Appointment details

Service Police Complaints Commissioner

Summary

• Organisation: Service Police Complaints Commissioner
• Sponsor department: Ministry of Defence
• Location: Various
• Sectors: Defence
• Skills: Legal, Judicial, Regulation
• Number of vacancies: 1
• Time commitment: 3 day(s) per week
• Remuneration: £150,000 per annum
• Length of term: 3-year term with the option to extend for an additional 2 years
• Application deadline: 10am on 17 June 2026

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Timeline for this appointment

1. Opening date

   20 May 2026

2. Application deadline

   10am on 17 June 2026

3. Sifting date

   26 June 2026

4. Interviews expected to end on

   24 July 2026

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the appointment

Introduction

Thank you for your interest in the role of Service Police Complaints Commissioner (SPCC).

The Service Police Complaints Commissioner is a significant Crown appointment, playing a critical role in strengthening confidence in Service Policing and the Service Justice System. The Commissioner can independently investigate the most serious and sensitive complaints, and helps to identify and address systemic issues so that standards, transparency and accountability continue to improve.

This role is central to maintaining the confidence of those subject to Service law and service discipline, as well as public confidence in Service Policing more broadly. The Commissioner operates independently of both the Service Police and the Ministry of Defence and reports annually to Parliament via the Secretary of State for Defence. The post holder also works jointly with His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) on super‑complaints, supporting meaningful change where there are concerns of wider or systemic importance.

We are seeking an individual of the highest calibre, with the judgement, credibility and leadership capability to operate confidently at senior national level. The successful candidate will be able to engage constructively with Ministers, senior defence leaders, policing professionals and external stakeholders, while providing robust, impartial challenge where required.

This is a unique opportunity to hold a nationally significant appointment and to make a lasting contribution to fairness, integrity and public confidence in Service Policing. We strongly encourage applications from talented individuals from a wide range of professional backgrounds who can bring independence of thought, sound judgement and a commitment to public service.

Appointment description

The Service Police Complaints Commissioner (SPCC) provides independent oversight of the Service police to raise standards in Service Policing and is responsible for investigating the most serious complaints involving the police and sets the standard by which the police should handle complaints.  

The SPCC also investigates 'super-complaints' with His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) with the aim of identifying systemic failures in Service policing.  

The SPCC is a Crown appointment independent of the Service Police and the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and made on the recommendation of the Secretary of State for Defence. The SPCC is supported by civil servants, and independent SPCC investigators and reviewers. While the SPCC is legally able to undertake investigations into matters relating to Service Police activity the main duty of this role is to provide  oversight of the complaints procedures, ensuring others that have functions in relation to the procedures (appropriate authorities) comply with the legislative framework and advising where legislation may require refinement. 

The key responsibilities of the role are to: 

• secure the confidence of persons subject to service law and service discipline, as well as to secure the public confidence in the Service police complaints system; 

• secure, maintain and review arrangements in respect to the procedures that deal with complaints, death and serious injury matters; 

• make recommendations and provide advice in relation to those arrangements, (for example, training or procedures where the SPCC believes this may improve policing practice); 

• independently oversee the most serious and sensitive investigations; 

• engage with senior stakeholders in the Armed Forces, including the Defence Council, single Service Boards and the Provost Marshals (the Royal Navy Police, the Royal Military Police, the Royal Air Force Police and the Defence Serious Crime Unit, are each headed by a Provost Marshal), senior MOD officials and Ministers; 

• act as the review body for certain cases as specified in the regulations, and 

• report annually to Parliament via the Secretary of State for Defence on the delivery of the Commissioner’s functions. 

• Operational daily actions include the overall responsibility of the SPCC delivery functions including: the review of complaints, consideration whether complaints referred to the SPCC ought to be investigated and the form of the investigation, undertake referrals to other relevant bodies/authorities,  provide oversight to the investigative workload, interpret legislation and regulations, ensure the appropriate delegation of powers and duties to staff. 

Regulation of appointment

This post is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. For more information, please refer to the Commissioner’s website 

Person specification

Essential criteria

Candidates must demonstrate that they meet the following essential criteria: 

• Significant strategic leadership and management experience, with a track record of success within a complex and sensitive environment. 

• Demonstrable experience in a statutory, regulatory, legislative, complaints adjudication or similar environment. 

• Significant experience of working at a senior level with or within either service law and the service justice system, or criminal law and the criminal justice system. 

• High level of political awareness and sophisticated relationship management skills proven with a wide range of stakeholders. 

• Excellent communication and inter-personal skills with an ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders and people at all levels of organisations. 

• Excellent judgement and strong analytical skills with proven ability to make judgements and difficult decisions on complex and technical legislative and regulatory matters. 

Desirable criteria

• A barrister authorised by the Bar Council to practice in the UK or a solicitor, admitted by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority and authorised to practice in the UK with a minimum of 2 years PQE. 

• Experience of navigating and guiding an organisation through complex regulatory and legislative processes and changes. 

• Ability to command the confidence and the respect of the Service Police forces, Armed Forces personnel and key stakeholders. 

• Ability to engage sensitively with complainants and victims, including understanding the potential vulnerabilities and challenges they face and the support they may need during the complaints process. 

• Considerable personal resilience, given the individual responsibility and sensitive nature of the cases the Commissioner will deal with. 

The successful candidate must abide by the Seven Principles of Public Life and the Code of Conduct for Board Members. 

Application and selection process

About this appointment

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

How to apply

In order to apply you will need to create an account or sign in.

1. https://apply-for-public-appointment.service.gov.uk/create-account 2. https://apply-for-public-appointment.service.gov.uk/auth/sign-in

Once you are logged into your account, click on 'apply for this role' and follow the on-screen instructions. To apply, all candidates are required to provide:

• equality information
• information relating to any outside interests or reputational issues
• a Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• a supporting statement
• a short professional biography (150 words)

-        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.

