Ombudsman Team Builds for the Future

Ombudsman Team Builds for the Future

WARRINGTON, England, April 7, 2010/PRNewswire/ -- Ombudsman Services, the company which provides ombudsman services for the
private sector has announced that it has been successful in appointing
Professor Dame Janet Finch DBE as the new Chairman of its Council.

A sociologist by background, Dame Janet is currently the Vice-Chancellor
of Keele University. Awarded a DBE in 2008 for services to Social Science and
to Higher Education, Dame Janet has also been involved at national level in a
range of policy-making bodies, related to both research and education. She is
the independent Co-Chair of the Council for Science and Technology, the
government's most senior advisory body for Science.

The present Council Chairman, Peter Holland CBE DL, says, 'We are
delighted that Dame Janet has accepted the challenge to become the new
Chairman of Ombudsman Services.

Dame Janet's experience, integrity and reputation as a leading UK policy
maker will undoubtedly add considerable strength to our Council as it
continues to develop the very best services for all our stakeholders.'

Dame Janet will be joined on the Council by Walter Merricks, the former
Chief Ombudsman for the Financial Ombudsman Service.

Chief Ombudsman, Lewis Shand Smith, says 'Dame Janet's reputation as a
real force for positive change is well known. Walter Merricks has blazed a
trail in establishing the role of the ombudsman in the financial sector.
Ombudsman Services faces many challenges as it continues to develop. With
these additions to our Council I am sure that we have an excellent team to
drive the provision of efficient, effective services to our members and their
customers. I look forward to working with them both.'

Notes for Editors:

1. The Ombudsman Service Limited is a not for profit company. Its purpose
is to administer ombudsman services in accordance with its established
Articles of Association and Terms of Reference for individual industry
service sectors.

2. The Ombudsman Service Limited operates using the name 'Ombudsman
Services' (OS) and will be referred to as such throughout this
document.

3. The Ombudsman's purpose is to consider complaints made by the
customers of service members. The service is free to complainants and
independent from industry, consumers and regulators.

4. Ombudsman Services currently administers four separate schemes. Otelo,
the Office of the Telecommunications Ombudsman was established in
January 2003. It provides complaint resolution for the domestic and
small business customers of public communications providers that are
members of the Service. The Service is an approved scheme under
Sections 52-54 of the Communications Act, 2003.

5. The Energy Ombudsman began on 1 July 2006 initially as a voluntary
scheme for energy suppliers. In July 2008, the Energy Ombudsman was
approved by Ofgem as the sole provider of redress in the Energy
industry under the Consumer Estate Agents and Redress Act (CEAR) 2007.
From 1 October 2008 the service expanded to provide redress for both
the domestic and small business customers of all supply and network
providers holding a relevant licence.

6. The Surveyors Ombudsman Service (SOS) began on 1 June 2007. The
Service was established to provide alternative dispute resolution
services for the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
regulated firms. In August 2008 the service was approved by the Office
of Fair Trading (OFT) to run, from 1 October 2008, an approved estate
agent redress scheme under the CEAR Act, 2007. The scheme changed its
name to 'Ombudsman Services: Property' from 1 April 2010.

7. All three of these Ombudsman Services are full voting members of the
British and Irish Ombudsman's Association (BIOA).

8. In August 2009, an ombudsman scheme for PRS for Music was launched.
This service resolves complaints between PRS for Music and those who
may require or have obtained a license for the public performance of
music.

9. The Council, which is the Non-Executive Board of Ombudsman Services,
consists of nine members, six of whom are independent of the service
sectors. Its primary role is to appoint, maintain and safeguard the
independence of the Ombudsman. The Council is also responsible for
setting and monitoring the key performance indicators and for
approving the annual business plan and budget.

10. The Service is funded by its industry members. There are three
industry Member Boards. The primary purpose of each Member Board is
to review and monitor the overall performance of that part of the
business and to set the fees for each individual Industry sector.

Andrew Bradley, Communications Manager, +44(0)1925-430880,
press@ombudsman-services.org

Source: Ombudsman Services

Andrew Bradley, Communications Manager, +44(0)1925-430880, press@ombudsman-services.org

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