News story: Alan Eccles to retire as Public Guardian

Alan Eccles was appointed as Chief Executive and Public Guardian for England and Wales in 2012, by the Lord Chancellor under Section 57 of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Alan is responsible to the Lord Chancellor and the Secretary of State for Justice for the effective operation of the agency.

In an email to staff at the Office of the Public Guardian, Alan Eccles said:

We have a reputation for putting the user/customer at the heart of all we do; through the development of world-leading digital services (our LPA online service was the first in government to pass Government Digital Service (GDS) service assessment in 2014), the reform of LPA forms, the way we interact with deputies, the way we conduct safeguarding and investigations, and the excellent service given by our contact centre colleagues.

We have a reputation for innovation that is recognised internationally. We have been invited to speak in Seoul, South Korea, and have welcomed delegates from Singapore, Japan and Jersey to showcase what best practice looks like.

I am extremely proud of our many great achievements during this period and it has been wonderful to celebrate these milestones with you over the years.

What has remained the same during my 7 years with OPG is the commitment of everyone who works here to make a difference. You have always been determined to make a positive impact in the world of mental capacity and to the lives of the users of our services.

Work is underway to start recruitment for the new Public Guardian.