The Advisory Assessment Panel reserves the right to only consider applications that contain all of the elements listed above, and that arrive before the published deadline for applications.

Overview of the application process

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

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)

Esther Wallington – Departmental Official

Director General People, Ministry of Defence

Esther Wallington has no political activity to declare.

Rtd Major General Alexander Taylor – Departmental Official

Director Afghanistan Inquiry Response (Army)

Rtd Major General Alexander Taylor has no political activity to declare.

Irene Dorner – Independent Panel Member

Recently retired Chair of Control Risks, a global risk management company. She is non-independent non-executive director of Taylor Wimpey

Irene Dorner has no political activity to declare.

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

The Armed Forces Act 2021 (which amends the Armed Forces Act 2006) states that a person is disqualified from being the Commissioner if any of the following applies:

• the person is a member of the regular or reserve forces (whether or not as a member of a Service Police force);

• the person is a former member of a Service Police force; 

• the person is currently employed as a Civil Servant.  

Due to the nature of the post (which is independent of the Ministry of Defence), it is not appropriate for the SPCC to occupy paid party-political posts or hold sensitive, senior, or prominent positions in any political organisation.  

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 Karen McQuade, Karen.McQuade101@mod.gov.uk

Security clearance

The successful candidate will be required to undertake Baseline Personnel Security Standard checks in line with the Civil Service guidelines. Additional Security Clearance may also be required for certain roles. However, where this applies, candidates will be notified during the appointment process. Further information on National Security Vetting can be found on the Gov.uk website here.

The level of clearance required for this role is Developed Vetting (DV).

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

We are a member of the Government’s Disability Confident scheme. We use the Disability Confident scheme symbol, along with other like-minded employers, to show our commitment to good practice in employing people with a disability. The scheme helps recruit and retain disabled people. As part of implementing the scheme, we guarantee an interview for anyone with a disability whose application meets the essential criteria for the role, set out in the advert, and who has asked that their application is considered under the scheme. Indicating that you wish your application to be considered under the scheme will in no way prejudice your application. By ‘essential criteria', we mean that you must provide evidence which demonstrates that you meet the level of competence required under each of the essential criteria, as set out in the job-advert. When you apply you will have the opportunity to select if you would like your application considered under this scheme.

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

Appointments are for the term set out in this advert, with the possibility of re-appointment for a further term, at the discretion of Ministers.  Any re-appointment is subject to satisfactory annual appraisals of performance during the first term in the post. There is no automatic presumption of reappointment; each case should be considered on its own merits, taking into account a number of factors including, but not restricted to, the diversity of the current board and its balance of skills and experience. In most cases, the total time served in post will not exceed more than two terms or ten years in any one post. 

Remuneration, allowances and abatement

Remuneration for this role is treated as employment income and will be subject to tax and National Insurance contributions, both of which will be deducted at source under PAYE before you are paid.

You can claim reimbursement for reasonable travel and subsistence costs which are properly and necessarily incurred on official business, in line with the travel and subsistence policy and rates for the organisation to which you are applying (this does not include the cost of daily travel between the post holder’s home and normal place of work). 

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 feel that you have a complaint about the way in which your application has been handled, please contact in the first instance Defence Business Service (DBS) Civilian Personnel Public Appointments Team DBSCivPers-ResPublicAppts@mod.gov.uk. If you are not completely satisfied with the response, please contact the MOD Public Appointments Team at Governance-PublicBodiesandAppts@mod.gov.uk

We will acknowledge your complaint upon receipt and aim to provide a response within 5 working days.

How to complain to Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA)

If you are not content with the appointing department’s response you may wish to further complain to the Commissioner at publicappointments@csc.gov.uk.Further information on how the Commissioner handles complaints can be found on the Commissioner for Public Appointments’ website https://publicappointmentscommissioner.independent.gov.uk/regulating-appointments/investigating-complaints/

Data protection

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

The Ministry of Defence privacy notice can be found here with supplementary information here.

Contact details

Role Contact Details

Karen McQuade

Karen.McQuade101@mod.gov.uk

Additional Information

Recruitment Process

The application process will run for an initial 4 week period  with the option to extend for an additional 2 weeks.

Please note, due to the time restrictions within the recruitment process applicants should be prepared to interview with minimum notice,  we request candidates that are invited to interview make every effort to be available for the limited time slots offered.

Following interview with the Advisory Assessment Panel, appointable candidates may be invited for a meeting with Secretary of State for Defence or his delegated Minister, dates to be confirmed.

The successful candidate is expected to be in post no later than the end of October to allow for a smooth transition with the incumbent Commissioner.

The successful candidate must obtain DV clearance, final confirmation will be subject to security clearance approval.

Induction Programme 

There will be an induction programme arranged by the Ministry of Defence, which will aim to familiarise the successful candidate with the Armed Forces, the Service Police forces, and the role of the SPCC. It will consist of visits to Defence units (within the UK) and introductions to key personnel. 

Security Clearance  

The successful candidate will be required to undergo and pass National Security Vetting at Developed Vetting (DV) level and will further be subject to the provisions of the Official Secrets Act.  They will be required to exercise care in the use of official information acquired in the course of official duties and not to disclose information which is held in confidence. 

Location

This is a Nationwide post with regular travel to London where the office of the SPCC is located. Home working can also be utilised where appropriate and able to do so, with the possibility of being able to work from other UK Defence locations on occasion. 

Time Commitment

The role is part time, equivalent to 3 days per week. The exact number of hours each week may vary according to caseload.  

Remuneration

Remuneration will be to a maximum of £150,000 per year pro rata for an exceptional candidate.  The appointment is non-pensionable and no bonuses will be payable.