Consumer and Stakeholder Engagement
Progress against consumer engagement strategy and action plan We have a Consumer Engagement Strategy from which we prepare a Consumer Engagement Action Plan. This year the action plan included surveying members to better understand service provision and compliance with complaints handling guidance in order to identify areas for educating members; compiling a database recording reviews of legal sector literature to develop our understanding of consumer expectations and experiences and identify areas for review of our regulatory arrangements; providing information for and engaging with consumers through a consumer facing website and receiving feedback through surveys. This report outlines our progress against the action plan.
In addition, we extended our engagement with consumers through increased interaction with our regulated members. Through our work with other regulators on joint initiatives such as the Legal Choices website we have commenced engagement with consumer organisations. Through the Regulators’ Forum, we increased our co-operation with other regulators for the benefit and safeguarding of consumers. As we commence regulation of entities in 2015 we will be able to engage more directly with consumers and use the information gathered to inform and develop our regulatory arrangements.
First Tier Complaints Handling Survey Our fourth survey into service complaints was carried out this year. We moved the survey on-line which led to an increased response rate. We increased awareness of the survey and the understanding of its purpose with CILEx members through CILEx Journals articles, e-shots and emails. The survey asked about the nature of the complaint. The largest proportion of complaints involved dissatisfaction with the outcome of the advice given (18.6%) or delay (17.0%). Failure to advise (10.1%) and high costs (9.5%) were the next most common complaint categories, followed by failure to progress (6.5%) and failure to follow instructions (3.9%). The survey findings and analysis of this information were shared with regulated members in a report published on the IPS website and an article published in the CILEx Journal. The article highlighted the main findings and signposted the regulated members to the full report. In this way regulated members were made aware of the types of issues which most frequently occur in legal service provision by those we regulate. This provided the opportunity for our regulated members to take action taken to address these areas in their service delivery. Next year we expect to signpost our regulated entities to the learning points and help them to improve service provision.
Regulators Forum (Memorandum of Understanding) The regulators have set up a Forum which provides an environment where issues affecting all regulators can be explored to the advantage of consumers of legal services and regulated providers of legal services. It also provides an opportunity for regulators to exchange information with the Consumer Panel and the Legal Ombudsman and to improve efficiency in responding to changes in the market and /or regulatory environment. The organisation and chair of the Regulators’ Forum this year fell to IPS. A representative from each regulator, the LSB Consumer Panel and the Legal Ombudsman attended each meeting indicating the recognition of the opportunities presented for joint working on consumer engagement through the Forum. The Forum has successfully agreed its Terms of Reference and is in the process of finalising a Memorandum of Understanding in respect of sharing of information about complaints and risk relating to the safeguarding of consumers. It also agreed to work to identify areas where the regulators could engage with consumers jointly.
Legal Choices IPS was proactive in ensuring the Legal Choices website was ready for its launch in January 2014. We continued to work on maintaining and adding content to the website and promoting it to consumer organisations, CILEx members and the public. The number of new visits to the website has steadily increased and planning of communication work is scheduled for 2015.
Client Survey We run a survey each year to seek feedback from clients of CILEx members on the services they received. We worked to increase the profile of the survey through emails to Fellows, roadshows, e-shots, CILEx Journal articles and locating the survey on the Legal Choices website. This helped to increase the numbers of respondents taking the survey. The results were analysed and fed back to CILEx members in the CILEx Journal. Respondents were asked to indicate how their lawyer performed against our statements about good standards of professional behaviour. There were three statements where the “strongly agree” response rate dipped below 80%. These findings were highlighted in the CILEx Journal and advice was provided on good practice to facilitate learning and improve practice. Where it is necessary in order to achieve the right outcome for a client, it is good practice to refer the matter to another lawyer. 42% of respondents did not agree that their matter was referred to another lawyer. This may have been an indication that such a referral was not necessary. However, 4% of respondents strongly disagreed that their case was referred to another lawyer or supervisor when it needed to be referred.
Portfolio Holder: Patrick Bligh-
Cheesman Independent Board Member
Key Objectives: • Increase the profile of IPS as a risk based regulator.
• Continue to work with stakeholders to develop enhanced models of regulation within the legal sector.
• Work closer with the Legal Services Consumer Panel and LeO, learning from their research, plans and/or processes, to provide additional support and information for CILEx members and entities.
• Implement Consumer Engagement Plan.
• Continue to consult with consumers and other stakeholders in order to inform policy development, including learning through consumer feedback sites.
• Identify areas for working with other regulators to address consumer issues.
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