Appointment details

Leasehold Advisory Service - Chair

Summary

• Organisation: Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE)
• Sponsor department: Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
• Location: Various
• Sectors: Property
• Skills: Regulation
• Number of vacancies: 1
• Time commitment: 4 day(s) per month
• Remuneration: £654 per day
• Length of term: 3 years
• Application deadline: 5pm on 17 June 2026

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Timeline for this appointment

1. Opening date

   20 May 2026

2. Application deadline

   5pm on 17 June 2026

3. Sifting date

   26 June 2026

4. Interviews expected to end on

   31 July 2026

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the appointment

Introduction

LEASE is an Executive Non-Departmental Public Body funded by MHCLG and Welsh Government to provide free initial legal advice and information to leaseholders and park homeowners in England and Wales, including on commonhold and building safety issues. It currently aims to:

Improve the general knowledge, education and understanding of the practical implications of being a long leaseholder, commonholder, shared owner, or park home owner or those facing rent charges, together with other forms of tenure as requested by the Secretary of State

Increase awareness and understanding of all relevant UK and Welsh government information, actions, legislation and reforms relating to the above groups, including those matters relating to the building safety legislation.

• Help encourage relevant persons to take advantage of current and future legislative leasehold and commonhold and freehold reform.
• Use the organisation’s expert knowledge to develop and publish insights into the experience of leaseholders, park homeowners and commonholders, as well as providing information of the “on the ground” experience of these consumers to government.
• Help enable any relevant person to make more informed decisions about their home.
• These objectives are delivered through LEASE’s comprehensive range of online guidance and broader products such as quarterly insight and data reports and innovative tools such as the lease length checker tool. LEASE’s current operating budget is c.£2.7m p.a (with additional funding for the digital transformation) and it has around 45 staff, including trained legal advisers alongside corporate and digital staff.
• You will be accountable to Ministers for LEASE’s performance, stewardship of public funds and how you manage the Board and Executive Team to deliver ministerial priorities.

Further information on LEASE can be found through its website: https://www.lease-advice.org

Introduction from the Minister

Thank you for your interest in applying to be Chair of the Leasehold Advisory Service. 

The Leasehold Advisory Service provides free, impartial legal advice for leaseholders and park homeowners in England and Wales. Following the successful reform of LEASE, led by the current chair, the organisation has transformed and transitioned from an analogue advice service into a scalable digital first organisation, using innovative technology to support more consumers and make LEASE an authoritative voice within the leasehold sector. We now seek a Chair to build on this, continuing LEASE’s ongoing transformation, making LEASE more impactful, customer friendly and a sustainable operation. 

Through the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024, wider secondary legislation and the coming Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill, the Government is bringing an end to the feudal leasehold system and the significant power imbalance that exists between leaseholders and freeholders and landlords. LEASE has a crucial role to play in supporting consumers to navigate, and take advantage of, these broad ranging and significant reforms, including the transition to commonhold.

We are looking to appoint a Chair to the Board. We seek an effective leader who is driven by improving outcomes for consumers. You will play a pivotal role in LEASE’s future, leading the organisation and working with an experienced and committed team of legal advisers, digital experts and corporate staff, to build on the existing transformation work and evolve LEASE over your tenure.

Full details of the role, responsibilities and commitments are set out in this document, and I hope you will decide to apply. We want to receive applications from a wide range of individuals; we welcome candidates from traditionally under-represented groups including those from an ethnic minority background. 

Information about the Board can be found on the LEASE website: lease-advice.org

Matthew Pennycook MP, Minister of State for Housing and Planning

Appointment description

An arm's-length body Chair provides strategic leadership of the organisation to ensure it delivers its purpose and ministerial priorities. The Chair leads the non-executive board, sets an effective governance culture, and holds the executive to account for performance, risk, and value for money. They ensure robust decision‑making, appropriate controls, and transparent reporting, while championing stakeholder engagement and high standards of conduct. The role also includes supporting and developing board capability and maintaining constructive relationships with the sponsoring department and ministers.

The Board comprises a Chair and members appointed by the Secretary of State for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. There are several sub committees including ARAC, People and Pay and Change (which oversees the digital transformation). Currently LEASE has four Board members. Information about the current Board can be found here.

Further information on the roles and responsibilities of LEASE leadership and the department can be found here: LEASE Framework Document

Generic information about the role of non-executives in Government is provided in the Cabinet Office’s Code of Practice on Corporate Governance in Central Government departments.

Organisation description

The Chair will be expected to do the following (amongst other things):  

Transformation 

Oversee ongoing and implement new reforms to the LEASE service, including expanding and bolstering the offer for consumers, by using innovative technology and AI; working with the Department to identify where LEASE can go further. 

Oversee the creation and delivery of robust and regular insights for the sector, including MHCLG and the Welsh government, on the issues that leaseholders and park homeowners are facing.

Oversee the scoping, development and delivery of activities that will ensure a sustainable future for the organisation.

Strategic Direction 

Deliver on ministerial strategic priorities, as outlined in the annual Chair’s Letter, providing clear strategic direction for the organisation and Executive/Non-Executive teams, ensuring engagement with Ministers and MHCLG/Welsh Government officials to fully understand priorities, what these mean for LEASE and how to deliver them.

