The Authorized Ombudsman service (LeO) has made some strides in enhancing its efficiency, but it surely should not lose focus in tackling its backlog, the Regulation Society of England and Wales stated at the moment.
Regulation Society President Lubna Shuja stated:
“Decreasing the backlog of circumstances ready to be investigated should proceed to be the precedence for LeO.
Because it seeks to scale back the backlog, we ask LeO to take onboard that in instances of political and financial turbulence, there tends to be an increase within the variety of complaints.
LeO should guarantee it has acceptable contingency plans in place to cope with this potential improve in demand within the brief time period and keep away from wanting too far forward. It should stay targeted on the speedy and urgent want to scale back the backlog, whereas remaining vigilant to the impression of any additional financial downturn that would occur.
We additionally stay involved in regards to the underlying causes of employees underperformance and attrition ranges. Whereas there was a slight enchancment within the ranges of employees illness, they nonetheless stay excessive.
Regardless of receiving a considerable mixed funds improve over the past two years, the Workplace for Authorized Complaints (OLC) is requesting an extra improve of just about 10%.
We respect the difficult financial situations beneath which LeO operates, together with a looming recession, a cost-of-living disaster and the problem of recruiting and retaining expert employees. Nevertheless, these stresses aren’t distinctive to LeO. Our members are additionally working in the identical difficult surroundings.
The proposed 8% employees pay rise is especially regarding when sections of the authorized occupation have seen no improve of their charges for a few years. Legal authorized assist solicitors haven’t had a pay rise for over 25 years and costs have in truth been reduce.
Civil authorized assist solicitors have additionally not seen a pay improve for a few years and the variety of solicitors with authorized assist contracts has lowered from 3,336 in 2011-2012 to 1,665 in 2021-2022.
Any improve in LeO’s funds, which is considerably funded by a levy on the solicitors’ occupation by way of practising certificates charges, may very well be a very heavy burden on some members of the occupation as they proceed to face unprecedented monetary pressures.
Customers may additionally be affected as regulation corporations could have to lift their charges to pay their regulatory prices, that means entry to justice could also be impacted.
We look ahead to persevering with to work with LeO to assist handle these points within the coming 12 months.”
