Appointment details

Windrush Commissioner

Summary

• Organisation: Windrush Commissioner
• Sponsor department: Home Office
• Location: Various
• Sectors: Public Administration
• Skills: Communication
• Number of vacancies: 1
• Time commitment: 3 day(s) per week minimum (full or part time can be considered)
• Remuneration: £78,000 to £130,000 per annum
• Length of term: 3 Years
• Application deadline: 11pm on 20 March 2025

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Timeline for this appointment

1. Opening date

   13 February 2025

2. Application deadline

   11pm on 20 March 2025

3. Sifting date

   21 April 2025

4. Interviews expected to end on

   19 May 2025

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the appointment

Additional introductions

Foreword from Sir Matthew Rycroft, Permanent Secretary

The Home Office’s treatment of the Windrush and Commonwealth communities saw individuals who have the right to live in this country victimised through no fault of their own because they were unable to prove their right to live in this country and access public services. As a consequence, Windrush became tragically associated with a scandal not of their making. The Home Office is determined to change that, embedding lasting cultural change that makes a difference to all our communities.

There is no doubt that a first step must be ensuring that the victims of the Home Office Windrush scandal receive the compensation they are due quickly and efficiently. Last October, the Home Secretary updated Parliament on the Home Office plans to establish a Windrush Commissioner – a crucial, independent advocate for those affected. The Windrush Commissioner will be a trusted voice for the victims at the highest level, extending the reach of the compensation scheme to all impacted communities, identifying, and raising systemic issues across government to ensure that action is taken. The Commissioner will also assure the Home Office’s delivery of the compensation scheme. The efficiency of this scheme directly impacts on the victims and their family members, many of whom are still traumatised by their experiences.

To ensure that the injustices faced by the victims never happen again, the Windrush Commissioner will advise on the Home Office’s progress as we undertake a review of the implementation of Wendy William’s Windrush Lessons Learned Review (WLLR) in today’s context – holding the Department to account as we learn the lessons of the past to drive improvements. Their challenge will support long-term cultural change as we embed the lessons learned into every aspect of our work across the Home Office and make a difference to all the communities the Home Office works to protect on a daily basis.

I am looking for an outstanding candidate to take on the post of Windrush Commissioner, someone with a proven track record of strategic leadership, a clear vision for driving impactful change, and the ability to engage with a diverse range of individuals, including victims, their families, representatives, and stakeholders from across a range of backgrounds and viewpoints. I expect the Commissioner to embody the core values necessary to succeed in this vital role, demonstrating exceptional judgement, credibility and personal integrity. He or she will have a strong understanding of the issues related to the scandal and its impact on the Windrush and Commonwealth communities, ideally informed by lived experience.

Appointment description

Thank you for your interest and for taking the time to read this information pack. This is a highly rewarding role, with the opportunity to make a lasting impact. If you possess the skills and qualities outlined, we encourage you to apply. Should you be successful, we look forward to working with you to deliver long-awaited justice for the Windrush and Commonwealth communities, and to drive real and sustained cultural change across the Department.

The Windrush Commissioner will be a public appointee and will operate independently of Home Office serving as an independent advocate and trusted voice for victims, families and impacted communities affected by the Home Office Windrush Scandal, driving improvements and promoting lasting and sustainable change.

The Commissioner will assure our delivery of the Windrush Compensation Scheme and advise on the Government’s response to the Windrush Lessons Learned Review (WLLR) recommendations to ensure change that matters to the Windrush communities and its wider impact across the whole department and across Government.

The Commissioner will make recommendations to support the Home Secretary’s leadership of long-term cultural change to embed the principles and the lessons from the Windrush Review into every aspect of our work within the Home Office on immigration, homeland security and public safety, to ensure that what happened to the Windrush generation never happens again. This vital role will evolve through meaningful engagement with key stakeholders and Ministers, allowing priorities to be identified and refined.

• Responsibility to engage with and act as a trusted voice for victims and Windrush communities and relevant organisations affected by the Home Office Windrush Scandal to build a trusted relationship, advocating improvements and lasting change.
• Act as an authoritative voice, providing independent scrutiny, challenge and advice to the Home Secretary and Ministers where the learning of Windrush is relevant right across the Home Office including immigration, homeland security, and public safety, to ensure that these kinds of injustices cannot be repeated.
• Advising on the Government's response to and implementation of the WLLR recommendations to ensure that lessons of the past are learned.
• Assure delivery of the Windrush Compensation Scheme to provide advice to Ministers on the scheme’s effectiveness in achieving its objectives and provide assurance that the needs of Windrush communities are met.

