Michael King has been appointed as the new Local Government Ombudsman, pledging to help councils learn from complaints about services.

Mr King, whose appointment has been endorsed by the Communities and Local Government Select Committee, replaces Dr Jane Martin who has been the Local Government Ombudsman since 2010.

Mr King said: ‘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.’

Mr King has worked at the organisation since 2004 in a variety of roles, and before that worked for 15 years in a range of consumer and public protection roles.

Visit The MJ to read Dr Jane Martin's reflections on the key concerns facing councils.