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New Local Government Ombudsman appointed
Communities Secretary Sajid Javid has confirmed the appointment of Michael King as the new Local Government Ombudsman (LGO).
The Ombudsman is responsible for resolving complaints between members of the public and councils about the services they run. It also provides councils with guidance to deal with complaints in a transparent and fair manner.
King, who has an extensive 25-year career in a range of consumer and public protection roles, has worked at the organisation in various roles since 2004, most recently as chief executive and previously Deputy Local Government Ombudsman.
Javid said: “Michael King brings with him a wealth of experience to his new role as Local Government Ombudsman. This will be invaluable in making sure councils and care providers are held to account.
“The Ombudsman plays an important role in investigating complaints and resolving problems in a fair and independent way. I look forward to him continuing this work.”
King said: “I know from my experience at LGO what a difference the Ombudsman service can make to people’s lives. Our independent investigations can expose serious failings and help to remedy significant injustice.
“The Ombudsman can give people a voice when all other options have been exhausted and can help restore trust in public services. But I believe that it is not enough to simply fix individual problems one by one.
“I want to build on the excellent work that LGO does and help councils and care providers learn from any complaints we receive, by sharing information better. That way we can ensure that they avoid repeating the same mistakes and provide the best service possible.”
King succeeds Dr Jane Martin, who had been the Local Government Ombudsman since 2010.
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