After much consideration we have decided that we are no longer going to continue to produce our Wizards and Laminates. The time constraints of continually supporting these ever-changing products, which have always been free of charge, now outweighs the benefit clients receive from these. Internet access is widely available across all firms and therefore the […]
So far we have “audit sat” 5 SQMDP visits this week – all successful. In fact so have all the SQM Audits we have been involved with this time round. We will probably do a more detailed post-mortem on the issue once the August deadline has passed. What does strike me however is less a […]
I have just spent half an hour looking through the agenda and background spreadsheets for a forthcoming Contract Manager visit. Those of you who have done our Webinar on the subject, or saw my session at TLS Legal Aid conference, will be familiar with my Venn diagram on the subject. (If you can’t remember these […]
Unusually true to their word, the LSC have made this times PQQ simpler. The 15, or so, questions regarding “fraud”, for example, have been combined into a single “No” answer. The trip wire question about Peer Review has gone – confirming our view that, being in the knowledge of the LSC, it should never have […]
It has been another day of heavy phone enquiry provision – predominantly surrounding the now open Bid Round but including SQM, CCA and the never ending “financial stewardship” harassment of firms. We have even had a visit from a client to discuss his outstanding PoP. Meanwhile we have a couple of SQM audits running having […]
The 2013 Post LASPO Contract Procurement Round is now open. The vast bulk of firms will be bidding for face-to-face contracts in Family, Asylum and Housing/Debt. Split into 2 elements this time, you have until 12 noon on 18th June to complete the Pre Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ). The ITT element takes place later in the […]
Today see the start of yet another Procurement Round. It is promised to be simpler and easier to complete than pervasively however we are well aware from phone calls that many of you remain nervous about the process. Once again we aim to help reduce or remove this level of panic by running webinar training […]
As ever it seems that when the LSC say the Procurement Round is opening today they mean later in the day. No IFA etc available as yet. Which is no bad thing given the level of phone calls we have had this morning.
If this is in the record shop it will be this weeks CD purchase (I regard Amazon as a last resort). It is a collection of painfully beautiful, minimalist songs by the former front man of the Blue Nile, Paul Buchanan. Even Jools can’t spoil this live version;
Me off the bench and back on the field not once but twice and for the full 90 minutes on the second occasion. We have nearly obliterated our deadline list on the white board 5 walk-over SQM audit results Excellent, but not precedent setting, cost appeal victory Logistically most demanding (and longest) appeal ever written […]