Cifas is the pro bono secretariat for Fighting Fraud and Corruption Locally (FFCL), the local government counter fraud and corruption strategy for the 2020s. This strategy is developed by councils for councils, and is specifically aimed at council leaders, chief executives, finance directors, and all those charged with governance in local authorities.
Fighting Fraud and Corruption Locally (FFCL) provides a blueprint for a co-ordinated response to fraud and corruption perpetrated against local authorities. It contains major recommendations for local authorities and other stakeholders and is produced as part of the FFCL initiative - a partnership between local authorities and key stakeholders.
Find out more about FFCL as well as information about its Board
Local authorities are working ever harder to provide the best value possible from their diminishing budgets. Ongoing uncertainty around the economy means that cases of internal fraud carried out against local authorities has risen significantly. To help them better identify and take action against the threat of internal fraud, FFCL has produced its Slipping Through the Net guide in partnership with Cifas, the Better Hiring Institute, SAFERjobs and Reed.
This publication gives local authorities the tools to identify and prevent employing staff who are dishonest about their personal circumstances, achievements, or identities, and may be able to commit fraud.
Fighting Fraud and Corruption Locally (FFCL) Knowledge Hub community of practice
Local authorities can join the Fighting Fraud and Corruption Locally (FFCL) Knowledge Hub community which is a member only environment for like-minded local authority counter fraud practitioners. Members can also access a full set of FFCL documents, templates, toolkits, newsletters and conference slides.
Find out more about this knowledge hub
Cifas Resources
Cifas has a number of free to access resources which it has made available to local authorities to support them tackle and prevent fraud.
Local authorities are also welcome to participate in the Organised Fraud and Intelligence Group (OFIG) meetings which are organised and run by Cifas. These are free to attend and provide an opportunity for fraud intelligence and investigation professionals from the private/public sector and law enforcement to exchange information on fraud and financial crime threats and trends. Attendees also benefit from sharing best practice on combating the latest criminal methods and techniques.
These OFIG meetings take place around the country, with regional meetings held three times a year. Attendees are asked to come prepared to listen to and share useful information that may be of benefit to others. Non-commercial, collaborative co-operation is the key to the success of these meetings.
Cifas is the UK’s fraud prevention community, sharing data, intelligence and learning to fight fraud. It regularly produces thought leadership reports and insights which can be downloaded. Cifas Fraudscape is also available on this link which details annual statistics and trends
Under the banner ‘Cifas for the Public Sector’ there are free technical webinars for the wider public sector each year with resources attached, these are provided on a non-commercial basis. To find out more contact [email protected].
Cifas believes in making staff the first line of defence against fraud, delivering transformative fraud prevention packages and qualifications to public sector and private organisations through its Fraud and Cyber Academy and digital learning capability.