## **The Counter Fraud Professional Awards Board**
**Registered Charity Number 1201280**
**A Charitable Incorporated Organisation**
**TRUSTEES’ 2024 ANNUAL REPORT**
1
## **Reporting period:**
**January 2024 - December 2024**
**Charity name: The Counter Fraud Professional Awards Board**
**Charity registration number: 1201280**
**Principal Address: 77 Mansell Street, London E1 8AN**
## **Charitable Objects**
As set out in its constitution, the objects for which the Counter Fraud Professional Awards Board (CFPAB) is established, for the public benefit, are for advancing the education of the public in counter-fraud and thereby promoting and ensuring high professional standards in counter-fraud practice by:
1. Establishing and maintaining professional standards in the delivery of a portfolio of approved professional training programmes in the field of counterfraud practice, to those engaged in (or training to be engaged in) such work and in line with the core learning aims and syllabi agreed by the CFPAB
2. Overseeing the delivery of approved training programmes by CFPAB Approved Training Providers (ATPs), considering their quality and effectiveness, in accordance with the rules and requirements stipulated by the CFPAB
3. Ensuring, where appropriate, that approved training programmes are structured so that higher education learning credits can be awarded to successful programme participants and that in particular a recommended credit rating is communicated to the CFPAB by a relevant higher education institution
4. Formally recognising, by way of professional certification, an individual’s successful completion of an approved training programme with the bestowal of the appropriate award
5. Encouraging and fostering the continued professional development (CPD) of CFPAB award holders through the giving of advice, guidance and recognition of CPD activity
6. Promoting professional training programmes for counter-fraud practitioners (or those training to be such practitioners) and working with organisations with an interest in supporting economic security and sound financial management through adopting counter-fraud practices
2
“Counter-fraud” and “counter-fraud practice” means the practice of protecting the economic well-being and security of the public (including critical national infrastructure, commerce, public and third sector services and individuals) from the threat of fraud and other cognate threats, such as bribery and corruption.
The CFPAB is managed and governed by volunteers, without whom the charity would not exist. The trustees are therefore extremely grateful for the time given by these individuals and their respective member organisations they represent.
## **Achievements and Performance Against Charitable Objects 2024**
- During this reporting period, the CFPAB has overseen the professional accreditation of 444 individuals for a variety of awards, as detailed in the table set out at Appendix 1 (Objects 3 and 4)
- Attained membership of the Government Counter Fraud Profession’s (GCFP’s) Trailblazer Group for the proposed Fraud Control Officer apprenticeship (Object 6)
- Retained a position on the Tackling Economic Crime Awards (TECAS) judging panel and attended the annual awards ceremony (Object 6)
- Sponsored TECAS category “Outstanding Young Professional” (Object 6; see report)
- Grant funded the Fraud Advisory Panel’s “Future Counter Fraud Community” initiative (Object 6; see report)
- Grant Funded the Tenancy Fraud Forum’s “Detecting Tenancy Fraud in London” research project (findings published March 2025) (Object 6; see report)
- Appointed as an expert stakeholder organisation to the Advisory Committee of the landmark “Strengthening Counter Fraud Across the NHS in England’” research project conducted by Northumbria University, Newcastle (UNN) (Object 6)
- Relicensed all existing CFPAB Approved Training Providers (ATPs) to deliver CFPAB accredited courses (Object 2)
- Grown the CFPAB’s LinkedIn social media page to circa 830 followers (Object 5)
## **Other notable activity**
- John Rosenbloom appointed as new member of the Trustees’ Board – June 2024
- Worked with the Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA) to recognise CFPAB awards as gateway qualifications for membership of the GCFP (work still in progress)
- Considered and rejected one application for ATP status
## **Planned activity in 2024 and outturn**
3
Set out in the CFPAB’s 2023 Annual Report were 5 workstream activities – over and above the CFPAB’s ongoing ‘business as usual’ activities – planned for 2024. These activities are tabulated immediately hereunder along with their outturns and corresponding comment:
|**No.**|**Activity**|**Outturn**|**Comment**|
|---|---|---|---|
|1|Fully engage with identified
partners concerning the
distribution of charitable
funds.|Charitable funds were
distributed to the Fraud
Advisory Panel, Tackling
Economic Crime Awards and
the Tenancy Fraud Forum|See‘Achievements
and Performance
Against Charitable
Objects 2024’ section
above for further
details|
|2|Engage with the
Government Counter
Fraud Profession
concerning recognition of
the ACFS award as a
gateway qualification to
‘the profession’|Continued work in progress
with positive engagement
having occurred throughout
2024|Recognition
anticipated in 2025
subject to
establishment of
CFPAB quality
assurance and CPD
frameworks|
|3|Establish a quality
assurance framework for
the delivery of approved
accredited training
programmes|No material progress made in
2024|See ‘Planned activity
in 2025’ section below|
|4|Establish a CPD
framework for CFPAB
award holders|No material progress made in
2024|See ‘Planned activity
in 2025’ section below|
|5|Broaden the portfolio of
CFPAB awards with a
focus on fraud prevention
and international specialist
awards|Development of the fraud
prevention award was held in
abeyance pending the
publication of the GCFP’s
Level 4 Fraud Control Officer
Apprenticeship (FCOA)
Occupational Standard which
the CFPAB intends to utilise
in creating and aligning its
own award with, for the
benefit of aspirational non-
apprenticeship Fraud Control
Officers
No material progress was
made on the development of
the desired International
Specialist award|The CFPAB is
collaboration with the
GCFP in developing
the FCOA standard
which is expected to
be published in the 3rd
or 4thquarter of 2025.
