Member of the Independent Family Returns Panel

Do you want to play a leading role in advising the Home Office on how to best safeguard children’s welfare?

As a member of the Independent Family Returns Panel (‘the Panel’) you will contribute to the operation and output of the Panel that provides independent case-by-case advice to the Home Office on how to best safeguard children’s welfare during a family’s enforced return. The advice provided by the Panel helps to ensure that individual family return plans take full account of the welfare of the children involved, and therefore meeting the Home Office’s statutory child safeguarding duty.

To complement its existing members, we are seeking one new panel member with either a background in law enforcement, social care, housing or legal sectors (with a focus of safeguarding).

All Panel members are required to possess excellent communication and influencing skills, the ability to work collaboratively with other members, and to constructively contribute to discussions, negotiating between conflicting opinions to reach consensus. We are seeking candidates with strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to work collaboratively with Panel members and stakeholders in a multi-professional environment, and to actively and constructively contribute to discussions, negotiating between conflicting opinions and generating options to reach consensus.

There is a high level of interest in family returns, so the ability to remain independent in an environment of regular scrutiny by the media, the public, and others is a key element of the role.

This appointment will be for an initial period of three years.

For further information and details of how to apply, please use the provided apply button.

The closing date for applications is 23:00 on 21 September 2026.

We value and promote diversity and are committed to equality of opportunity for all. Appointment will be made on merit following an open, fair and transparent competition