Michael King Joins Padres As LGO Intern
Local Government Ombudsman
The Ombudsman investigates complaints about councils and some other authorities and organisations (including education admissions appeal panels and adult social care providers). The service is free, fair and independent. Before contacting the Ombudsman, you should make a complaint to the authority concerned using its formal complaints procedure, details of which should be on its website.
If the Local Government Ombudsman finds that an authority acted with fault, causing you injustice, they will usually recommend how things should be put right. They may also recommend compensation.
They cannot compel an authority to follow their recommendations but, in practice, they do so. There is no right of appeal against their decisions but it is possible to apply for judicial review. The Ombudsman is independent of the Commission for Local Administration but is funded by it. The other Commissioners show some reluctance to use the office and further trust building is needed.
Michael King
Michael King will be expected to fill a major role in the Padres’ rotation this season. The 28-year-old right-hander was traded from the Yankees to San Diego along with Drew Thorpe, Jhony Brito and Randy Vasquez in December for Juan Soto.
King has a lot to prove as he steps into a rotation role this season, but he’s ready to take on the challenge. He credits Padres pitching coach Ruben Niebla with helping him acclimate to a starting role last year.
Niebla has a reputation for being innovative and collaborative. He also has a strong understanding of the hitter’s mindset and how to get the best out of his pitchers. This was evident in his approach to King, who he describes as being extremely driven. The two worked together to develop an arsenal of pitches that enables King to attack all four quadrants of the zone. This allows him to be more unpredictable, something he hopes will help him succeed as a starter. For more details please visit lgoking
About the organisation
The LGO is a one-year program in which students work on projects with local government agencies while also writing a master’s thesis. Students present their final internship and thesis findings at a one-day Knowledge Review during their last semester of the program. The event is a forum to share research with colleagues, industry partners and other interested parties. Students also present mid-way internship project findings to the program office and host agency at a half-day Midstream Review.
King’s appointment comes as the government has proposed merging the LGO with the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO). He supports the merger, which is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make complaints about public services simpler.
