L3/HEO Accredited Financial Investigator
Job summaryIntroduced as part of the new Companies House Reforms Act and the Economic Crime Levy this is an interesting and exciting role based in the Financial Investigation Unit, part of the Investigation and Enforcement Services directorate within The Insolvency Service.
You will be working in the newly established Financial Investigation Teams. Within this role, you will directly contribute to the wider objectives including The Companies House Reform legislation, preventing the abuse of the Company Register and in the protection of the UK, its citizens and its economy from economic crime.
Your primary responsibility will be the planning and preparation of financial investigations under POCA in England and Wales, presenting case material, including financial statements and attending court where necessary.
This is a travelling officer role and the successful candidate will be prepared to undertake travel with infrequent stays away from home. On occasions, you must also be prepared to work unsocial hours.
The Insolvency Service is a leading Government agency which plays a crucial role in providing essential services to the public and to business. The work we do is important to the proper functioning of markets, the economy in general and support for thousands of people each year who are in financial difficulty.
Inclusive and diverse teams are important to us. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups underrepresented in our workforce. The Insolvency Service strives to ensure that the agency is a safe, inclusive and welcoming place for everybody to bring their true self to work and to help the agency to achieve its diversity objectives. We have 10 active employee network groups available to join or become an ally, these include, Carers Network, Disability & Health, FACES Network Group, Grass Roots, LGBT+, Mind Matters, No Limits, Part Time Workers, The Shed, and Women’s Network Group.
We offer full-time, part-time, job share and flexible ways of working. We value capability, technical skills and experience and we place great emphasis on lifetime development to support our people. We encourage our employees to become more involved in areas they feel strongly about, whether it be for the benefit of the agency, though our Engagement network or in their own local communities via volunteering opportunities.
The Insolvency Service is a great place to work, learn and grow your career!
Job description
The post holder will:
- Be confident in their ability to produce excellence in investigations as directed, with an ability to innovate and to operate in a high governance environment, under pressure both alone and working as part of a motivated team.
- Be responsible for their own casework and will be expected to conduct and successfully manage a number of investigations at any one time. You will fully contribute to the operation of the team, undertaking project work tasks when required.
- You must be a trained Financial Investigator or Accredited Financial Investigator who is registered on Financial Investigation Support System (FISS) with the National Crime Agency or be able to immediately re-register.
- You will be using your powers under Part 5 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (Account Freezing Orders) or restraint and confiscation qualifications under Parts 2 and 8 of the same Act.
Responsibilities:
As an Accredited Financial Investigator, you will:
- Be authorised to conduct confiscation or account freezing order investigations in England and Wales using POCA Part 2, 8 and 5 powers.
- Work within an investigation framework and complying with Insolvency Service and legal standards.
- Maintain your AFI accreditation status on FISS by undertaking CPD as necessary.
- Research legislation.
- Produce investigation plans to deliver managerial objectives.
- Liaise with the stakeholders in respect of evidence gathering and timetables.
- Be effective and proactive in client relationship management.
- Gather the evidence identified to meet the requirements of the investigation plan.
- Make court applications in respect of POCA orders & warrants.
- Produce high quality POCA statements for the Crown or Magistrates Court and for management.
- Prepare case files for prosecutors.
- Manage CPIA disclosure responsibilities.
- Comply with data management requirements under DPA 2018 and GDPR.
- Complete tasks as efficiently as possible and play a full part in all aspects of the operation of the team.
Person specification
You will be an experienced trained and accredited Financial Investigator used to using the powers provided by the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and subsequent legislation.
You will have a keen interest in asset recovery work and highly developed financial investigation skills.
You will have excellent oral and written presentation skills and be used to giving evidence under oath in legal proceedings as a witness of truth.
You will have an enquiring mind and be enthusiastic about diving deeply into company structures, financial statements and banking records to unearth money laundering networks.
You will have a track record of working with internal and external partners, ideally across jurisdictions, to get things done and deliver excellent results.
The 9 posts can be based in our offices in London (Stratford), Croydon, Birmingham, Cardiff, Exeter, Ipswich, Leeds, Manchester, or Newcastle.
There is a requirement to maintain Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
Essential Criteria
You must be a trained Financial Investigator or Accredited Financial Investigator who is registered on Financial Investigation Support System (FISS) with the National Crime Agency or be able to immediately re-register.
Upon application, you must confirm that you are an Accredited Financial Investigator registered on the Financial Investigation Support System (FISS) with the National Crime Agency (NCA). You should be validated by the NCA for using powers under Part 5 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (Account Freezing Orders) or for restraint and confiscation qualifications under Parts 2 and 8 of the same Act.
This accreditation is linked to the recruitment and retention supplement associated with this role. The Insolvency Service will conduct accreditation checks on applications prior to candidates being shortlisted and invited to interview. Please include the date of your accreditation within your CV.
