Join the Board of Catch22 and build a stronger society, transforming lives and reforming services.
Who we are
Catch22 is a charity and a social business. We have more than 100 services across England and Wales, delivering public services in a range of areas: employability and skills, justice and alternative education and young people and families. Our Public Service Reform agenda is deeply embedded in our history and central to our mission. We don’t just deliver services; we use frontline learning to drive policy change. We take insights from our delivery, the experiences of practitioners and the people we work with to advocate for systemic reform.
We operate over 100 services across England and Wales, touching the lives of more than 160,000 people annually. Our work spans key areas: justice services, employability and skills, alternative education and support for young people and families. We employ over 1,500 people who share our values and reflect the diverse communities we serve.
Our Mission 2030 strategy sets ambitious goals and to achieve this, we’re ensuring we remain financially responsible, people-centric and technology-enabled. We’re investing in data and digital infrastructure, alongside developing our workforce to be future-ready and we’re growing our income streams, diversifying funding sources and generating income to support innovation. This is an exciting time to join Catch22.
About the role
We require someone with a deep understanding of government operations and policy development. You will have senior experience in government, civil service or public affairs with a demonstrable track record of policy development and influencing across Whitehall.
Strong networks across government departments, particularly Education, Justice, Work and Pensions and the Home Office, are valuable. You will understand the commissioning landscape, appreciate the complexities of devolution and local government and have the expertise to help us translate frontline insights into policy influence.
We’re gaining traction with policymakers on youth violence, employment support reform and justice system change. With the right expertise on our Board, we can significantly accelerate our impact on public service design and delivery at national and local levels.
Beyond specialist expertise, we need someone with sound judgment combined with the highest professional standards and integrity. You will have strong communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively, including the capacity to constructively question and challenge while maintaining collegial relationships.
Cultural and political sensitivity is essential given the diverse communities we serve and the politically complex environments in which we operate. Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion is fundamental. We need a Trustee who understands what Catch22 is and is passionate about our work and ambitious strategy.
We move quickly while maintaining robust governance. We are seeking someone who is comfortable with complexity and who can hold multiple perspectives simultaneously.
Time commitment
The Board meets four times annually. Meetings are held at our London head office at 27 Pear Tree Street. We also hold one annual strategy day, usually in May, which provides extended time for strategic discussion and planning.
Each Trustee serves on at least one of our three Board committees:
- Finance, Growth & External Audit
- People, Performance & Remuneration
- Governance, Risk & Internal Audit
These committees meet at least four times annually for two or so hours. Meetings can be attended online, though in-person attendance is encouraged where possible.
Overall, we expect the time commitment to be the equivalent of a day a month on average. This includes preparation time, meeting attendance, ad hoc conversations, induction activities and service visits.
Trustees are invited to undertake service visits throughout the year, as these are essential for understanding the reality of our work. As an example, you might visit a prison to observe our rehabilitative services or meet our youth workers in a hospital setting.
These visits inform better governance decisions and demonstrate commitment to staff and service users. Trustees are also encouraged to participate in key organisational events such as our annual InspirEd staff conference, Staff Awards and strategy sessions. Serving as a Catch22 Trustee offers the opportunity to make a genuine strategic impact on an organisation delivering measurable outcomes for 160,000 people annually.
If you have the expertise, the commitment, and the passion to help Catch22 achieve its Mission 2030, we want to hear from you.
To view the role description and person specification, please go to the ‘How to Apply’ tab above, fill in your details and download the candidate pack.
For further information or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultant at Peridot Partners:
Jennifer Horan | jennifer@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07519 070497
Welcome from the Interim Chair
Thank you for your interest in the role of Trustee at Catch22. We’re delighted you’re considering applying.
We are looking to recruit a Trustee with significant experience in public policy and government relations to complement our existing Board.
Catch22 is a charity and a social business. We have more than 100 services across England and Wales, delivering public services in a range of areas: employability and skills, justice and alternative education and young people and families.
Underpinning all our services is our firm belief that in order to thrive, everyone needs good people around them, a safe place to live and a purpose in life.
We’ve been in existence for more than 230 years and have never lost our focus on delivering high-quality services to people facing challenges in their lives and using that experience to push for the reform of public services.
Catch22 is a vibrant and thriving organisation. We also have a growing number of high-profile partners, including Barclays, Microsoft, JP Morgan, National Grid and others, who are funding us to fulfil our mission of supporting thousands of people into sustainable work.
I hope you’ll consider applying for this role, which is vital for shaping the future of Catch22.
Caroline Artis
Interim Chair, Catch22
About Catch22
We began in 1788 as The Philanthropic Society, established to support children in London affected by poverty and crime. Over two centuries, we’ve evolved from a single children’s refuge to a sophisticated £51 million organisation operating over 100 services across England and Wales. But our fundamental purpose hasn’t changed: we exist to support people facing challenges to build better lives.