Person specification

Essential criteria

PART ONE: ESSENTIAL CRITERIA

• Strong understanding of the Home Office Windrush scandal and the challenges faced by the Windrush generation and other Commonwealth citizens informed by either lived experience or direct, first-hand knowledge.

• Proven track record of impactful strategic leadership at senior levels of Civil Society, Government, Private Sector, Public Sector or Academia driving change and delivering measurable outcomes.

• Outstanding communication and interpersonal engagement skills as demonstrated by the ability to build and sustain effective relationships with diverse stakeholders such as communities, government departments, organisations and the public.

• Experience of leading complex and sensitive programmes across organisational boundaries and fostering a partnership focused approach to address challenges.

• Experience in influencing interventions that shifts the culture of an organisation to create an inclusive and positive culture to support long term cultural change.

• Demonstrative experience of providing clear, robust and independent advice in high profile situations having to navigate diverse perspectives and developing solutions while fostering trust and confidence among communities and stakeholders.

PART TWO: KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

You should also be able to demonstrate:

• The ability to be a highly regarded, credible and confident public office holder and advocate who is able to build and maintain trust with communities and stakeholders

• Demonstrate commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and cultural sensitivity.

• Credibility with individuals, stakeholders, communities, government and the public.

• Ability to provide independent scrutiny and challenge to senior leaders, provide candid advice to ministers.​

The Windrush Commissioner should operate in the public interest at all times, rather than in the interests of any particular organisation or interest group. They should consistently demonstrate the highest levels of personal integrity, in accordance with the 7 Principles of Public Life.

Application and selection process

How to apply

• To apply for this role, please visit: https://ma-appointments.co.uk/windrush/how-to-apply/

• If you have any queries about any aspect of this role, or merely wish to have an informal discussion, then please contact Andrea Trainer (andrea.trainer@miles-advisory.com) or Rebecca Hopkinson (rebecca.hopkinson@miles-advisory.com)

• If you have any queries about the recruitment process for this role, please contact the Public Appointments Team at: publicappointments@homeoffice.gov.uk

Overview of the application process

The assessment process

1. Ministers are responsible and accountable to Parliament for the public appointments made within their department. As a result, they must be consulted at every stage of the appointments process.

2. An Advisory Assessment Panel (“Panel”) is appointed by Ministers to assist them in their decision making. The role of the Panel is to decide, objectively, which candidates meet the eligibility criteria for the role.

3. At the shortlisting meeting the Panel will assess applications against the eligibility criteria and decide which candidates have best met the criteria, who should be recommended for interview. Ministers will then be consulted on the Panel’s recommended shortlist. If you have applied under the Disability Confident Scheme and you meet all the essential criteria, then you will also be invited for an interview.

4. Once the shortlist has been agreed by Ministers, you will be advised (by e-mail) whether you have been shortlisted. Those shortlisted will be invited to an interview.

5. The Panel will meet again to interview candidates and determine who is appointable to the role. The Panel may invite you to make a brief presentation at the start of the interview and will go on to question you about your skills and experience, including asking specific questions to assess whether you meet the criteria set out for the post. The Panel will also explore with you any potential conflicts of interest or any other issues arising from your personal and professional history which may impact on an appointment decision.

6. Details of the panel’s assessment of interviewed candidates are provided to Ministers, including whether they have judged a candidate to be appointable to the role. It is then for Ministers to determine merit and decide who should be appointed. In some circumstances, Ministers may choose not to appoint any candidates and re-run the competition.

7. Ministers may choose to meet with candidates before deciding the outcome. Candidates should therefore be prepared for a short time gap between interview and a final appointment decision being made. Candidates who have been interviewed will be kept informed of progress.

8. Once the decision on the appointment has been made, interviewed candidates will be advised of the outcome of their application, including whom they may approach for feedback. Successful candidates will be issued with their Terms & Conditions and a letter of appointment should they agree to take up the position.

Further information about appointments, including tips on applying, can be found on our guidance pages on gov.uk.

