Rachel Lindsay was appointed as Chair of the UK NPM on 30 April 2026 for a three-year term. The Chair’s role is to:
- Chair NPM Steering Group meetings and NPM business meetings;
- Support, with the secretariat, NPM members in developing and implementing NPM work and in fulfilling their NPM responsibilities;
- Line-manage the substantive work of the Head of Secretariat;
- Where appropriate, and in consultation with the NPM Steering Group and Secretariat, represent the NPM at meetings with external stakeholders;
- Make public statements on behalf of the NPM where necessary and in consultation with the NPM Steering Group and Secretariat.
The Chair accounts to, and consults with, the NPM Steering Group and wider NPM membership in the carrying out of her duties.
In addition to Chairing the UK NPM, Rachel Lindsay is an Inspector with Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland, having been with the organisation since 2007, and CJI’s representative to the UK NPM. Rachel has also been the Chair of the Northern Ireland sub-group since its inception in 2022 and has represented Northern Ireland on the NPM Steering Group over several terms.
Within CJI Rachel has undertaken and led a wide range of inspection across the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland covering thematic topics, single organisations and places of detention, including police custody, court custody and escorting, prisons and juvenile justice. She has worked in partnership with and accompanied other UK NPM members on a number of inspections of places of detention as well as representing the UK at European NPM events. Rachel has qualifications in human resources and occupational psychology and previously worked in assessment and selection in policing across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.