Lead the strategic work of the Non-Executive and Executive teams in establishing how LEASE will take action to deliver on objectives and priorities set by Ministers and MHCLG/Welsh Government officials, formalising this in an annual business plan which sets out how objectives and KPIs/OKRs will be delivered.

Performance 

Closely monitor service delivery and take prompt action to support improvements in performance against KPIs/OKRs (updating these when necessary), escalating issues to the Department where needed.

Monitor the performance of the CEO and Board (individually and as a collective), including board effectiveness reviews and performance reviews, identifying strengths and development areas and how these can be addressed.

Relationship building

Ensure that LEASE continues developing robust and strategic relationships with other actors in the leasehold and park homes sector, including stakeholder groups, advice organisations and redress providers to understand their perspective on the issues leaseholders and park homeowners face and what this should mean for LEASE’s offer and how it delivers its services.

Ensure that LEASE is viewed by customers and stakeholders as providing a trusted, reliable and impactful service which both helps leaseholders and park homeowners and effectively highlights the issues they face to Government.  

Represent the organisation to key stakeholders, including Ministers, government departments and other actors within the sector to ensure LEASE maintains a strategic role in the sector.

Build and maintain a strong relationship with Ministers and MHCLG/Welsh Government officials, to support a shared understanding of priorities and challenges and the effective resolution of any challenges and issues that arise.    

Finance/Governance 

Monitor LEASE’s financial performance, ensuring that the organisation is delivering a value for money service and making appropriate use of public funds, engaging the Board when necessary.

Ensure LEASE has the governance capabilities and processes it needs to meet its legislative, policy and other requirements. 

Ensure the organisation is operating within its delegated financial limits and meeting its financial governance requirements in line with expectations of a public body.

Person specification

Essential criteria

• Senior leadership experience, with a strong understanding of the responsibilities and accountabilities of a public body Chair. Ideally with experience of being a Chair and/or Non‑Executive Director, in a consumer-focused organisation that operates in or alongside government.
• Proven ability to lead and sustain organisational transformation, including digital and service transformation, with a demonstrable track record of managing change while maintaining performance, service quality and staff engagement.
• Strong board leadership and governance capability, including building and chairing effective boards, constructively challenging executives, overseeing risk and assurance and supporting evidence-based decision making and delivery of ministerial priorities.
• Credible and influential communicator, able to work effectively with ministers, senior officials, staff, consumers and external partners, building consensus, managing sensitive issues and representing the organisation with authority and independence.
• Strong commitment to public service and consumer outcomes, with a track record of delivering high quality performance in a customer focused information, advice and/or regulatory environment.

Desirable criteria

• Understanding of the housing, leasehold or property sector, and of supporting individuals to navigate legal complexity and resolve disputes relating to their homes.
• Experience of strengthening organisational sustainability, including developing income generation or funding models within public or not-for-profit constraints.

Application and selection process

How to apply

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

We are unable to accept late or incomplete 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)

Charlotte Spencer – Departmental Official

Director, Leasehold, Private Rental and Digital, MHLCG (Panel Chair)

Charlotte Spencer has no political activity to declare.

Nick Nash – Additional Panel Member

Deputy Director, Building Safety Regulator Transition, Buildings, Fire and Resilience, MHCLG 

Nick Nash has no political activity to declare.

Lizzie Noel – Independent Panel Member

Lizzie Noel 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

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@communities.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.

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 a Disability Confident employer, we will ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria for this position will be offered an interview. By ‘minimum criteria,’ we mean that you must provide evidence in your application, which demonstrates that you meet the level of competence required under each of the essential criteria.  If you wish to apply under this scheme, please complete the declaration in the online application form. It is not necessary to state your disability. 

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.

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.

Please contact the MHCLG public appointments team in the first instance if you would like to make a complaint regarding your application at PublicAppointments@communities.gov.uk They will acknowledge your complaint upon receipt and respond within 15 working days.

Data protection

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

The MHCLG privacy notice is attached at the bottom of this advert.

We will process your application in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations and Data Protection Act 2018. Your data will be held securely and processed for the purpose of the recruitment process. Access will be restricted to those dealing with your application or involved in the recruitment process, this will include Ministers and Special Advisers. 

Data may also be shared with Cabinet Office, to comply with the Public Appointments Governance Code, article 3.1 of the Public Appointments Order in Council 2019.  

Data may also be shared with Cabinet Office and The Commissioner for Public Appointments to meet the public equality duty as set out in the Equality Act, s149. The Commissioner may also request access as part of a complaint investigation or review of the recruitment process. 

Your data will be stored for 2 years, if appointed your data will be stored for the duration of your tenure and may be shared with the organisation that you are appointed too, unless specifically requested otherwise. Should you wish your data to be removed from our records, please contact: PublicAppointments@communities.gov.uk. 

Attachments

• MHCLG Privacy Notice

• Candidate pack

Contact details

Please contact PublicAppointments@communities.gov.uk if you have any questions about the role