Ric Blakeway Chair Richard (Ric) Blakeway began his role as Chair of the Office for Legal Complaints (OLC) on 1 April 2026. Ric was appointed Housing Ombudsman in 2019, where he led major service reforms following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, including an expansion of the Ombudsman’s role and powers as part of wider regulatory change. Under his leadership, the service took a leading role in investigating housing hazards, particularly damp and mould, raised complaint‑handling standards through the introduction of a statutory Complaint Handling Code, and improved transparency by publishing casework data and decisions to support sector learning and culture change. Previously, Ric was Chair of the Homes for London Board and Deputy Mayor for Housing, overseeing the delivery of new affordable homes, large‑scale land regeneration, and initiatives to tackle rough sleeping. Ric is a former Chair of the Ombudsman Association, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a member of the Administrative Justice Council, and currently serves on the board of the British Library.
