Practice Management Standard
In 2004, T G Baynes reached the recognised standard to be awarded Lexcel Accreditation from The Law Society. The firm is audited annually by an independent consultant to ensure that we maintain the standards in the eight applicable practice areas.
Background
A law firm must have appropriate structures and policies in place. Lexcel accredited practices must have documentation setting out the framework under which they operate and a highly developed risk management strategy. We have to have one designated individual who has particular responsibility for maintenance of quality. We must be able demonstrate that the individual in question has sufficient authority and seniority to raise concerns regarding the quality system and to have any such issues resolved. In our case, we have appointed our Chairman to this position. In addition, practices will have a documented procedure in relation to data protection and health and safety of partners, staff and visitors to the practice.
In addition, a strategy in relation to the provision of services and marketing must be in place as well as a business plan. Law firms document the services they wish to offer, the client groups to be served, how services are to be provided and the way in which services are designed to meet clients’ needs. These documents are reviewed every 6 months and the reviews are documented.
Financial management is looked at very closely before Lexcel accreditation is given. Practices document responsibility for financial management procedures. We have to provide documentary evidence of financial management procedures including annual budgets, quarterly variance analysis of income and expenditure against budgets, income and expenditure accounts, annual balance sheets, annual cash or funds flow forecast and quarterly variance analysis of cash flow.
We document the office facilities needed to provide a service to clients including the use of premises and equipment, security and health and safety issues. There is also a requirement that arrangements for clients to visit offices, including reception, directions and car-parking are properly organised. Practices have a plan for use of IT facilities within the practice and any planned change. Our IT plan covers responsibility for IT purchasing, installation, maintenance, support and training. In addition, the current and planned application of IT within the practice have to comply with all the applicable regulations.
Quality Service
The Law Society's Lexcel scheme, which is a best practice standard designed specifically for solicitors' law firms, looks at all aspects of practice management and helps to ensure that legal practices deliver excellent client care and consistently high quality of service. Law firms that have awarded Lexcel accreditation have demonstrated their commitment to client care and are authorised to use the Lexcel logo on their letterhead and promotional literature.
Our Clients
One of the key features of Lexcel accredited practices is a focus on client care and customer service. Our law firm has a documented policy for client care which includes the practice’s commitment to provide services to clients in an appropriate manner. We ensure compliance with the Solicitors Code of Conduct 2007 Rule 2, which is incorporated into the The Guide to the Professional Conduct of Solicitors. The Code of Conduct sets out mandatory information to be supplied to clients. We inform our clients in writing about our terms of business, which contain details about how we received instructions and necessary costs information before work is carried out.
Costs Information
It is important that our clients have as much information as possible about costs information. We will provide details of the basis under which charges are calculated including the best information possible on the likely overall costs of the matter accompanied with an estimate of the time the matter is expected to take. We find our clients are comfortable in the knowledge of the expected timescales, costs and issues at the outset of our retainer.
Complaints
We inform our clients of and who will handle their matter, including the name and status of the person performing the work and the person responsible for overall supervision. In case of any problems, we provide details with the name of the person to contact in that event. In the rare event that complaints arise, we look to deal with them in a frank and forthright manner and not seek to hide from the difficulty. Details of all complaints are recorded centrally by the firm for management purposes and to enable an annual review to take place so that any trends which may require correction can be identified.
Another key of the key aspect of Lexcel accreditation is ensuring that we have adequate file and case management processes. Central to these processes are the unforgiving maintenance of our clients' confidentiality and standards for telephone enquiries and how enquiries by correspondence and email are considered and dealt with professionally.
File Management
The Lexcel Practice Management Standard requires high and consistent levels of file management. Criteria include: -
- checking for conflicts between clients, and declining instructions where the interests of one client would potentially conflict with an existing client;
- ensuring compliance with Rule 2 of The Solicitors Code of Conduct Rules 2007;
- keeping our clients informed of the progress of their files;
- strict adherence to rigorous procedures which relate to dealing with our clients' finance;
- orderly management and maintenance of files;
- regular file reviews by other lawyers who are not dealing with the matter.
People Management
Lexcel accreditation also focuses on personnel management as our people are at the core of the services we provide. We have to plan for the recruitment, development and welfare of personnel. In addition, appraisal, training and development are at the forefront of Lexcel requirements. We have to have procedures to effectively deal with recruitment, including identification of vacancies, the drafting of applicable documentation, methods of attracting candidates and applicants and the selection process adopted. We have an induction process to ensure that the practice’s aims, management structure and individual responsibilities are clear.
Risk Assessment
Lexcel accreditation also requires staff supervision and operational risk management. We have a written description of our management structure which designates responsibilities to individuals and sets out the details of line management and accountability. This is updated within 3 months of any change. There is named supervisor for each area of work undertaken by the practice. A supervisor may be responsible for more than one area of work. The supervisor must have appropriate experience of the work to be supervised and be competent to guide and assist others. You will find details of those responsible for supervision in the sections of the site marked 'Services for Individuals' and 'Services for Businesses.'
Accreditation and Us
Assessment by an independent Assessor resulted in T G Baynes achieving Lexcel accreditation in 2004. Put simply, It helps us to provide consistent relevant and competent delivery of legal services to you, your family and your business.
About Investors in People
The Investors in People award acknowledges that our internal business practices and procedures help to develop our employees' personal and professional lives.
Why invest in people?
People are at the heart of what an organisation stands for. The success of the business depends on getting the best out of everyone who works there from the most junior to most senior positions. Therefore, investing in the development of personnel is about seeing a good return for them personally and our businesss.
Commitment - Planning - Action - Evaluation
The business benefit of the Investors in People programme is that staff accept change more readily than before. This makes the process of developing and refining our business processes easier. It is key to the development of modern and efficient client services.
Investors in People is built on 4 principles. These principles:-
- commitment
- planning
- action
- evaluation
are underpinned by 12 indicators of good practice. To become an Investor in People an assessment is made against these indicators.
Commitment
An Investor in People organisation has to be fully committed to develop its people in order to achieve its aims and objectives. Our people are encouraged to improve their own and others' performance. The contribution made by staff to the firm is recognised and we are committed to ensuring equal opportunity.
Planning
An Investor in People organisation has to be clear about its aims and its objectives and what its staff need to do to achieve them. The Firm has plans with clear aims and objectives which are accessible to and understood by everyone.
Action
An Investor in People organisation has to develop its people effectively in order to improve its performance. If Managers and supervisors are effective in supporting the development of people, they are efectively supporting the development of the firm.
Evaluation
An Investor in People organisation has to understand the impact of its investment in people on its performance. The development of our people improves the performance of our firm. Our firm has been successful in satisfying the rigorous re-evaluation programme since 2000 and is one of the relatively small number of law firms who ensure that the principles of commitment, planning, action and evaluation are met. The process enables us to work more effectively for you, your family and your business.
