Warwickshire County Council’s Legal Services team has once again been recognised for excellence...
Warwickshire County Council’s Legal Services team has once again been recognised for excellence after successfully retaining The Law Society's LEXCEL 6.1, the legal sector's leading quality mark for client care, compliance and practice management.
The achievement marks the 27th consecutive year that Warwickshire Legal Services (WLS) has secured the nationally recognised accreditation, demonstrating its continued commitment to delivering high-quality legal services to public sector clients.
The latest LEXCEL assessment, which took place throughout July, featured interviews with staff as well as detailed reviews of the service's policies, procedures and working practices. The assessor highlighted multiple areas of good practice across WLS, including its approach to risk management, business continuity, staff wellbeing and professional development.
Particular praise was given to WLS’ recent Business Continuity Plan "Exercise Mercury", which tested the service’s response to a cyber incident. The assessment noted that the exercise was excellent, with the outcome documented and a clear action plan agreed for further controls to be implemented.
The report also recognised the service's robust approach to managing data protection incidents, with dedicated legal staff overseeing incidents on a rota basis and working closely with the Council's Data Protection Officers to identify any emerging themes, share learnings with Heads of Departments, and support continuous improvement across the organisation.
The assessment also highlighted the great variety of support available to WLS staff. Alongside Warwickshire County Council's wider wellbeing offer, including wellbeing champions and chat buddies, WLS has introduced a range of initiatives to help colleagues stay connected while working remotely, including zen zones and pot luck lunches.
The assessor also commended the support provided to trainee solicitors through the service's mentoring scheme, where newly qualified solicitors provide additional guidance and encouragement as colleagues begin their legal careers. Staff interviewed as part of the assessment spoke positively about the support they receive from managers and supervisors, with regular team meetings and opportunities for face-to-face engagement.
In addition, the report highlighted the quality of WLS's annual review of risk data as excellent, noting its thorough consideration of previous recommendations and the progress made against them.
Councillor Mike Bannister, Warwickshire County Council's Portfolio Holder for Resources and Internal Affairs, said:
"Retaining the LEXCEL accreditation for a 27th consecutive year is an outstanding achievement and testament to the professionalism, expertise and dedication of everyone within Warwickshire Legal Services.
“The assessment provides independent assurance that the service continues to deliver high standards of client care, governance, and practice management, while the positive feedback received highlights its strong commitment to continuous improvement. I would like to congratulate the team on this well-deserved recognition and thank them for the vital support they provide to Warwickshire County Council and their public sector clients."
Warwickshire Legal Services provides legal support to Warwickshire County Council and Warwickshire Police, as well as multiple county, city, district and borough councils and other public sector organisations.
The team delivers specialist legal services across governance, information law, planning, property, highways, education, commercial law, and adults' and children's social care and safeguarding. Alongside this, WLS provides a range of day-to-day support, training and innovative legal solutions to help clients achieve their objectives whilst meeting any emerging challenges.
To find out more about WLS, visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/wls or follow WLS on LinkedIn at https://uk.linkedin.com/company/warwickshire-legal-services