Assuring you of quality
Quality cannot be taken for granted. Our confidence has to be
matched by objective evidence. Therefore we have sought - and been
granted - third party endorsement of the standards our clients
expect to receive. We are the only local authority legal service in
the country to simultaneously hold ISO9001, Lexcel, Investors in
People and Charter Mark accreditation.
Customer Charter
- We are committed to providing the highest quality services at
the lowest possible cost to all our customers.
- We consider it important to keep in touch with our clients and
make regular enquiries to ensure that service delivery is matching
their expectations and requirements.
- Our staff are expected to understand and acknowledge the
obligations and constraints experienced by clients. These will be
taken into account when agreeing instructions.
- Client confidentiality will be maintained having regard to the
current legislation and professional requirements.
- In cases where work needs to be sub-contracted to barristers,
expert witnesses or others, clients will be offered the opportunity
to assess or verify those services [this facility is only operated
in cases where this arrangement is agreed with you. The fact that
you assess the sub-contractor does not exempt us from our own
responsibility in evaluating that service].
- All our systems and procedures are assessed on a regular basis
by the international certification body SGS and meet the
requirements of ISO9001 and the Law Society's Practice Management
Standard, Lexcel. All our staff are trained to IIP and Charter Mark
standards.
- The client is the final inspector and we never forget that you
have a choice.
Quality Matters
Each link opens in a new window.
ISO9001:2000
 ISO9001 is an internationally
recognised quality standard, which concentrates on quality
management to fulfil customer requirements, encouraging
organisations to continually improve the effectiveness of
their operations. We first achieved this award in 1997, and it
has since been reconfirmed annually by independent external
auditors.
For more information about IS09001 visit the
BSI Global
website.
LEXCEL
 The Law Society introduced the Lexcel standard
for private and local government legal practices to identify
those who demonstrate an extremely high level of management.
Lexcel encourages practices to consult with clients to ensure
that the views of the users of legal services have an impact
on the way the service is delivered. Being among the first to
receive accreditation in 1998, we have since had our
certification reconfirmed annually.
For more information visit
the Law
Society's website.
Investors in People
 The most important part of any
organisation is the people who work within it and one of the
most difficult things to achieve is to make all the staff
members feel valued and happy in their work. KCC Legal
Services demonstrated its commitment to providing the best
working environment for our staff by first achieving this
award in 1999. Investor In People status was later awarded to
the whole of Kent County Council in 2000, and is reviewed
regularly by independent external assessors.
For more information visit the
Investors in People website.
Charter Mark
 Charter Mark is the government's
national standard for excellence in customer service.
Achieving this standard in 2004 illustrated our commitment to
continuously improving services by focusing on our customers.
It also supports KCC's initiatives on customer care and has a
positive impact on staff morale by acknowledging their
commitment to the services they deliver. We have since had our
certificate reconfirmed in 2007.
For more information on the Charter Mark standard visit the
Cabinet Office
website. |