The current Ombudsman is Hilary Bainbridge. She works part-time in that role, also working part-time to assist other Ombudsmen.
After obtaining a degree in mathematics, she went on to train as a social worker and worked for social services and the voluntary sector before spending a major part of her career in Ombudsman work, initially as an investigator for the Local Government Ombudsman’s office. She then moved to the Audit Commission, becoming Regional Projects Officer for north-east England - overseeing reviews of economy, efficiency and effectiveness of local government and the NHS. Subsequently she spent eight years as a Director of Investigations for the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s office. She then returned to the Local Government Ombudsman’s office to be Deputy Ombudsman in York.
The current Ombudsman was appointed in July 2005 by the Waterways Ombudsman Committee, following an advertisement and open competition for the post.