Professionalising counter fraud specialists (fraud investigators) in the UK public sector: a focus upon Department for Work and Pensions, National Health Service and the Local Authority

This thesis seeks to examine and explore the professionalisation initiatives of the UK public sector counter fraud specialists (fraud investigators), with a focus upon the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), National Health Service (NHS) and Local Authority (LA). The conceptual framework used to underpin the study was functionalist / “traits” theory of a profession and professionalisation. The main research question for the thesis concerns the issue of whether counter fraud specialism is a profession or not. Thus the question here is: “Is counter fraud specialism a profession or not?”. Additionally, the thesis seeks to answer the question on how to develop a profession of counter fraud specialists. Thus, the question here is “If we want to develop a profession of counter fraud specialists (CFS), how do we do it?”. Fraud is a growing problem in UK which affects the government, businesses, individuals and society as a whole, and much more than would be assumed by anyone suggesting it to be a victimless crime. Despite this, the reputation of UK public sector fraud investigators had in the past gained negative images resulting from the use of questionable investigative practices, together with the lack of appropriate mechanism for evaluating the training of fraud investigators, and the ease of defrauding the welfare system.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

phd

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Nottingham Trent University

Year dc:date.issued

2013

Author dc:creator

• Frimpong, KO

Language dc:language

en