Chief Executive’s report


Ian Watson Chief Executive


The work we have done in securing practice rights


has been innovative not only for IPS


and CILEx but also for the sector.


2014 was a good year for IPS. The headline, of course, is completing our work to make CILEx an approved regulator for all of the main reserved activities under the Legal Services Act. But we also began implementing work based learning (WBL) and a new continuing professional development (CPD) scheme in earnest, strengthened our consumer engagement capacity and revised the scrutiny arrangements for the CILEx qualification schemes. All of this whilst continuing the day-to-day work and building a team to carry the new work forward in 2015. The following pages provide further information about our progress against the key activities identified by the Board as part of its 2014- 18 Strategy.


Much of the work we have done in securing practice rights has been innovative – new for IPS and CILEx but also for the sector – including outcomes focused, risk based and consumer orientated qualification and regulatory schemes, and setting up professional indemnity insurance, compensation fund and intervention arrangements. It has been interesting to see the extent to which principles underpinning WBL and CPD have proved to be consistent with the practice rights qualification schemes, which themselves drew on our experience of developing the original CILEx advocacy rights schemes. Also, to see the extent to which the new models we have developed for qualifications reflected core elements of the CILEx ethos – openness, opportunity, inclusivity, specialist qualifications and focus on competence, for example.


It will be important for CILEx itself to build on its heritage and welcome the new practitioners and businesses IPS will regulate on its behalf, whilst continuing to support, educate and train existing members and those aiming to qualify as Chartered Legal Executives. As the IPS Chair, Alan Kershaw, says, this is the end of one chapter and the start of another, no less challenging. We were pleased therefore to establish a futures group with CILEx to review the many and significant changes now affecting the legal sector and focus on how the new opportunities we have can fit with those changes to benefit consumers and service providers alike.


During the year Sandra Barton and Hilary Daniels completed their second terms as Board members, the last of the original Board members. They have contributed significantly to the governance, enforcement and practitioner authorisation portfolios, bringing broader regulatory expertise and awareness of professional practice. We welcomed Luisa Fulci and Andrew Donovan in their place, who have taken over the entity and practitioner authorisation portfolios.


During 2014 we continued to add to our team to enable us to deliver on the Strategy and the new practice rights. We’ve been fortunate with the people we’ve recruited – for their ability, innovation and commitment to getting the job done. They will be vital to maintaining our progress during the next 12 months. It is also vital as our new rules and rights settle down, that we make application and approval processes as clear, effective and proportionate as we can. Making progress in this respect will be just as important as making sure the legal services sector and consumers know what CILEx regulated practitioners can do and that they do it well.


CILEx continued to support IPS in its work during the year. They recognised the need to invest in developing practice rights and regulatory arrangements. Members too, in support for the proposals for practice fee increases, remained supportive. Overall costs were very close to budget. Income was affected because we were not able to begin authorising practitioners and entities as soon as we expected, as a result of the time taken to complete the Parliamentary approval processes. The Board of IPS is of course keen to see the practice rights bring new regulatory income during the forthcoming years to counterbalance the new costs which have been incurred during the development and approval phases, and is committed to working with CILEx to ensure this happens as we move into full implementation and the next stage – licensing powers.


4 Professional standards for specialist lawyers


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