This will enable
planning to begin for a
comparable CFPAB
Level 4 award in 2026
No progress made
due to lack of
capacity. The matter
remains on the
agenda for 2025|
4
## **Planned activity in 2025**
- Establishment and implementation of Quality Assessment and CPD frameworks for CFPAB awards. Recognising the lack of progress in 2024 concerning these vital activities the trustees will appoint a dedicated supplier to carry out the required work in conjunction with UNN, starting in March 2025 and concluding the following May for full implementation during the ensuing months until the end of Quarter 1 2026. The work will also entail a review of the CFPAB’s governance and secretariat arrangements to identify potential areas for improvement in terms of delivering the Board’s charitable objects
- PSFA recognition of ACFS award for individual membership of the GCFP
- Development of an International Specialist award
- Active stakeholder participation in UNN’s “Strengthening Counter Fraud Across the NHS in England’” research project
- Continue to engage with identified partners concerning the distribution of charitable funds
## **Financial Review (1[st] January to December 31[st] , 2024)**
A review of the CFPAB’s financial position has been undertaken and can be summarised as follows:
|Income:|£Nil|
|---|---|
|Expenditure:|£13,612|
|Bank balance:|£31,658|
Expenditure Breakdown:
|**Item**|**Amount**|
|---|---|
|Grants|£13,000|
|Travel & Expenses|£477|
|Admin costs|£135|
**Total** £13,612
5
During 2024 the CFPAB experienced a significant downturn in accreditation applications resulting in a corresponding downturn in expected income. This would appear attributable to a diversion of learners in the public sector from the ACFS programme to the Fraud Investigator apprenticeship programme. Given some of these apprentice programmes also have integrated within them an ACFS award, the numbers are expected to partially recover over time as apprentices graduate from their apprenticeship programmes, thereby allowing them to simultaneously apply for an ACFS award.
The Nil income shown above arose because of no invoicing to Northumbria University for the accreditation certificate fee rebate arising from the 444 accreditations authorised during the reporting period. Income due was £3,320 and will be invoiced as a matter of priority during the 2025 reporting period. Arrangements have been put in place to prevent recurrence of this issue.
Notwithstanding the above, the CFPAB’s financial position remained healthy throughout 2024, and accounts are completed in the prescribed format for submission to the Charity Commission.
Furthermore, the trustees are considering ways of returning the board’s income to what might be considered historic levels with expansion of the awards portfolio being one of several options.
## **Reserves Policy**
The trustees continue to maintain a financial reserves policy for one-off, infrequent or unanticipated costs associated with CFPAB activities; for example, costs associated with advertising and tendering for services, financial support to an Authorised Training Provider (ATP) to take on additional students in the event another ATP becomes insolvent, legal advice, authorised out-of-pocket trustee expenses and so on.
The trustees consider that an ongoing reserve balance of £5,000 should be maintained in the CFPAB accounts, reviewable on a regular basis and at least annually.
## **Structure, Governance and Management**
The CFPAB is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, and the Board of Trustees is the key body accountable for its governance. The CFPAB’s primary governing document is its constitution. In addition, pursuant to their powers the trustees, through a scheme of delegation, delegate certain powers and/or functions to a committee known as the Executive Board (EB) that is made up of CFPAB member organisation representatives. The scheme’s document sets out the extent of the delegation that must be exercised reasonably and with due care and attention by the EB.
6
In summary and notwithstanding certain matters reserved for the Board of Trustees, the EB is responsible for the general running and operational management of the CFPAB and the effective implementation of policies and strategy as determined by the trustees, with the EB Chair responsible to the Board of Trustees.
## **Trustees and Members**
## **Trustees**
The current trustees are:
1. Peter Darby
2. Les Dobie
3. Alan Doig
4. Phillip Sapey
5. John Rosenbloom
Trustees are private individuals acting in their personal capacity who are appointed in accordance with the CFPAB’s constitution.
