Working with individuals and communities
About us
Home Office structure
With a wide range of responsibilities the Home Office is one of the largest government departments.
Quick tip
Download the Home Office organisational chart for a quick guide to our internal organisation.
The heads of the organisation
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the Home Secretary is head of the Home Office and is responsible for all of our work
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the Permanent Secretary is the senior civil servant; he ensures the organisation achieves the goals set by the Home Secretary.
Home Office headquarters
Our headquarters contain:
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the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism, which works with other departments and agencies to ensure an effective and coordinated response to the threat of terrorism
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the Crime and Policing Group, which works through the police service and other partners
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a small strategic centre, which advises the Home Office board on strategy and direction, as well as the allocation of resources
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professional services, including legal advice and communications support, and programme and project management support.
Our agencies
Three agencies provide directly managed frontline services from within the Home Office:
The UK Border Agency (new window):
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strengthens our borders
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makes fast-track asylum decisions
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ensures and enforces compliance with our immigration laws
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boosts Britain's economy by bringing the right skills here from around the world
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ensures Britain is easy to visit legally.
The Identity and Passport Service (new window):
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issues passports to British nationals living in the UK
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develops the national identity programme to provide a secure and straightforward way to safeguard personal identities from misuse.
The Criminal Records Bureau (new window):
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helps organisations in the public, private and voluntary sectors verify whether job applicants are suitable to work with children or other vulnerable people by checking their criminal backgrounds.
The Home Office is also responsible for:
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a number of independent services and public bodies.
