Counter Fraud Investigation Officer – Criminal

Executive Officer

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

You will be invited to complete two online tests: Verbal Reasoning and Numerical Reasoning as part of your application. The tests will close at midnight on 14/07/23. You are advised to attempt the tests as soon as practical, to enable any potential technical issues to be resolved before the test deadline. There is no extension to the deadline for completing the tests. The tests are taken online, and you will be sent an invitation with full instructions on how to complete them. For further help please refer to test guidance attached.

PLEASE ENSURE THAT ANY TECHNICAL ISSUES WITH THE TEST ARE REPORTED IMMEDIATELY.

Please Note: We reserve the right to raise the pass mark, to manage the number of successful candidates to be interviewed.

If you pass the online tests, you will be invited to complete a written application. As part of the written application process, you will need to provide:

• A Personal Statement, maximum of 750 words, outlining how you meet the points in the Person Specification above and what you can bring to the role.

The initial sift will be done against the Personal Statement.

Those successful at sift stage will be invited to interview, where we will assess behaviours through a scenario. This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window).

Behaviours and Strengths

• Making Effective Decisions.
• Working Together.

You will be asked strengths-based questions to explore what you enjoy and your motivations relevant to the job role.

This is an example of a strengths-based question: “It is often said that the customer's needs should come first. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?” There is no expectation or requirement for you to prepare for the strengths-based questions in advance of the interview, though you may find it helpful to spend some time reflecting on what you enjoy doing and what you do well.

We reserve the right to raise the score required at any stage of the process in order to manage numbers.

Interview dates to be confirmed.

A reserve list may be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles – if this applies to you, we’ll let you know via your Civil Service Jobs account.

After interview, merit lists will be created for each location advertised within the vacancy. If you are successful at interview, you will be placed on the merit list for any locations you have expressed an interest for. Appointments from each merit list will be made in strict merit order.

Integrity Declarations

All applicants will be required to declare any past convictions, criminal findings, or police cautions, regardless of whether they are ‘spent’. You must also declare any disciplinary proceedings relating to previous employments. The disclosure of this information will not automatically bar you from employment with FIS, but we need to be aware of any event or issue which could impinge on your credibility if questioned in court.

FIS may conduct background checks and any offer will be withdrawn if you fail to disclose any relevant material that causes conflict with you being able to complete the duties of the role.

Flexibility Payment

This post attracts a Level 2 Flexibility Payment (FP) that is paid monthly with salary. This FP allows HMRC flexibility to change your work pattern, at short notice, to meet business needs.

You will be expected to undertake periods of ‘on call’. You will also be expected to work additional hours, at weekends and outside your normal working hours/days (including bank holidays).

In applying for a position and accepting the FP you agree that you can and will meet those attendance requirements.

FP levels are reviewed annually – on a business need and personal basis – and may be subject to change.

If you currently receive the Flexibility Payment which may include Transition Protection and/or a Maintained Pension Value, moving to a new role may affect your payments.

Note: Payment of FP is dependent on successful completion of role specific training, and you will move to Level 2 FP eligibility in stages (further details are available within the Candidate Pack).

Training Requirement

A comprehensive training programme is provided. There will be a requirement for you to attend residential training which may take you away from home for up to eight weeks. Throughout this training period you will be required to be available full-time.

Training Assessment Period

The majority of people will successfully complete their Training and Assessment Period (TAP), but it is important to set out the potential outcomes if the required standards are not achieved.

External Candidates

Failure to meet the required standards for the training programme will result in employment with HMRC being brought to an end.

Managers will discuss specifics of learning programmes with successful candidates during the induction process.

Internal Candidates

Failure to meet the required standards for the programme will result in appointment to this role being brought to an end and consideration of redeployment into an alternative role. This may result in the removal of Criminal Investigator Flexibility Payment (FPs) paid in respect of the Counter Fraud Investigator role. Where it is not possible to redeploy the candidate into an alternative role, the candidate may be assigned to the HMRC Redeployment Register.

