Simon Barrett

Simon is a senior communications leader with two decades at the heart of government, currently overseeing Communications, Parliament and Legislation at the Ministry of Justice and sitting on the department's executive committee.

His path to the senior civil service wasn't conventional. Simon grew up on council estates, relied on free school meals, and spent time living in a domestic violence refuge. He started his career as a local newspaper reporter before moving into government communications, rising through roles across the Home Office, Department for Education, Ministry of Defence and Department for Transport.

Simon recently completed a master's degree exploring "vulnerable leadership" — drawing on his own journey to show how authenticity, not conformity, builds trust and transforms culture. As the MoJ's Social Mobility Champion, he now puts that thinking into practice, running workshops on leading with vulnerability and championing social mobility both inside government and beyond.

Simon volunteers with Futures For All because he wants young people from backgrounds like his own to see that where you start doesn't determine where you go.