## **Members**
The CFPAB membership is made up of organisations in the UK and Northern Ireland that meet the following criteria:
- are incorporated by law, statute or other similar enactment
- can demonstrate having a significant interest or role in, or influence over, the counter fraud sector
- have a clear interest in furthering the CFPAB’s objects and possess the resources and capability to do so
- conduct business either on a non-commercial or not-for-profit basis
The current members are:
1. Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (Executive Board Chair)
2. City of London Police
3. Cifas (Deputy Executive Board Chair)
4. Department for Work and Pensions
5. His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs
6. Insurance Fraud Investigators Group
Member organisations nominate representatives from within their ranks to the EB.
In accordance with the constitution, trustees are members _ex officio._
7
## **Secretariat**
The secretariat is an administrative function responsible for providing administrative support to the CFPAB. The role is renewed every 3 years by way of a competitive process. The current secretariat is University of Northumbria University, Newcastle. Both the Board of Trustees and the Executive Board are grateful for the ongoing support provided by the secretariat.
## **Declarations**
## **Signature:**
**Full name: John Rosenbloom**
**Position: Interim Chair of the Board of Trustees Date: 19 March 2025**
## **Appendix**
## **2024 CFPAB Awards**
8
|**Provider**
**Name**|**Number**
**of**
**Awards**|**ACFS**|**ACFTech**|**ACFT**|**ACFM**|**ACFIS**|**ACFITec**
**h**|**ACFSS**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|CIPFA|96|60|33|0|0|0|0|3|
|CIFAS|34|22|12|0|0|0|0|0|
|City of
London
Police|45|0|0|0|45|0|0|0|
|HMRC|137|42|1|0|0|69|25|0|
|Larus
Consulting|15|15|0|0|0|0|0|0|
|Peter Darby
Associates|49|25|23|1`|0|0|0|0|
|RNA
Training|68|68|0|0|0|0|0|0|
|AML
Consulting|0|0|0|0|0|0|0|0|
|Totals|**444**|**232**|**62**|**1**|**45**|**69**|**25**|**3**|
9
**Charity Name No (if any) CFPAB 1201280 Receipts and payments accounts**
## **CC16a**
**For the period** Period start date Period end date **To from** 1/1/2024 12/31/2024
## **Section A Receipts and payments Unrestricted funds to the nearest £ A1 Receipts**
|**Section A Receipts and payments**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|**A1 Receipts**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**_Sub total_ -**
**_Total receipts_ -**
**A3 Payments**
Grants
**13,000**
Travel & Expenses
**477**
Operational & Admin costs
**135**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**_Sub total_ 13,612**
**-**
**-**
**_Sub total_ -**
**_Total payments_ 13,612**
**_Net of receipts/(payments)_ - 13,612**
**A5 Transfers between funds**
**-**
**A6 Cash funds last year end**
**45,269**
**_Cash funds this year end_ 31,658**
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**to the nearest £**
**_Sub total_**_(Gross income for AR)_
**A2 Asset and investment sales,**
**(see table).**
**A4 Asset and investment**
**purchases, (see table)**|**to the nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Restricted**
**funds**|**to the nearest £**
**Endowment**
**funds**|**Total funds**
**to the nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**13,000**
**477**
**135**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**13,612**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**13,612**
**- 13,612**
**-**
**45,269**
**31,658**|**Last year**
**to the nearest £**|
|||**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|||
||||**-**|**-**|
||||**-**|**-**|
||||**-**|**-**|
||||**-**|**-**|
||||**-**|**-**|
||||**-**|**-**|
||||**-**|**-**|
||||**-**|**-**|
||||||
|||**-**
**-**
**-**|**-**||
||||**-**|**-**|
||||**-**|**-**|
||||||
|||**-**|**-**|**-**|
||||||
|||**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|**13,000**|**-**|
||||**477**|**-**|
||||**135**|**-**|
||||**-**|**-**|
||||**-**|**-**|
||||**-**|**-**|
||||**-**|**-**|
||||**-**|**-**|
||||**-**|**-**|
||||**13,612**|**-**|
||||||
|||**-**
**-**
**-**|**-**||
||||**-**||
||||**-**|**-**|
||||||
|||**-**|**13,612**|**-**|
||||||
||**-**|**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|**- 13,612**|**-**|
||**-**||**-**|**-**|
||**-**||**45,269**|**-**|
||**-**||**31,658**|**-**|
## **Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**
|**Categories**
**B1 Cash funds**
**B2 Other monetary assets**
**B3 Investment assets**
**B5 Liabilities**
**B4 Assets retained for the**
**charity’s own use**
Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees|**Details**
**Details**
**Details**
**Details**
**Details**
Signature
**_Total cash funds_**
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))|**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
Agreement Error
OK
**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
Print Name
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Fund to which**
**liability relates**
**Amount due**
**(optional)**|**to nearest £**
**Endowment**
**funds**|
|---|---|---|---|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||OK|
||||**to nearest £**
**Endowment**
**funds**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**Current value**
**(optional)**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**Current value**
**(optional)**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**When due**
**(optional)**|
|||||
|||||
|||||
|||||
|||||
|||||
||||Date of
approval|
|||||
|||||