The following links open in a new tab
15 January 2026
9am on 13 February 2026
9 March 2026
14 May 2026
Thank you for your interest in this pivotal role. I am seeking to appoint an outstanding individual as the next Housing Ombudsman. Social housing plays a vital role in meeting the housing needs of people across the country, providing safe, affordable and secure homes for those who need them. When things go wrong for social residents, it is vital to ensure that they are able to have their problems put right. The Housing Ombudsman is at the forefront of providing swift and effective redress for the c.4m social tenants who can access its service, and as head of the organisation you would play an important and visible role in advocating for tenants and improving standards in the social rented sector.
You would be joining the Housing Ombudsman Service at a crucial time, and the next Housing Ombudsman will play a critically important and challenging role. In recent years there has been a significant increase in the number of complaints received by the Housing Ombudsman due to the increased recognition of unacceptable housing conditions and the Government's 'Make Things Right' awareness campaign for social tenants, with a concomitant increase in waiting times for customers using the service. At the same time the Housing Ombudsman Service is gearing up to implement wide ranging changes to its structures and governance, including a potential transition from being a corporation sole to a body corporate, the establishment of a new non-executive board, and the potential expansion into new areas of activity - including the possibility of delivering mandatory private tenant-landlord redress for the c.4.7m households in the private rented sector. This is a unique opportunity to steer a large and important organisation through a generational change in its structure, size and remit. It will be vital therefore that the new Ombudsman has both complaint handling experience at a very senior level and a strong track record of organisational transformation and scale up; skills which will be important even if the Housing Ombudsman Service does not take on the redress for the private rented sector.
I am looking for an individual with experience in consumer rights and/or consumer protection, and who can command public confidence whilst balancing the needs of tenants, leaseholders and landlords. The role requires someone who is able to work collaboratively with other stakeholders in the sector, including the Regulator of Social Housing and other redress providers, whilst delivering a trusted and impartial service and achieving continuous improvement in customer experience and case output. If you believe you have the skills we are seeking, I would strongly encourage you to apply and to help the Government tackle the challenges of housing redress and to help build an organisation that is fit for the future. We want to receive applications from a wide range of individuals, and we would welcome candidates from traditionally under-represented groups including those from ethnic minority backgrounds. Full details of the role, responsibilities and commitments are set out in this document, and I hope you will decide to apply, and I look forward to seeing how your leadership will shape the future of the Housing Ombudsman Service.
If you have further questions about any aspect of the role or the application process, please contact PublicAppointments@communities.gov.uk.
Responsibilities:
The work of the Housing Ombudsman is complex and challenging. This is an exciting time to undertake the regular functions of the Ombudsman and lead the organisation through a challenging operating environment for landlords, increasing demand for services, and heightened expectations for efficiency across the public sector.
At a high level, the Housing Ombudsman is responsible for:
Being ultimately accountable for oversight, decision-making, and outcomes in the formal resolution of tenant-landlord complaints, in accordance with the statutory duties of the role.
Ensuring a high-quality, fair and timely service for tenants and landlords using the Housing Ombudsman Service (HOS).
Leading the organisation through structural change, potential extensive jurisdictional expansion and digital transformation, ensuring that the organisation is brought along through this process.
Improving service delivery and the effective use of technology to ensure HOS continues to meet its KPIs and reduces waiting times, particularly in the context of increased demand.
Leading the organisation in the delivery of its strategy and business plan, and in line with the Housing Ombudsman Scheme and Framework Document.
Ensuring robust governance arrangements that meet best practice and government requirements.
Building and maintaining effective relationships with Ministers and Parliament while upholding the independent nature of the role.
Acting as a high-profile advocate for independent complaints handling.
Safeguarding the organisation’s independence while meeting government objectives and maintaining constructive functional relationships with key stakeholders, including tenants, landlords and Government.
The Housing Ombudsman will also be responsible for:
Setting the strategic direction for HOS and its c. 400-strong workforce, building on the existing vision, strategy, and objectives in the context of Ministerial priorities.
Leading the senior team in delivering HOS’s objectives, taking advice from the Audit, Risk and Assurance Committee and Corporate Board (once established).
Fostering a high-performance organisational culture based on trust and excellent customer service.
Developing annual business plans and longer-term corporate plans, including the budget and subscription rate, in partnership with MHCLG, to deliver an independent, visible and proactive service.
Acting as the principal ambassador for HOS, engaging with and influencing key decision-makers and stakeholders to represent the organisation and the experiences of tenants, and to improve customer experience and standards across the social rented sector.
Working collaboratively with MHCLG, landlords, tenant and leaseholder representative bodies, and other stakeholders.
Working effectively alongside the Regulator of Social Housing, building on established arrangements for cooperation and information-sharing.
Supporting landlord members to meet the highest standards of complaint handling.
Holding the senior leadership team to account for the effective use of public funds and the delivery of value for money.
Standards and Behaviours
The postholder will be expected to:
Ensure that HOS’s affairs are conducted with probity and that high standards of corporate governance are upheld at all times.
Ensuring that HOS operates within its statutory authority and in accordance with the authority delegated from its sponsoring Department (MHCLG), and with guidance issued by it (embodied in the Framework Agreement and relevant delegation letters).
Fulfil Accounting Officer responsibilities by ensuring the effective use of public funds and assets, maintaining high standards of financial management in line with Managing Public Money guidance and Cabinet Office spending controls, and avoiding conflicts of interest.
Act at all times in accordance with the Seven Principles of Public Life.
The Housing Ombudsman Service's mission is to improve landlord services and residents' lives through housing complaints. It provides a free, independent and impartial service to investigate and resolve disputes involving the tenants and leaseholders of social landlords who are mandatory members of its redress scheme, as well as some other private landlords, property managers and agents who have joined its scheme voluntarily.
HOS also works to strengthen social landlord's internal complaints procedures, and to encourage its members to learn from complaints to prevent service failures being repeated.
HOS is a non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The Framework Document sets out the respective responsibilities and accountability of the Housing Ombudsman, the Secretary of State for the Ministry, and officials within the Department.
Further information about HOS:
Essential Criteria:
Strategic Leadership & Decision-Making
Communication Skills
Service Improvement & Innovation
Governance & Risk Management
Consumer Focused Complaint Handling
Desirable Criteria:
Sector Knowledge
Understanding of Public Accountability
Some public appointments are made by the Prime Minister, or the Crown on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. Others are made by Secretaries of State or other ministers and are of interest to the Prime Minister.
Public appointments made by or of interest to the Prime Minister
Please note that this is a two-stage application process.
In order to apply you will need to create an account or sign in.
To apply, you must provide via this site:
If you have not already done so, please visit https://www.gatenbysanderson.com/job/GSe126959 or contact hoj@gatenbysanderson.com for further information.
We will ask you to check and confirm your personal details to ensure your application is accurate.
You will also have the opportunity to make a reasonable adjustment request or apply under the Disability Confident scheme before you submit your application.
Public appointments are made on merit following a fair and open competition process which is conducted in accordance with the Governance Code for Public Appointments. We will deal with your application as quickly as possible and will keep you informed at key stages. We aim to conclude the appointment process within three months of the deadline for applications – this is in accordance with the Governance Code.
The assessment process
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.
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.
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.
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.
Before interviews, shortlisted candidates will be asked to attend a staff engagement session with Housing Ombudsman Service staff, and a residents panel session. These sessions will not be formally scored. Shortlisted candidates will receive further information.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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)Please note that this is a two-stage application process. Both stages of the application - on this website and the GatenbySanderson jobsite must be completed before the deadline for your application to be accepted.