Pre-appointment hearing with the Government's preferred candidate for the post of Local Government Ombudsman Contents
Appendix: Michael King’s CV
Current role
Post: Chief Executive Officer
Organisation: The Local Government Ombudsman /The Commission for Local Administration in England (CLAE)
May 2015 to present
- Accounting Officer and CEO of a national Arms Length Body, sponsored by the Department of Communities and Local Government, with an annual budget of £11m.
- Head of paid service responsible for 174 staff working over three sites in London, Coventry and York.
- Responsible for the direction and delivery of the statutory, independent complaints scheme for all of England’s local authorities and social care providers:
- Dealing with over 40,000 public enquiries each year,
- Conducting independent, quasi-judicial investigations into 11,500 complaints each year, and
- Disseminating the learning from investigations in order to support local service improvement.
Current Non-Executive position
- Independent Member of the British Hallmarking Council
Three-year term from May 2016
Ministerial public appointment made under the Hallmarking Act 1973
Previous Experience
2012–May 2015 Executive Director, The Local Government Ombudsman/CLAE
A member of the LGO’s Executive Management Team responsible for:
- Significant transformation of LGO structures and systems, successfully delivering 37% savings and reducing staffing by 28%, whilst improving service quality measures by 36% and productivity by 31%.
- Directing LGO’s external impact strategy to enhance how LGO informs and influences local service improvement through its stakeholder relationships, national publications, published reports, media strategy, and professional training programme.
2004–2012 Deputy Local Government Ombudsman, The Local Government Ombudsman/CLAE
- Managed one the LGO’s three national offices, with 85 staff and a budget of £4.6m.
- Directed all ombudsman casework processes in the North of England and Midlands.
- Designed and led major national change programmes, including:
- Establishing the Social Care Ombudsman service under the Health Act 2009, bringing 26,000 private sector care providers within the LGO’s remit and enabling self funders of adult care to raise concerns with an ombudsman for the first time.
- Transforming public access to LGO, enabling complaints to be made directly by phone and on-line for the first time.
2000–2004 Chief Trading Standards Officer/Assistant Director of Environment, Northumberland County Council
- Directed all consumer protection functions in one of England’s largest rural counties.
- Improved performance against Audit Commission KPI’s from 20% to 100% in four years.
- Achieved Investors in People, Charter Mark and Legal Serves Quality Mark awards.
- Led major corporate change projects as a member of the authority’s Senior Management Team, including chairing statutory ‘Best Value’ reviews of key services.
1994–2000 Head of Licensing and Senior Trading Standards Officer, Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council
1989–1994 Trading Standards Officer, Newcastle City Council
1986–1989 Freelance journalist and researcher
Previous Non-Executive and Voluntary Roles
- Independent Council Member – The Glazing Ombudsman (2011–2013)
- External Examiner (2003–2006)
- Forensic Investigation and Consumer Law Degree, University of Teesside
- Citizens Advice Bureau Trustee and Management Board Member, Alnwick Citizens Advice Bureau (2000–4)
Professional memberships
- Association of Chief Executives (currently a board member)
- The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (National Council member 1998–2000)
Qualifications
- Diploma in Trading Standards (D.T.S.), Manchester Metropolitan University 1989–1992
- BSc (Hon.s) Environmental Studies (2:1), Newcastle upon Tyne Polytechnic 1983–1986
2 November 2016