Advisory Assessment Panel (AAP)

The Panel will be chaired by Matthew Rycroft KCMG CBE (Home Office Permanent Secretary). The Chair’s role will be to ensure that the appointment is made in accordance with the Governance Code. In addition, the panel will comprise of Joanna Rowland (Director General, Customer Services Group Home Office), Jan Gower (Home Office Non-Executive Director), Professor Martin Levermore MBE DL, and Michael Fuller QPM as an independent panel member. 

Advisory Assessment Panels (AAP) are chosen by ministers to assist them in their decision-making. These include a departmental official and an independent member. For competitions recruiting non-executive members of a board (apart from the Chair), the panel will usually include a representative from the public body concerned.

AAP’s perform a number of functions, including agreeing an assessment strategy with ministers, undertaking sifting, carrying out interviews in line with the advertised criteria and deciding objectively who meets the published selection criteria for the role before recommending to ministers which candidates they find appointable. It is then for the minister to decide who to appoint to the role.

Eligibility criteria

In general, you should have the right to work in the UK to be eligible to apply for a public appointment.

There are a small number of specialist roles that are not open to non-British citizens. Any nationality requirements will be specified in the vacancy details.

The Government expects all holders of public office to work to the highest personal and professional standards. 

You cannot be considered for a public appointment if:

• you are disqualified from acting as a company director  (under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986);

• have an unspent conviction on your criminal record;

• your estate has been sequestrated in Scotland or you enter into a debt arrangement programme under Part 1 of the Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Act 2002 (asp 17) as the debtor or have, under Scots law, granted a trust deed for creditors.

When you apply, you should declare if:

• you are, or have been, bankrupt or you have made an arrangement with a creditor at any point, including the dates of this. 

• you are subject to a current police investigation.

You must inform the sponsor department if, during the application process, your circumstances change in respect of any of the above points. 

When you apply you should also declare any relevant interests, highlighting any that you think may call into question your ability to properly discharge the responsibilities of the role you are applying for. You should also declare any other matters which may mean you may not be able to meet the requirements of the Code of Conduct of Board Members (see Outside interests and reputational issues section below)

If you need further advice, please contact publicappointments@homeoffice.gov.uk

Security clearance

The successful candidate will be required to have or be willing to obtain security clearance to SC level. It usually takes between 4-6 weeks to obtain the security clearance. The role will be offered on a conditional basis until the successful candidate has passed all checks. The successful candidate will be encouraged to take up the appointment as soon as possible, subject to the successful completion of all reappointment checks. Further information on National Security Vetting can be found on the Gov.uk website here.

Additional information for candidates

Equality and diversity

We encourage applications from talented individuals from all backgrounds and across the whole of the United Kingdom. Boards of public bodies are most effective when they reflect the diversity of views of the society they serve.

We collect data about applicants’ characteristics and backgrounds, including information about people’s educational and professional backgrounds, so that we can make sure we are attracting a broad range of people to these roles and that our selection processes are fair for everyone. Without this information, it makes it difficult to see if our outreach is working, if the application process is having an unfair impact on certain groups and whether changes are making a positive difference.

When you submit your application, your responses are collected by the Cabinet Office and the government department(s) managing your application. The data is used to produce management information about the diversity of applicants. You can select “prefer not to say” to any question you do not wish to answer. The information you provide will not be seen by the Advisory Assessment Panel who review applications against the advertised criteria and conduct interviews.

Disability confident

The Home Office is an accredited user of the government’s “Disability Confident” disability symbol, which denotes organisations which have a positive attitude towards disabled applicants.  Applicants who meet the minimum criteria in the job specification are guaranteed an interview (GIS). Selection will be on merit. If you wish to apply for consideration under this scheme, please complete the relevant form on the Miles Advisory website. (https://ma-appointments.co.uk/windrush ) It is not necessary to state the nature of your disability.

Whether you choose to apply under the GIS or not you can still ask us to make particular arrangements for you when attending an interview. You can also contact us if you want to discuss the criteria for the role or have questions regarding your application.

Reasonable adjustments

We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to make sure applicants with disabilities, physical or mental health conditions, or other needs are not substantially disadvantaged when applying for public appointments. This can include changing the recruitment process to enable people who wish to apply to do so.

Some examples of common changes are:

• ensuring that application forms are available in different or accessible formats;
• making adaptations to interview locations;
• allowing candidates to present their skills and experience in a different way;
• giving additional detailed information on the selection / interview process in advance to allow candidates time to prepare themselves;
• allowing support workers, for example sign language interpreters;
• making provision for support animals to attend.

When you apply you will have the opportunity to request reasonable adjustments to the application process.

