Covert Surveillance Officer - Central

Job summary

As part of the Department for Work and Pensions' (DWP) response to tackling fraud within the welfare system, the Department utilises covert surveillance to gather evidence to prove/disprove offences.

This is an opportunity to join our team of highly trained, dedicated Covert Surveillance Officers in this challenging but highly rewarding role. This is not a normal office-hours role. It will require you to work unsociable hours (early starts and late finishes) including some weekend work alongside a good level of fitness.

Job description

As a CFCD Covert Surveillance Officer, you will:

• Lead in taking forward tasking requests. Ensuring all surveillance activity provides value for money, is compliant with legal requirements, such as the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, the Police Act 1997 and the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996, and in accordance with Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office recommendations as well as Departmental requirements.
• On occasion, lead the activities of the Surveillance Team, as an OIC (Officer in Charge), providing direction to the team as the dynamic and evolving circumstances demand and to achieve the operational objectives.
• Undertake Risk Assessments.
• Produce evidential packages to a high standard that are professional and accurate, including writing and obtaining witness statements to evidence witnessed activities, exhibit evidence obtained, including editing and compiling video/audio evidence and to account for the continuity of exhibits including preparing disclosure schedules in accordance with legislation.
• Ensure you adhere strictly to the DWP’s surveillance standards, and general instructions set out in the Fraud Procedures / Instructions Manual, and other user manuals and follow the processes to ensure people comply with the legal and policy requirements.
• Undertake and successfully complete a demanding suite of learning events to support you in undertaking this role. Included are several critical learning events required to undertake these duties. These events are assessed and successful completion is required for this role. Please also note some of these events may be residential.
• Promote professional standards at all times.
• As required, appear as a witness in court.
• Actively participate in surveillance operations, often requiring regular attendance in unsocial hours and travel. Some overnight stays may also be required.

Person specification

Key criteria

What are we looking for in our Covert Surveillance Officers?

• A confident, inspirational, driven leader. Able to take charge of situations and provide direction to the team to achieve results.
• Able to work effectively as part of a team, fostering an environment of inclusivity and respect. Be proactive in developing and maintaining positive and professional working relationships with a variety of people and organisations.
• Must be flexible as you may be required to deploy at short notice. This may involve working unsocial hours and may, on occasion, require you to stay away from home.
• The role requires a good level of fitness. Officers need to be able to walk significant distances at varying paces and for prolonged periods.
• The role requires good vision/observational skills. Officers are required to observe activities and describe them as they happen whilst also remembering details in environments where it may be difficult to make notes.
• The role requires a good level of hearing. Officers are required to wear covert audio equipment, as well as take verbal information and instructions from multiple sources.
• Able to interpret and work within set rules and processes in an ever-changing environment.
• Able to make effective decisions in a pressurised environment with a focus on value for money.
• A focus on customer service, with the ability to place the customer at the heart of all we do.

Learning Requirements

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

• RoSPA (Royal Society for the 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 role.

Candidate Integrity Declaration

Candidates who are successful will be asked to complete an integrity declaration before we offer them a position. Candidates must declare to the best of their knowledge:

• Any disciplinary finding of guilt / failure to meet the appropriate standard of conduct relating to their employment they have ever had.
• Any charge of a disciplinary offence / notification of a failure to meet the appropriate standards they have ever had where the case has not yet been concluded.
• Any past convictions, criminal findings, or police cautions, regardless of whether they are ‘spent’, they have ever had.

The disclosure of this information will not automatically disbar the candidate from this role, but we need to be aware of any event or issue which could impinge on the candidate’s credibility if questioned in court.

Civil Service Careers

The attached link will take you to the Counter Fraud, Compliance and Debt website which gives you further information about these roles CFCD , Civil Service Careers.

Licences

Full Manual Driving Licence

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Working Together
• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £32,137, Department for Work and Pensions contributes £9,310 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

DWP have a broad benefits package built around your work-life balance which includes:

• Working patterns to support work/life bala