Candidates appointed on promotion who do not successfully complete the TAP will revert back to their previous substantive grade and the respective HMRC pay scale for this grade. Where any FPs are removed, jobholders will not be entitled to a Period of Adjustment (POA), but they will receive 56 days’ notice in writing of the cessation of the allowance.

This is applicable to HMRC Candidates and those transferring to HMRC from Other Government Departments (OGDs).

Eligibility

To check that you are eligible to apply, review this eligibility information

Important information for existing HMRC contractual homeworkers:

Please note that this role is unsuitable for contractual homeworkers due to the nature and/or requirements of the role.

For Gartcosh and Belfast vacancies you will need Security Check clearance before starting in the building.

Due to the nature of this role, we would discourage you from sharing your intention to apply via social media or similar channels.

More information about the vetting process can be found at the following link: Gov.uk - Security

Reasonable Adjustments

We want to make sure no one is put at a disadvantage during our recruitment process because of a disability, condition, or impairment. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate.

If you need a reasonable adjustment or a change to be made so that you can make your application, review this information on reasonable adjustments, and contact hmrcrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible.

Equality and Diversity

We’re committed to creating a great place to work for all our colleagues here at HMRC. We want everyone to feel valued, supported and comfortable being their true self at work.

We’re proud to be a diverse and inclusive employer, supporting social mobility by giving opportunities to people from all walks of life. We want to maximise the potential of everyone who chooses to work for us and offer a range of flexible working patterns and support. Our aim is to make a fulfilling career at HMRC accessible to you.

For more information on how we make this happen, review this information on our culture and values.

Applications received from candidates with a criminal record are considered fairly in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice and the Recruitment of ex-offenders Policy.

We welcome applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible after considering operational and customer service needs. We can’t guarantee that we can meet all requests to work flexibly, as agreement will be subject to business ability to accommodate, and any request to work a more flexible arrangement should be made prior to your acceptance of the provisional offer.

Customer facing roles in HMRC require the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English and/or Welsh where required. Where this is an essential requirement, this will be tested as part of the selection process.

The Civil Service runs 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.

Locations

HMRC has a presence in every region of the UK. For more information on where you might be working, review this information on our locations.

Security Update

For more information on the level of security checks we will carry out, review this information on security checks

Please note: in addition to the standard pre-employment checks for appointment into the Civil Service, all candidates must also obtain National Security Vetting at Security Check (SC) clearance level for this vacancy. You will normally need to meet the minimum UK residency period as determined by the level of vetting being undertaken, which for SC is 5 years UK residency prior to your vetting application. If you have any questions about this residency requirement, please speak to the vacancy holder for this post.

Further Information

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. The evidence you provide in your application must relate to your own experiences.

Any instances of plagiarism or other forms of cheating will be investigated and, if proven, the relevant application/s will be withdrawn from the process.

Duplicate applications for the same vacancy will also be withdrawn.

Transferring into HMRC from Civil Service If you are currently working for an ‘Other Government Department’ (OGD) and would like to consider the impact on your pay when joining HMRC, please see the attached document "Combined T&C and OGD Pay English”, found at the bottom of this advert. Further information on staff transfers can be found on gov.uk

Problems during the application process

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

If you think you’ve made a mistake on a short application form (e.g. you’ve ticked the incorrect eligibility box), please contact hmrcrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk at least two working days before the vacancy closes. After this, we won’t be able to reopen your application.

Please use the subject line to insert appropriate wording e.g. Please re-open my application - 297930 & vacancy closing date 14/07/23. Please note that we cannot amend or re-open your application if you have submitted your full application in the interests of fair and open recruitment.

For reasonable adjustments queries or requests, please see details within reasonable adjustments section above.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
• certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

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.

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. You have the right to complain if you feel a department has breached the Recruitment Principles. In the first instance, you should raise the matter directly with the department concerned via complaints.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk If you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Click here