All of society has been impacted by coronavirus but for some the epidemic has presented criminal opportunity. Fraud - in and associated with the public sector - is a permanent challenge to both the integrity of public finances and to the delivery of public services of the highest standard. Recognised longer term fraud risks remain to be fought. Meanwhile new risks are emerging as systems, practices and public resources are adapted and reshaped to focus on trying to prevent and eradicate the threat of coronavirus.
Anne Cairns and Barry Moncur will speak on emerging fraud risks for the Scottish public sector as bodies seek to deliver services for individuals, communities and businesses in an extremely difficult time. They will consider the most recent evidence from the National Fraud Initiative and its next due initiative for 2020/21 to tackle fraud and error in Scotland. They will also assess challenges suggested by identified risks in case studies and in particular relating to procurement.
Key Points
Manager
Audit Scotland
Corporate Fraud Supervisor
Dundee City Council
Senior Lecturer in Public Sector Finance and Chief Advisor of Studies
Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow and Secretary, BAFA Scotland
Anne Cairns
Manager
Audit Scotland
Anne Cairns is a manager in Audit Scotland’s Professional Support Service which drives continuous improvement in public audit by delivering support on professional accounting and auditing matters. Anne leads on counter-fraud which involves working closely with other Scottish organisations such as Police Scotland as well as working with the Cabinet Office and audit agencies in Wales and Northern Ireland on the National Fraud Initiative. She also leads on welfare benefits and grant funding schemes.
Anne has 17 years of public audit experience in Scotland working across all sectors. She is a qualified accountant and fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy as well as a fellow of the Chartered Banker Institute. Anne previously worked in financial services.
Shona Duncan
Corporate Fraud Supervisor
Dundee City Council
Shona started her working career in EY before joining Local Government just over 30 years ago. Shona is an Accredited Counter Fraud Manager and is currently a member of Dundee City Council’s Corporate Fraud Team delivering a full criminal investigation and prevention service for fraud, bribery and corruption matters throughout all Council Services. She is a Snr Specialist Reporting Agent to the COPFS. In 2017, Shona played an instrumental part in forming the Council’s Integrity Group which Shona is an active member. Shona is also member of the Council’s DETER/DIVERT strand group of the Scottish SOC Strategy. She has recently co-produced the Council’s first SOC Newsletter for staff and Elected Members. In December 2017, Shona co-hosted a SOC Awareness Presentation with Police Scotland’s Safer Communities Staff to Council Elected Members. In 2018 Shona was asked by Police Scotland to deliver a presentation at Police Scotland’s first Training event for Public Sector Fraud held at Tulliallan Police College.
Shona is currently an Executive Board member of the National Anti Fraud Network (NAFN) with the responsibility of developing UK Corporate Fraud matters. She is also an active member of the Scottish Local Authority Investigators Group (SLAIG) and is actively participating with COPFS, Scottish Government, Police Scotland and DWP in tackling public sector fraud.
Lynn Bradley
Senior Lecturer in Public Sector Finance and Chief Advisor of Studies
Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow and Secretary, BAFA Scotland
Lynn Bradley is an accountant with more than 30 years’ experience of working in the Scottish public and private sectors. She was formerly the Head of Finance for West Dunbartonshire Council, where her responsibilities included local tax collection. More recently, she was Director of Corporate Programmes & Performance with Audit Scotland. She is a former chair of CIPFA in Scotland and a former chair of the Local Authority Accounts Scotland Advisory Committee. She is currently a University teacher in the Adam Smith Business School at Glasgow University, where she specialises in audit, risk and control.
