Fighting Fraud and Corruption Locally
Fighting Fraud and Corruption Locally (FFCL) is the co-ordinated response to fraud and corruption perpetrated against local authorities.
Cifas is committed to working with local authorities to help them in their fight against fraud. As such, we host the Board of the FFCL, and provide resource and infrastructure for the secretariat on a pro bono basis.
Follow our LinkedIn Page to see the latest news on the work Cifas is doing to support local authorities.
As credible and respected experts in counter fraud, Cifas works with local authorities and relevant senior stakeholders to provide improved data sharing and access to cross-sector information. This enables them to tackle fraud effectively through our links with national boards such as the Joint Fraud Taskforce (JFT) and the Joint Money Laundering Intelligence Taskforce (JMLIT). Working with Cifas is also recommended as part of the FFCL strategy.
Fighting Fraud and Corruption Locally for the 2020s
Local authorities continue to face a significant fraud challenge, and this has been exacerbated more recently by the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
The latest figures from the government estimate that the cost of fraud and error against the public sector is at least £33bn a year. During the pandemic alone, criminals specifically targeted the public sector and local authorities resulting in additional losses in the region of around £13bn.
Fighting Fraud and Corruption Locally for the 2020s is the updated counter fraud and corruption strategy for local government. It provides a blueprint for a coordinated response to fraud and corruption perpetrated against local authorities with the support of those at the top.
The FFCL Strategic Board has agreed that this document will form the principles behind the activity for the 2020s, with the Strategy being constantly updated with appendices and reports. There is a closed FFCL Knowledge Hub page which is restricted to operational Local Authority staff which has a document store and private discussion forum to enable free conversation.
Download a copy here
Upcoming Events
The FFCL Annual Conference will take place on Monday 27 November 2023. For more details contact ffcl@cifas.org.uk.
FFCL Board
The Board is made up of senior local authority representatives:
- Suki Binjal – FFCL Chair and Lawyers in Local Government
- Bevis Ingram – Senior Adviser Finance, Local Government Association
- Trevor Scott – CEO, Wealden District Council
- Clive Palfreyman – Strategic Director, LB Southwark and the Society of London Treasurers
- Michael Hudson – Executive Director, Cambridgeshire County Council
- Carol Owen – Head of Fraud, LB Lewisham and Chair of FFCL Regional Group
- Paula Clowes – Head of Assurance, Essex County Council
- Simon Bleckly – Audit and Fraud Manager, Salford and Warrington Councils
- Mike Haley – CEO, Cifas
- Rachael Tiffen – Director of Public Sector &Learning & Honorary Member , Cifas
- Paul Dossett – Partner, Grant Thornton
- Mark Astley – Head of NAFN, NAFN Data and Intelligence Services
- Colin Sharpe - Head of Finance, Leicester City Council
- Peter Cudlip – Director, Mazars
- Charlie Adan – Independent, Honorary Member
For further information about FFCL please contact FFCL@cifas.org.uk.
