Issue - meetings

Report of the Cabinet Member Corporate Services

RESOLVED THAT

1.    an evolutionary approach for the establishment of a Counter Fraud Unit to be managed by the internal audit provider Audit Cotswolds, as outlined in this report, be approved, which includes the creation of the new Counter Fraud Officer post as part of Phase 1

2.    the Director of Resources be authorised to enter into such documentation as is necessary (including an agreement with Cotswold District Council as host authority for Audit Cotswolds) to enable the establishment of the Counter Fraud Unit

The Cabinet Member Corporate Services introduced the report and informed the meeting that in 2012 the Government outlined the Fighting Fraud Locally Strategy and with it came the Local Government Fraud Strategy which recognised that fraud cost the UK in the region of £73 billion per year.

The Cabinet Member explained that the report looked at the impact of the Single Fraud Investigation Service (SFIS) which would take on the benefit fraud investigation work that was originally done by local government. The SFIS would result in removing all revenue funding for CBC's existing benefit fraud staff who were due to TUPE across to DWP ON 1st April. He said however that there remained an expectation that local authorities would provide information to DWP to aid their investigations. He added that there was the ongoing requirement for CBC to continue investigating Corporate Fraud which covered Procurement, Payroll and Single Persons council tax discounts.

The Cabinet Member then informed that Audit Cotswold had developed an evolutionary approach to establish a Counter Fraud Unit that would serve local districts and county. He explained that funding for this approach would by 2015/16 come from a variety of sources - including 1 FTE effectively funded from the HRA revenue account via Cheltenham Borough Homes plus support in areas of operation where greater benefit was received by County compared to Districts. He also informed that Audit Cotswold had been successful in being awarded £403 000 of funding from DCLG via a collective bid. This funding would provide support to the wider Gloucestershire Hub vision as set out in the report. He explained that the key use of the fund would be to accelerate the evolutionary approach as outlined in this report.

The Cabinet Member Housing added that CBH and CBC worked tirelessly in this area and informed the meeting that there had been successful prosecutions the previous week in the area of tenancy fraud. He welcomed the continuation of joint working in this area.

RESOLVED THAT

1.    an evolutionary approach for the establishment of a Counter Fraud Unit to be managed by the internal audit provider Audit Cotswolds, as outlined in this report, be approved, which includes the creation of the new Counter Fraud Officer post as part of Phase 1

2.    the Director of Resources be authorised to enter into such documentation as is necessary (including an agreement with Cotswold District Council as host authority for Audit Cotswolds) to enable the establishment of the Counter Fraud Unit