Local Service Investigation Officer Review

Item: Local Service Investigation Officer at Department for Work and Pensions
Rating: 2.3
Author: Anonymous

at Department for Work and Pensions

Higher Level Apprenticeship

Aberdare / Aberdâr

Review Submitted: March 2025

Overall Rating

2.3 /5

The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!

3/5 - Overview of Role

2/5 - Skills Development

1.8/5 - Structure and Support

Overview of Role

Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:

4/5

I work for DWP as an investigating officer for fraud. I receive fraud referrals, and gather information to prove or disprove the offence. I follow strict laws and guidance, including CPIA, PACE, HRA, IPA, DPA to name a few. I work collaboratively with other departments and third parties.

To what extent do you enjoy your programme?

2/5

I love learning, I hold two degrees and hope to accomplish my masters in fraud (if the apprenticeship becomes a recognised qualification). At the beginning, I was thoroughly enjoying, felt we were learning about fraud in a broader landscape before focusing on benefit fraud. I feel I'm wasting time on the course now.

Skills Development

Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?

2/5

I have, but more from internal training and my mentor. I do not feel the apprenticeship is fit for purpose. It takes up a lot of time and effort, learning legislation and processes that we do not use. I would not question it If the qualification was transferable.

Structure and Support

How well organised/structured is your programme?

1/5

Not very organised or structured. It would not take much to rectify this. The ongoing case investigation could be more job specific very easily. The structure of sessions to the structure of independant learning could revised to be a lot more constructive. For example giving us a session on witness interview before we actually plan for a witness interview. Simple things!

How much support do you receive from your employer?

5/5

Brilliant support from employer, they give me the time I need to understand the knowledge papers as they can not always help as they are not job specific.

How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?

1/5

I don't feel I can always ask the questions I want to, or more specifically , I do not get the answers to my questions plainly.

How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?

1/5

I do not. Everything I have learnt has been through inhouse training, and through my mentor.

Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)

1/5

n/a

Recommendations & Advice

Would you recommend Department for Work and Pensions to a friend?

Yes

Why?

I feel it is a supportive environment. It offers great professional development, apprenticeship aside. If the apprenticeship is confirmed as a transferable qualification then I will change my opinion.

What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Department for Work and Pensions?

Go for jobs that do not have a pre recorded interview. So that you are interviewing across teams with human beings. You do not get sufficient feedback with prerecorded interviews.

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