Independent Prevent Commissioner

Independent Prevent Commissioner

Location - Flexible, with regular travel to Central London

Time commitment - 2 day(s) per week

Remuneration - £1,200 per day

Length of term - 3 years fixed term appointment with the possibility of re-appointment

Reporting to - The Home Secretary

Application deadline - 11pm on 5 January 2026

The Independent Prevent Commissioner's role is to provide an independent strategic oversight and review function for Prevent to ensure that it can meet its objectives as effectively as possible. The Commissioner will also be supported by the Office of the Independent Prevent Commissioner (OIPC), which provides a platform for the public and practitioners to share feedback, experiences and raise concerns about the delivery of Prevent.

The Independent Prevent Commissioner will be a high profile, publicly important role. The Commissioner may need to engage with the public, invite challenge from Prevent's critics, capture best practice, and understand the role of the Prevent programme in stopping people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.

The Commissioner's reports will inform the development of public policy in counter-terrorism and how that interacts with societal integration, public health, faith and communities. Their recommendations must be meaningful, proportionate and actionable, with the implications of their implementation rigorously considered.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Commissioner's primary responsibilities will be (1) reviewing; (2) oversight; and (3) investigating concerns about Prevent.

Reviewing

The Commissioner will review Prevent legislation, policy and implementation to ensure that Prevent can effectively meet its objectives to provide early intervention and stop people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.

• The Commissioner will set their own review work programme, providing progress reports to the Home Secretary. The Terms of Reference for any reviews will be devised by the Commissioner, to be agreed with the Home Secretary.

• Parliament, the Home Secretary or other Ministers may, at any time, require the Commissioner to report on any matter relating to Prevent.

• Interim findings or similar may be provided to the public, the Home Secretary or other partners at the Commissioner's discretion.

• Unless agreed otherwise, the Commissioner will provide any reviews/reports to the Home Secretary before publication or public release.

• The Commissioner may publish an executive summary (subject to security checks), with the publication or disclosure of full reports only as approved by the Home Secretary or agreed in advance.

Oversight

The Commissioner will oversee the government's implementation of accepted recommendations from reports and reviews.

• The Commissioner will provide independent scrutiny of the system's oversight, currently provided by Homeland Security Group CT Directorate, wider CONTEST structures, and the Prevent Ministerial Oversight Board.

• The Commissioner will monitor current system oversight structures to ensure they are holding Prevent to account on fulfilling its agreed commitments.

• Findings and recommendations should be set out in regular reports, which may be laid by Ministers before Parliament (subject to departmental clearance).

Investigating concerns about Prevent

The Independent Prevent Commissioner
will lead the Office of the Independent Prevent Commissioner (OIPC).

• This Office provides a clear and accessible route for the public and practitioners to share feedback, experiences and raise concerns about the delivery of Prevent.

• Under the direction of the Home Secretary or Home Office Ministers, the OIPC can also support Commissioner-led investigations to address systemic concerns regarding Prevent delivery, and provide oversight and assurance of Prevent Learning Reviews.