Peer review – in brief

Key points:

• It is an independent assessment by an experienced practitioner
  
• It was developed by the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (IALS)
  
• IALS trains and manages the selected Peer Reviewers
  
• They examine a minimum of 15 randomly selected closed files in each category
  
• They produce a report with a rating of 1 – 5
  

What peer reviewers are looking for:

Peer Reviewers look at:

• The information gained from the client and other sources
  
• The advice given based on that information
  
• The steps taken following that advice
  

Peer Reviewers are never told why they are looking at an organisation’s files – it is intended as an independent process

Peer review ratings:

1 = Excellence
2 = Competence Plus
3 = Threshold Competence
4 = Below Competence
5 = Failure in Performance

Preferred Suppliers will need to score a 1 or 2, if not then they will be given comprehensive feedback

• If your rating is a 3 then = 6 to 12 months to improve
  
• If your rating is a 4 then = up to 6 months to improve
  
• If your rating is a 5 then = immediate second Peer Review
  
• If this second rating is also a 5 then = your contract will be terminated
  

It is anticipated that a Peer Review will be undertaken every 3 years unless there is any reason to indicate performance has changed adversely or there has been a significant change in personnel

The LSC has published 'Improving Your Quality - A Guide to Common Issues Identified Through Peer Review - Crime'. This guide gives the profession access to Peer Review findings in the crime category only; similar guides are being developed for the following categories of law:

• debt
  
• employment
  
• family
  
• housing
  
• immigration
  
• mental health
  
• welfare benefits
  

The LSC has said these guides will be available, from mid August, on the LSC website at:

www.legalservices.gov.uk/civil/how/mq_peerreview.asp

If you would like to request an electronic copy of the guides, or be put on the LSC mailing list for information regarding peer review workshops please contact Marla Kappas by emailing

peer.review@legalservices.gov.uk

giving your contact details and categories of law you are interested in

Further information:

The LSC paper ‘Independent Peer Review Process’ can be downloaded from the ‘related documents’ section on the LSC website at:

www.legalservices.gov.uk/criminal/contracting/mq_peerreview.asp

This section of the LSC website also contains links to other sources of information e.g. ‘Peer Review: frequently asked questions’

The Advice Services Alliance has also published comments on peer review within its response to the preferred supplier consultation – see ‘Preferred supplier – a summary’ section on this forum

Please note that your advice network may also have further information on peer review that you might find useful – see the ‘where you can get further help’ section on the home page of this forum

[2nd September: message above amended by inserting working email link to the Peer Review team at the LSC]