What makes Catch22 distinctive isn’t our longevity – it’s how we operate. We’re a charity that thinks like a business and a business that acts like a charity. Our culture reflects this unique positioning. We’re fast-paced and commercially astute, but deeply grounded in values of compassion, empowerment, collaboration and curiosity. We employ over 1,500 people, many of whom started as service users.
We work in some of the toughest spaces in public service: supporting prison leavers, helping young people excluded from mainstream education, intervening with victims of crime at their most vulnerable moments and tackling child exploitation. The work isn’t easy — the funding landscape is challenging and the needs are growing. But we’re good at what we do. Regulators rate us highly. More importantly, the people we support tell us we make a difference.
Our vision
We want a strong society where everyone has:
- a good place to live.
- a purpose.
- good people around them.
Our mission
Catch22 is a purpose-driven, high-impact social business dedicated to reforming systems so they work better for people and communities. Everything we do is grounded in a clear social mission: to create lasting change by challenging inequality, improving public services and helping individuals build better futures.
Our impact is matched by strong performance and trusted delivery. With commissioner satisfaction consistently above 90%, Catch22 is recognised as a reliable, values-led partner that delivers results. We have a staff engagement eNPS score of 30, reflecting a motivated, engaged workforce who believe in the mission and feel proud of the difference they make. Together, this commitment to reform, accountability and people-centred impact positions us as an influential force for positive change.
Our values
- We are compassionate: we care about people, supporting them to move forward.
- We empower others: we give people the knowledge, skills and opportunities to thrive.
- We are collaborative: we do things with people, not to them.
- We are curious: we explore, innovate and challenge to improve what we do.
These values underpin everything we do, from frontline service delivery to board-level strategic decision-making.
All our services and programmes help people to achieve at least one, if not all three, of these things. We call these our 3Ps.
People
We want to put the human connection and relationships back into public services. Our experience has taught us what makes a big difference in people’s lives. It’s strong and meaningful relationships with good people who care. We surround our service users with a positive network of good people.
Place
What becomes possible when a person has a good place to live and a community where they feel safe and at home? So much more. Because they can then focus on making changes in the rest of their lives. We want to encourage and enable communities to be more active and engaged. We see this as a vital first step in creating a thriving and prosperous society.
Purpose
Having something meaningful to do is essential for people to build a better life. Whether it’s a job, education, training, or a project helping the local community. Because there’s a sense of achievement and value that comes with purposeful activity. This helps people understand their potential and opens the door to opportunity.
Thank you for your interest in this role. Please download the Role Description.
To formally apply, please submit a CV and supporting statement (ideally maximum 2 sides of A4 each) that clearly outlines your suitability for the role, including your interest and motivation in applying for this position.
Please include your home address, contact email and mobile.
Please ensure that your application is emailed to response@peridotpartners.co.uk, inserting “Application: Catch22 — Trustee (Public Policy & Government Relations)” into the subject field. You will receive an acknowledgement of receipt within 2-3 days. If you do not receive an acknowledgement, please contact our admin team.
As a sector-leading executive search consultancy, we know the importance of creating recruitment processes that are fair, inclusive and free from bias. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a process that values differences.
If you require any job information in an alternative format (e.g. large print), please contact the lead consultant. Please also let us know if you would like to submit your application in an alternative format.
Applicants with disabilities are welcome to contact us in confidence at any stage of the recruitment process to discuss any reasonable adjustments or support that may be required to ensure fair and equal participation.
Recruitment selection processes are based on evidence of competence stated in the person specification and in relation to our values.
Timetable
Closing date: Friday 28th August 2026
Candidates informed of outcome: By COP Friday 4th September 2026
Interviews: Tuesday 8th September 2026
Equal Opportunities Monitoring
Peridot and Catch22 are committed to promoting equality and diversity. To help us raise awareness and support a culture that is diverse and recognises and develops the potential of all, we need to appreciate the profile of candidates who apply for positions. We will send you an equality monitoring survey at the point of receiving your application and at the time of placement. This ensures that our processes remain inclusive and equitable throughout, and provides us with important data to help us showcase our impact.
The information will be treated confidentially and anonymously and will help us to support our commitment to fair recruitment practice. All information provided will be held in the strictest confidence and will not be shared with anyone, in line with the Data Protection Act 2018 launched on 25 May 2018.
The information provided does not form part of the decision-making process and will not affect your application. Learn more about why we collect this data here.
Data Processing, Protection and Privacy Policy
By completing the form to view, or if you have access to this page from an email invitation, Peridot Partners will have processed your personal information. For more information about Peridot Partners’ data processing activities and your rights, please read our Privacy Policy.
