LEXCEL  and   INVESTORS IN PEOPLE

Notwithstanding its personal approach Sparling Benham and Brough has always sought to be at the forefront of practice.   It was one of the first firms in Colchester to embrace the Internet and to establish its own website.  For some years its staff and partners have undertaken accreditation as specialists in their individual fields.  In the 1990s Legal Aid work was restricted only to those firms who were able to satisfy stringent requirements of the Legal Services Commission.  Strict procedures had to be put in place in the Litigation Department and, as a result, the firm was granted a Legal Aid Franchise in 1995 and a Legal Aid Contract in 1999.

Most recently the entire firm submitted itself for, and obtained, accreditation with the Law Society under the Society’s  Practice Management standard, Lexcel.  This Standard (and its recognition of excellence in practice management) has been granted to only 700 of the more than 9,500 firms of solicitors in England and Wales.  Simultaneously the firm has been granted accreditation with Investors in People in recognition of the firm’s desire to assist in the development of its own staff.  Only two firms in Colchester hold both accreditations.  During the course of 2007 the firm successfully submitted itself for re-accreditation of both quality marks.

The Lexcel accreditation is for the benefit of our clients;  the Investors in People accreditation is also for the benefit of the staff.

The partners are justly proud of this achievement but are very grateful to, and recognise, all of its staff for their efforts to implement the changes.  Many of its staff have found an increasing role within the firm and their voice will be heard in many of the developments that our clients will gradually notice with the improvements that we offer in our services. 

As part of these procedures all clients receive precise information setting out the identity of the persons who will conduct their matters, describing the work to be performed, and the estimated time and cost of the work.  Every new file is assessed to determine if there is any unusual level of risk.  With the best will in the world difficulties may still arise and each new client is told of the procedures available to resolve any such dispute.  At the end of the matter clients will receive a detailed accounting and an explanation of the firm’s policies for retention of old (archived) documents.  We use reply paid questionnaires to obtain much valued feedback from our clients.