There is a requirement to maintain Continuing Professional Development (CPD). Any questions about the role, responsibilities, and The Insolvency Service. Please contact IES_WorkForcePlanning@insolvency.gov.uk prior to the 13 December 2024.
Qualifications
•You must be a trained Financial Investigator or Accredited Financial Investigator who is registered on Financial Investigation Support System (FISS) with the National Crime Agency or be able to immediately re-register.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Making Effective Decisions
- Working Together
- Seeing the Big Picture
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £34,399, Insolvency Service contributes £9,965 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
We want you to have a good work-life balance and want to support you in all that you do, so we offer a great benefits package including:
- Flexible working arrangements and flexi-time.
- Full time new entrants to the Civil Service and those Civil Servants on modernised terms and conditions will be entitled to 25 days leave increasing on a sliding scale to 30 days after 5 years’ service.
- In addition to this you are entitled to 8 public/bank holidays plus an additional day of privilege leave.
- Competitive maternity, paternity and parental leave.
- 5 days paid leave for learning and development.
- 5 days paid for volunteering.
- a Cycle to work scheme.
- staff have access to an employee assistance programme, Workplace Wellness, for confidential, independent support and advice during difficult times in either their professional or personal life.
- a Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of at least 28.97%.
Your pension is a valuable part of your total reward package where the employer makes a significant contribution to the cost of your pension. Your contributions come out of your salary before any tax is taken. This means, if you pay tax, your take-home pay will not be reduced by the full amount of your contribution; and your pension will continue to provide valuable benefits for you and your family if you are too ill to continue to work or die before you retire. For more information, visit www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk
Things you need to know
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Ability and Experience.
As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV, 500-word personal statement and behaviours. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Your personal statement should explain how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the essential criteria in the person specification. You should cover your experience as an Accredited Financial Investigator or equivalent.
You should be validated by the NCA for using powers under Part 5 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (Account Freezing Orders) or for restraint and confiscation qualifications under Parts 2 and 8 of the same Act.
The Insolvency Service will conduct accreditation checks on applications prior to candidates being shortlisted and invited to interview. Please include the date of your accreditation within your CV.
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour, Making Effective Decisions. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.
We will test your behaviours and experience as part of the sift process, and if successful, you will be invited to a short interview where we will test your behaviours. Full details of the selection process will be made available to shortlisted candidates once the sift has been completed.
Expected timeline (subject to change)
Sift – w/c 13/01/2025
Interview – w/c 27/01/2025
Location - MS Teams
Candidates must ensure that their applications, including personal statements and behaviour examples, are truthful and factually accurate. Please note that plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.
Further Information
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
Any move to Insolvency Service from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.
However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting
Transforming Workplaces
The Insolvency Service is currently delivering an exciting five-year transformation project that started in April 2022 which will define our future direction supporting a gradual migration to a Regional Centre model combined with smarter ways of working. As part of this, transforming our estate will align us with the government modernisation programmes making The Insolvency Service a great place to work.
We are letting you know about our future plans because if you are joining the Insolvency Service and are recruited into an office over the next five years that is not one of the Regional Centres, you will be expected to move to one of the Regional Centres in the future. This move would not attract financial assistance.
The 11 Regional Centres are : Birmingham, Cardiff, Croydon, Edinburgh, Exeter, Ipswich, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Stratford.
Hybrid Working
Insolvency Service operates a hybrid working policy subject to business need, giving people the flexibility to choose when and where they work and collaborate with others.
Individuals are expected to work from one of the office locations stated in the advert to connect with their colleagues, as required by their role and business team needs. There is flexibility to split the working week, spending a minimum of 60% in the workplace, which includes the office, site visits, court etc.
Reasonable Adjustment
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
Contact Government Recruitment Service via insolvencyrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
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.
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) (opens in a new window)
- 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 (opens in a new window)
Working for the Civil Service
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.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
Name :Alexander Grierson
Email :IES_WorkForcePlanning@insolvency.gov.uk
Recruitment team
Email :InsolvencyRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
A candidate can raise a complaint to the Insolvency Service by emailing the contact point for applicants (as listed on the vacancy advert), if they think that: They have been discriminated against under the Equality Act 2010 there have been procedural irregularities at any stage of the recruitment process All complaints must be received by the contact point for applicants within 24 hours from the date the applicant is advised of their non-success at sift, assessment or interview. Complaints will be considered by an independent third-party outside of recruitment campaign. The decision will be conveyed to the applicant, in writing, within 5 working days of receipt of the complaint. The recruitment process will usually be put on hold until the complaint has been resolved. Complaints may also be made to the Civil Service Commission at any time if the individual believes their application has not been treated in accordance with the recruitment principles (appointment on merit through fair and open competition). However, complaints must first have been raised to the Insolvency Service