individually as one example of evidence may cover all of the questions. You should also consider both the job description and person specification details above when providing your evidence.

• Detail a time when you have had a successful outcome by complying with key operating instructions or a complex policy (Lead question).
• Give an example of when you gathered and presented information. How did you ensure the accuracy of the information?
• Tell us about a time when you had to make a quick decision in a dynamic or high-pressure situation. What factors did you consider, and what was the result