Simon is on holiday so apologies for the lack of entries.
LSC issues are like buses, nothing for ages then two come at once. In a period of just two days JRS have come across two unprecedented issues (unless of course you know different).
The first related to a Category 1 firm in Lancaster. The firm received a phone call from the Newcastle Regional office requesting that the firm send to them a certain high cost police station claim which dated back to 2003.
They stated that the purpose for this was so they (the LSC) could get a better understanding of what the issues were behind such high cost police claims, and see if such claims could be avoided and that this was part of an ongoing project. It was clearly stated that this was not a Contract Compliance Audit, but purely for the reasons above. The firm were more than happy to assist and despatched the file to Newcastle.
Soon after, the firm received a letter and a Contract Compliance Summary Report requesting a sum of money which had been assessed off the claim as the reduction represented 5% of the original claim. The firm immediately contacted the Newcastle office and objected strongly as to the way this had been conducted. They were informed that the reasons originally given for the file/claim were genuine but London had directed them otherwise. The indication was that other firms had also had the request and that more than one claim had been received from these firms and the recoupment was substantial.
The second issue relates to a North East Immigration firm. When the contract was amended all Immigration firms lost their Devolved Powers and needed to apply to the LSC to have them reinstated. This firm did this successfully.
At the beginning of the year discussions with suppliers within the area and the LSC began with regard to performance. It was agreed that the process was unfair as the majority of cases that the solicitors were dealing with were dispersed cases. Further discussions were to take place but after a chance phone call with the firm?s Account Manager, they were informed that London had decided to remove the Devolved Powers of firms in the area dealing in Immigration as of the 1st September. The firm was informed that a letter would be sent out. This would only give firms less than two weeks to appeal this decision.
Both the above examples do give rise to the question of ?Partnership? as advocated by the LSC.