Issue - meetings
Counter Fraud and Enforcement Unit Collaboration Agreement
Meeting: 20/11/2024 - Executive (Item 253)
253 Counter Fraud and Enforcement Unit Collaboration Agreement 
PDF 127 KB
Purpose:
To seek approval to the Counter Fraud and Enforcement Unit Partnership Collaboration Agreement between Cheltenham and Tewkesbury Borough and Cotswold, Forest of Dean, Stroud and West Oxfordshire District Councils.
Recommendations:
That the Executive resolves to:
1. Approve the Council entering into the Counter Fraud and Enforcement Unit Partnership Collaboration Agreement.
Additional documents:
- Draft Counter Fraud and Enforcement Unit Collaboration Agreement 01.04.25, item 253
PDF 405 KB
- Webcast for Counter Fraud and Enforcement Unit Collaboration Agreement
Minutes:
The Executive Member for Finance introduced the report that sought approval to the Counter Fraud and Enforcement Unit Partnership Collaboration Agreement between Cheltenham and Tewkesbury Borough and Cotswold, Forest of Dean, Stroud and West Oxfordshire District Councils.
It was explained In administering its responsibilities, the Council has a duty to prevent fraud and corruption, whether it was attempted by someone outside or within the Council such as another organisation, a resident, an employee or a Councillor. The Counter Fraud and Enforcement Unit (CFEU) was a partnership formed in 2017 to
mitigate fraud risk and to reduce criminal activity and financial loss in each member
Council's jurisdiction. The CFEU has evolved over the past seven years to provide a comprehensive, efficient and cost effective corporate, strategic and investigative work service for its partner authorities. The six partner Councils at present are Cheltenham Borough, Cotswold District, Forest of Dean District, Stroud District, Tewkesbury Borough and West Oxfordshire District. Stroud District Council had commissioned services from the CFEU for several years but only became a partner on 1 April 2024.
The CFEU acted as an in-house support service supplying preventative activities, proactive drives and reactive investigations and enforcement support. There was a focus on a holistic approach, sharing data and efficiencies across partners. Whilst some areas were generic for resource efficiencies the work plans were bespoke and considered district / borough demographic and individual Council priorities. The structure of the unit allowed partners to maximise the benefits they received from the service, by providing resilience, shared knowledge and efficiencies of scale that could not be achieved by one Council as a stand-alone service. Annual costs would be subsidised by third party income and through the generation of revenue income streams. The revised agreement was for 10 years with an option to extend for up 3 years at a time. There was no limit on the number of times the agreement can be extended.
It was requested that Officers were thanked for all their work around this and the report was commended by Members.
Councillor Alaric Smith proposed that the Executive agree the recommendations as listed on the report. This was seconded by the Leader, Councillor Andy Graham, was put to a vote, and was unanimously agreed by the Executive.
The Executive resolved to:
1. Approve the Council entering into the Counter Fraud and Enforcement Unit Partnership Collaboration Agreement.