Principles of public life

The Seven Principles of Public Life (also known as the Nolan Principles) apply to anyone who works as a public office-holder.

1. Selflessness

Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest.

2. Integrity

Holders of public office must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work. They should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.

3. Objectivity

Holders of public office must act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.

4. Accountability

Holders of public office are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and must submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure this.

5. Openness

Holders of public office should act and take decisions in an open and transparent manner. Information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for so doing.

6. Honesty

Holders of public office should be truthful.

7. Leadership

Holders of public office should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour and treat others with respect. They should actively promote and robustly support the principles and challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs.

Code of conduct for board members

The Government expects all holders of public office to work to the highest personal and professional standards. In support of this, all non-executive board members of UK public bodies must abide by the principles set out in the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. The Code sets out the standards expected from those who serve on the boards of UK public bodies and will form part of your terms and conditions of appointment.

Management of outside interests and consideration of reputational issues

Holders of public office are expected to adhere and uphold the Seven Principles of Public Life and the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. Before you apply you should consider carefully: 

• any outside interests that you may have, such as shares you may hold in a company providing services to government; 
• any possible reputational issues arising from your past actions or public statements that you have made; 
• and/or - any political roles you hold or political campaigns you have supported; 

which may call into question your ability to do the role you are applying for.

You will need to answer relevant questions in relation to these points when making an application. Many conflicts of interest can be satisfactorily resolved and declaring a potential conflict does not prevent you from being interviewed. If you are shortlisted for an interview, the panel will discuss any potential conflicts with you during that interview, including any proposals you may have to mitigate them and record that in their advice to ministers. Alongside your own declaration, we will conduct appropriate checks, as part of which we will consider anything in the public domain related to your conduct or professional capacity. This may include searches of previous public statements and social media, blogs or any other publicly available information. The successful candidate(s) may be required to give up any conflicting interests and their other business and financial interests may be published in line with organisational policies. 

Details of declared political activity will be published when the appointment is announced, as required by the Governance Code (political activity is not a bar to appointment, but must be declared).

Status of appointment

As this is an office holder appointment, you will not become a member of the Civil Service. You will not be subject to the provisions of employment law.

Appointment and tenure of office

The successful candidate’s appointment as Windrush Commissioner will be made by the Home Secretary. The appointment will be for a period of three years.

Re-appointment (or extension) can be made at the end of the period of office for a further term of up to three years at the discretion of Ministers, subject to a satisfactory appraisal of performance and mutual agreement. It should be noted that this post is a public appointment, appointments may be terminated prior to the conclusion of the period of appointment.

Remuneration, allowances and abatement

• The role has a remuneration of £130,000 (per annum pro rata).
• Minimum 3 days per week (full or part time can be considered)
• The remuneration is taxable through Home Office payroll but the appointment is not pensionable.
• The post holder can claim reimbursement for reasonable travel and subsistence costs necessarily incurred during the course of their duties at rates set centrally.

Pension and redundancy

This is an office holder appointment and does not attract any benefits under any Civil Service Pension Scheme. You will not be eligible for redundancy pay as you are not an employee. No other arrangements have been made for compensation upon the end of your term of appointment because an office holder who is appointed for a limited duration would have no expectation of serving beyond that period.

Application feedback

We will notify you of the status of your application. We regret that we are only able to offer detailed feedback to candidates who have been unsuccessful at the interview stage.

How to complain

We aim to process all applications as quickly as possible and to treat all applicants with courtesy.

If you are not completely satisfied with the way your application is handled at any stage of the competition, please raise any complaint in the first instance with the Public Appointments Team at: publicappointments@homeoffice.gov.uk

We will reply to your complaint within 20 days. If, after receiving our response you are still not satisfied, you may contact the Commissioner for Public Appointments (independent.gov.uk)

Data protection

The Cabinet Office will use your data in line with our privacy policy.

Contact details

If you have any queries about any aspect of this role, or merely wish to have an informal discussion, then please contact Andrea Trainer (andrea.trainer@miles-advisory.com) or Rebecca Hopkinson (rebecca.hopkinson@miles-advisory.com)

If you have any queries about the recruitment process for this role, please contact the Public Appointments Team at: publicappointments@homeoffice.gov.uk 

If helpful to you, there is guidance available on writing a supporting statement on the public appointments webpages here

Attachments

• Home Office Privacy Notice

• Diversity Form