Richmond upon Thames Council is grappling with a rise in insider and identity fraud cases, alongside increasing costs in temporary accommodation, according to a recent Audit, Standards and Statutory Accounts Committee meeting.
The committee convened on Monday, 24 November 2025, to discuss financial matters, receiving a fraud update from the South West London Fraud Partnership (SWLFP).
According to the Fraud Update Report, the fraud risk threat remains substantial. While the report identifies insider fraud and identity fraud as areas of concern, specific types were not detailed. The report also highlighted temporary accommodation as a new area of focus due to rising demand and costs, but specific measures to address this were not outlined.
The report summarised fraud investigation and performance results, including key performance indicators (KPIs) such as the number of properties brought back into housing associations/council control, the number of verification visits completed, and the number of housing applications withdrawn as a result of fraud work.
During the meeting, Councillor Nancy Baldwin raised concerns about the potential for fraud related to the use of fleet vehicles, particularly when priority one recommendations are not met in a timely manner. Kevin Holland, assistant director results for the shared fraud service, acknowledged this risk. He stated that without detailed records, the council relies on management to report potential problems, potentially missing instances of fraud. He added that digital tracking of vehicles would improve the ability to ensure correct behaviour and detect fraud.
The specific priority one recommendations related to fleet vehicles that are overdue include:
- A policy is in place but it's with HR and legal for approval.
- Transitioning from paper and Excel spreadsheets to a technological solution for monitoring vehicle usage, including trackers in the vehicles.
- Addressing taxable benefits or the potential for taxable benefits under P11Ds.
The reasons for these delays include changes within the teams, difficulties in implementing the technological solution (requiring discussions with unions and procurement), and the need for agreement across HR, fleet services, and payroll on the policy itself before legal and HR sign-off.
Councillor Anton McNulty-Howard expressed skepticism about delays in implementing digital tracking, while another councillor highlighted successful negotiations with unions by Transport for London (TfL) regarding similar tracking systems for bus drivers. He suggested that Richmond upon Thames look to TfL's example to expedite the matter. Specific details of the negotiations were not provided.
The committee also discussed the Internal Audit Update Report, which noted that no audits had been issued with a Limited Assurance or No Assurance opinion since the previous report. However, concerns were raised about overdue priority one recommendations related to fleet vehicles (as mentioned above) and funded nursing care. The specific priority one recommendation related to funded nursing care that is overdue concerns a 25-year-old contract that wouldn't be let like that now. A new contract will be let next year which will change the way that they collect the money, essentially removing the problem with the new contract. There are also complications around getting the data from the different bodies, particularly the ICBs, due to ongoing changes within those organisations. A commitment was made to call in relevant officers if these issues are not resolved by the end of January.
The Audit, Standards and Statutory Accounts Committee agreed to note the Fraud Progress report and review of activity completed so far during 2025/26.