The Children’s Society exists because too many young people feel unheard, unsupported, or pushed to the margins. Whether struggling with mental health, living in poverty, or facing exploitation, their experiences are complex and constantly changing. We know that young people understand their own needs better than anyone, and they deserve to be listened to.

We are looking for a Chair who believes that instinctively. This is a role for someone with a genuine connection to the mission, shaped by a clear sense of purpose and a deep commitment to improving the lives of children and young people. They will share our ambition to build a society that works for every child, and to reverse the decline in children’s wellbeing by 2030.

Our strength lies in the authenticity of youth voice. Young people shape decisions, influence policy, and hold us to account. The Chair will play a central role in protecting this approach, ensuring that listening is matched by action, and that young people remain at the heart of how the organisation thinks and operates.

You will be an inclusive and thoughtful leader, who listens carefully, creates space for others, and brings a strong sense of judgement to complex decisions. You will know when to support and when to challenge, and will be motivated by the impact of those decisions on young people’s lives.

The role requires resilience, integrity, and consistency. It calls for someone who remains grounded in the organisation’s values, and who is committed for the long term. You will build trust across the Board and Executive, while holding clear expectations of performance and accountability. You will exercise sound judgement, communicate clearly, and lead with integrity, with a clear and credible commitment to improving outcomes for children and young people.

We are open to candidates from a range of backgrounds, but the successful Chair is likely to be a purpose driven leader with experience of chairing a board or operating at a senior level in a complex organisation. Experience of governance, risk, and organisational oversight will be essential, alongside the judgement to balance strategic priorities with real world impact.

How to apply

Perrett Laver will conduct an executive search process in parallel with the public advertisement of the role. The Selection Panel will meet to decide upon a shortlist for the posts in mid-June, following which, formal interviews with The Children Society will take place end of June. If you require any reasonable adjustments to assist you in the selection process, please advise us of these so that we can make appropriate arrangements.

Further information, including a detailed role description and person specification, and information on how to apply can be downloaded at https://candidates.perrettlaver.com/vacancies quoting reference 8364. For an informal discussion, please contact George Hourmouzios on george.hourmouzios@perrettlaver.com.

Deadline for submission of applications is 11:59pm on 10th May 2026.

Accessibility

Should you require access to these documents in alternative formats, please contact Bharti Aggarwal via bharti.aggarwal@perrettlaver.com.

If you have comments that would support us to improve access to documentation, or our application processes more generally, please do not hesitate to contact us via accessibility@perrettlaver.com.

Inclusion

Perrett Laver believes that excellence will be achieved through recognising the value of every individual. A broad range of perspectives, backgrounds and opinions amongst our global community of colleagues is crucial in maintaining our culture of openness, intellectual curiosity, and creativity. We take an active role in supporting under-represented communities and groups in becoming better and more fairly represented in the leadership of all organisations. We also know that diverse and inclusive teams have a positive impact on our ability to identify, engage and secure candidates from these groups.

Our commitment to inclusion across race, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, identity, and experience drives us every day – for clients, for candidate identification and in the recruitment, development and retention of colleagues.

To ensure inclusion on the basis of age, disability, ethnic or national origin, family circumstance, gender, gender identity, marital status, nationality, political or religious beliefs, race, socioeconomic background, sexual orientation, we would like to specifically invite applications from under-represented groups.

Data Protection and Privacy

Protecting your personal data is of the utmost importance to Perrett Laver and we take this responsibility very seriously. Any information obtained by our trading divisions is held and processed in accordance with the relevant data protection legislation. The data you provide us with is securely stored on our computerised database and transferred to our clients for the purposes of presenting you as a candidate and/or considering your suitability for a role you have registered interest in.

As defined under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Perrett Laver is a Data Controller and a Data Processor, and our legal basis for processing your personal data is ‘Legitimate Interests’. You have the right to object to us processing your data in this way. For more information about this, your rights, and our approach to Data Protection and Privacy, please visit our website http://www.perrettlaver.com/information/privacy/.