Urgent Alert to all Family Legal Aid Firms
Urgent Alert to Family Law Legal Aid Firms - SQM Delivery Partnership- scope of post contract SQM audit
Many Family firms seem to be under the misapprehension that the SQM audit will only apply to the LSC Family contracted work.
This is an understandable mistake as the audit is triggered by the Family & Housing LSC Tender.
However, if the firm has other legal aid contracts e.g. Crime, Mental Health as well as Family/Housing, the SQM audit will cover ALL these areas of work.
The firm must therefore ensure that all file reviews, appraisals, training records and supervision etc. is compliant in all these categories of law.
Cpm21 is helping a number of firms prepare for these audits and some do not understand the need to upgrade their procedures especially in relation to Equality and Diversity training.