I am in the process of preparing my contribution for TLS – Legal Aid Conference. My bit is under the heading “How to Survive an LSC Audit” – survival does seem to be the theme of the event.
As ever I am doing this whilst the live flotsam of various of these processes drifts by. Equally predictably these individual items of casework all suffer from significant levels of inconsistency at the LSCs end. Recently just giving procedural advice has therefore been difficult – as highlighted by 2 threads of e-mail in the last hour. It even more frustrating when the same LSC representative visits 12 months apart with a completely different interpretation of exactly the same issues.
All of this makes it very difficult to provided a comprehensive and definitive survival guide in 25 minutes – which is what I am asked to do.
UPDATE
Another wreck of an “audit” floats in on the tide. I will only be able to write this session when we have a clear, consistent approach to contract management rigorously overseen by a fair arbiter. It is too late to pull out now though isn’t it.
