Deputy Head of Counter Fraud, Band 7


Company:	NHS Jobs
Salary:	£49,387 to £56,515 a year
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Gloucestershire, GL1 3NN
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	10 Sept 2026
Closing date:	8 Oct 2026

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Summary

Provide effective operational and strategic leadership to the Local Counter Fraud Specialist and Local Counter Fraud Support Assistant, ensuring high standards of performance, professional development, quality assurance, compliance with national standards, and continuous improvement in service delivery. Act as a strong ambassador for the Counter Fraud Service, proactively promoting counter fraud, bribery prevention and anticorruption activity across partner organisations and with key stakeholders. Build and sustain effective collaborative relationships with government departments, national and regional agencies, law enforcement partners, internal audit, regulators, and crosssector stakeholders to support intelligence sharing, risk mitigation and coordinated antifraud responses. Deliver counter fraud services in accordance with relevant legislation, national guidance and service frameworks including the Health Act, NHS Standard Contract counter fraud requirements, NHS Counter Fraud and Corruption Manual, organisational Standing Orders and Standing Financial Instructions, and all applicable organisational policies. Ensure partner and client organisations fully meet their contractual obligations with respect to counter fraud standards, secure fraudrisk compliance and implement proportionate counter measures to mitigate identified vulnerabilities. Lead the design, development, implementation and periodic review of Counter Fraud and Corruption policies, procedures and guidance for partner organisations, ensuring alignment to national best practice, legislative change and evolving fraud threats. Prepare and agree riskbased Annual Work Plans and prioritisation strategies with Directors of Finance/Chief Finance Officers, based on robust fraud risk assessments and compliant with the NHS Standard Contract and Government Functional Standard 013 Counter Fraud. Support governance and accountability arrangements by attending Audit Committee meetings and other boardlevel forums. Prepare and present highquality Annual and interim Counter Fraud reports, ensuring transparency, clarity of findings, and evidence of impact against agreed outcomes. Maintain strong working relationships with internal and external auditors and respond to audit recommendations and control weaknesses. Lead the identification of fraud risk and intelligence gathering through data analytics, information review, referrals, proactive exercises and engagement with staff, patients and the public. Utilise specialist resources and analytical tools to recognise patterns, trends and emerging threats and take proportionate action. Plan, manage and deliver Local Proactive Exercises in collaboration with finance and executive leads and lead National Proactive Exercises where required, applying recognised investigation planning and risk methodologies. Ensure all counter fraud investigations are conducted in a professional, ethical and legally compliant manner, in line with the Counter Fraud and Corruption Manual and statutory requirements. Establish and maintain effective case management, evidential standards and qualityassurance processes. Undertake the role of Officer in Charge for investigations as necessary, exercising operational decisionmaking authority on case progression, arrest strategies, search warrant applications, bail conditions, charging proposals, asset management and evidential preservation. Maintain effective liaison with law enforcement agencies to coordinate warrant execution, evidence seizure and specialist support where appropriate. Conduct interviews with suspects and witnesses in accordance with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984 Codes of Practice and recognised interview methodologies. Ensure interviewer competence, adherence to legal safeguards, and professional recording of outcomes. Prepare highquality case files for prosecution in Magistrates and Crown Courts and act as Disclosure Officer in compliance with the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act (CPIA). Secure financial redress through criminal and civil recovery mechanisms where appropriate. Develop and deliver training, communications and awareness programmes to raise organisational understanding of fraud risks, reporting pathways and preventative behaviours. Produce briefing materials, awareness campaigns and targeted presentations for all levels of staff, Board members and external partners. Maintain effective collaboration with the NHS Counter Fraud Authority and contribute to regional and national counter fraud networks, benchmarking activities, thematic reviews and continuous improvement initiatives. Review and contribute to the work of counter fraud peers, encouraging knowledge sharing, coordinated responses and professional standards across the service. Provide guidance, coaching and quality assurance to team members and support staff. Ensure flexible, responsive working practices to meet organisational requirements, including prioritising work appropriately and responding to operational needs outside normal business hours where necessary. Demonstrate uncompromising standards of confidentiality, information governance and security in handling sensitive or personal data in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018, Human Rights Act 1998 and professional codes of practice.

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