Catching Excellence: Continuous improvement at the Legal Ombudsman Kathryn King Head of Customer Experience & Interim Chief Ombudsman building continuous improvement into your service delivery   Kathryn, as we discussed last week, I know that LeO use a similar model to SPSO for ensuring all the learning from their QAs and service complaints get fed back into a continuous improvement group to ensure that they are using all of the learning to drive improvement. I thought this might be something others would be interested to hear about in terms of how you turn customer feedback into service improvement?

The Legal Ombudsman We exist to improve today’s services and tomorrow’s industry reputation... by resolving disputes impartially promoting service excellence being a champion of best practice for the benefit of consumers, providers and in the best interests of business and society. All regulated providers of legal services – mostly solicitors; and Claims Management Companies (CMCs). Classic ombudsman scheme c8,000 complaints in legal jurisdiction; forecast 3,000 in CMCs. Based in Birmingham, approx 250 staff, 200 handling cases. Our strategic priorities: Continue to improve our efficiency Help to create an improved legal complaints system Implement changes to jurisdiction Replicate what we have our learned more widely ...link to quality

Our quality goal: purpose ...to have an effective quality improvement system, supported by a quality focused organisational culture, which enable us to achieve ongoing improvement in the customer service we deliver. Control Assurance Improvement The organisation was established under 2007, opened doors in 2010, established quality team in 2012, quality framework launched Jan 2013. Quality team – 4 quality auditors Quality monitoring/assurance Quality control Quality improvement or support

Reputation Our goals: improve complaint handling; disseminate learning. Regulatory objectives.

Service improvement: sources of learning Regular risk-based quality checks 100% ombudsman and team-to-team feedback Moderation Thematic reviews Judicial reviews and referrals to legal team Service complaints Media Customer survey data Stakeholder surveys and consultations Regular risk-based quality checks – TLs/ Check the checker... Thematic reviews – 4 Quality Auditors 100% ombudsman and team-to-team feedback Moderation Judicial reviews Service complaints Media Customer survey data

Reputation Service Improvement Paper, a quarterly analysis of: Mechanisms for feeding in the learning: Two key ones: Service Improvement Paper, a quarterly analysis of: Internal quality review data Service complaint data Customer satisfaction data The paper seeks to identify trends across all areas and make recommendations for improvement. The papers go to the Management Team, with highlights to Board. The Improvement Priority Group: All recommendations are considered and actioned through the Improvement Priority Group. All papers are available on our intranet. Fundamentally, the Quality Team is here to improve the service we provide to our customers. Who is best placed to tell us how we are doing then? Our customers, of course...

Service improvement: outputs/tools Best practice initiatives Guidance Notes Knowledge alerts Newsletter Training and development Service / process change Regular risk-based quality checks – TLs/ Check the checker... Thematic reviews – 4 Quality Auditors 100% ombudsman and team-to-team feedback Moderation Judicial reviews Service complaints Media Customer survey data

Continuous Improvement – Quality system changes CHECK DO PLAN If an improvement has been seen implement and standardise across the organisation. If no improvement has been seen, begin the cycle again. Document any unsuccessful attempts. Evaluate the effectiveness of the improvement action taken to determine whether it has resulted in the expected improvement. Implement changes to the system/guidance. Communicate any changes to the relevant business areas. ACT What changes need to be made and why? Who will make the changes and who will be involved? How will they go about doing it? When does it need to be done by? