Those who use legal services do so at some of life’s most significant milestones. The Office for Legal Complaints (OLC), an arm’s length body of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), overseen by the Legal Services Board (LSB), administers an independent ombudsman scheme to resolve complaints by consumers about legal services - the scheme is known as the Legal Ombudsman (LeO).

People contact the Legal Ombudsman when something has gone wrong. The people who use the scheme have experienced disappointment and possibly distress when accessing legal services and attempts to resolve the matter with the legal services provider have failed. It is incumbent on the Legal Ombudsman to apply effort, energy, and focus to deliver the highest-quality service, in reasonable timeframes, professionally and with transparency.

The Legal Ombudsman is independent and impartial. The service is free to consumers and costs are recovered from legal service providers.

The Legal Service Board (LSB) and the OLC were established under the Legal Services Act 2007. The relationship between OLC, LSB and MoJ is a complex one in public sector governance terms. The Board of the OLC (Chair and Members) is appointed by and accountable to the LSB, which can set performance targets, and which approves its annual budget. There are further accountabilities to the MoJ.

The OLC currently comprises five lay and two non-lay members and a lay Chair. The Legal Ombudsman service has over 250 staff and a budget of £16.8m for 2023 / 24. The OLC’s costs are met by a combination of a levy paid by approved regulators and case fees charged to legal services providers.

Working with the approved regulators - and with the OLC - the LSB is responsible for ensuring that the highest standards of competence, conduct and service in the legal profession are maintained for the benefit of individual consumers and the public generally.

As a member reporting to the Chair of the OLC Board, Non-Executive Directors work with the Chair and other members of the OLC Board to set the strategic direction of the Legal Ombudsman scheme and drive performance, to provide strong governance, and to safeguard the independence of the scheme in relation to decisions on complaints about legal services.

The successful candidate will help the Legal Ombudsman scheme improve performance and provide the valuable information it holds to regulators, consumers and legal services providers in ways they find most helpful. This reflects the important role that the Legal Ombudsman scheme plays in underpinning consumer confidence.

Non-Executive Directors will also need to be aware of the opportunities and challenges of the changing market for legal services – and the implications of the changing nature of regulation.

As a member of the OLC Board individuals have individual and collective responsibility to:

• Ensure high performance and an excellent level of service in the administration of the Legal Ombudsman scheme, having regard to the generally accepted principles of good practice in the administration of such schemes
• Ensure high performance and an excellent level of service in the handling of complaints, and raising the standards of that service
• Support the OLC Chair in providing strategic direction to the Legal Ombudsman scheme
• Ensure that the OLC and the Legal Ombudsman scheme are organised and managed in a way that is as far as practicable compatible with the regulatory objectives set out in the Legal Services Act 2007
• Work effectively with the Chief Ombudsman to ensure adherence to the principles of good governance and that proper accounts are kept
• Ensure compliance with relevant general guidelines laid down by the government relating to all non-departmental government bodies and
• Ensure positive relationships are maintained with OLC’s stakeholders.

This Board member will be lay, that is a member who is - and has never been - a legal professional or legally qualified. Full details can be found in the Legal Services Act here.

The OLC is looking to recruit a new Board Member to support the diversity of skills on the Legal Services Board. The OLC is particularly keen to hear from individuals with some combination of the following set of experiences:

• Dispute resolution and the administrative justice landscape: individuals will bring experience of working in a relevant organisation in either an executive or non-executive capacity (eg. Ombudsman or Regulator), bringing an understanding of the legal landscape including the experience of either complaint handling or the experience of complainants.
• Digital consumer expertise and Digital innovation: those who bring a modern understanding of Artificial Intelligence (AI), have high digital literacy and understand how to engage and service digital customers are highly valuable to the Board, along with those who will bring exposure and understanding of operating in a technology or tech-enabled B2C business.
• Business and Marketing: individuals will bring senior-level commercial expertise. This experience could come from expertise in a wide-range of sectors, with particular interest in those who understand engaging with multiple stakeholders. Expertise and awareness in communications and marketing gained through this experience would also be of interest.

Individuals will also bring:

• A sound understanding of and exposure to corporate governance at a senior level, gained through participation on Boards, committees or similar structures – either as an executive or as a non-executive
• A strong and demonstrable commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion
• An approachable style, excellent communication, influencing and relationship management skills
• Ability to constructively challenge and show independence of view, whilst having the ability to establish collaborative relationships
• Strong intellect and sound judgement, and a high level of probity and integrity
• An ability to develop and sustain constructive and complex relationships with senior-level stakeholders
• Financial and economic awareness gained from familiarity of operating in a complex environment
• A solid commitment to high ethical standards of integrity and honesty and the Seven Principles of Public Life
  

Although prior non-executive experience is welcome, applications are welcome from individuals who have not held such roles before.

OLC Board members are appointed for periods of between two and five years. There is the possibility of reappointment for one further term only. In considering reappointment, the LSB will take the OLC Chair’s regular appraisals into account. The time commitment for an OLC Board member is estimated at a minimum of 2 days a month across the period of appointment. This role is remunerated at £10,000 p.a.

Location

The Legal Ombudsman has offices in Birmingham, Cardiff and Leeds. Board meetings are held mostly in person at the Birmingham office, but the OLC does offer flexible meeting options. Reasonable travel expenses will be reimbursed.

The Legal Ombudsman is committed to increasing diversity and inclusion within the organisation as well as using its voice and platform to help make legal services more inclusive. This means reflecting critically on issues of diversity and inclusion within all that LeO does, identifying and taking appropriate actions to reduce inequality.

The LSB and the OLC welcome applications from anyone regardless of disability, ethnicity, heritage, gender, sexuality, religion, socio-economic background, geographic diversity and other differences. Some of the actions to support inclusive working practices that will be applied to support diversity and inclusion during the application process include:

• Making any reasonable adjustments - for example ensuring we have sign language interpreters organised in advance if you’d like them.
• Providing this role specification in a Word document format readily available to download.