Communities Secretary confirms King as new Local Government Ombudsman

Michael King has been appointed as the Local Government Ombudsman, succeeding Dr Jane Martin.

The appointment was confirmed by the Communities Secretary, Sajid Javid. This followed the Communities and Local Government Select Committee’s endorsement of King’s appointment to the role, following a hearing in Parliament on 1 November 2016.

King has worked at the LGO in various roles since 2004, most recently as chief executive, and was previously Deputy Local Government Ombudsman. He will also automatically now serve as chair of the Commission for Local Administration of England.

Before joining the Local Government Ombudsman, King worked for 15 years in a range of consumer and public protection roles, including as the Chief Trading Standards Officer for Northumberland County Council.

Sajid 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.”

Commenting on his appointment, King (pictured) 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.”

In 2015 to 2016 the Local Government Ombudsman resolved more than 20,000 complaints and enquiries. More than half of all investigations were upheld, with the LGO making 3,529 separate recommendations.

Outgoing Ombudsman Jane Martin said: “I am delighted that Michael King has been appointed as my successor. He has the proven experience and abilities to lead; and the LGO has the right person at the helm to ensure it continues provide a high quality service, which can adapt to the changing needs of the public and the way local public services are delivered.”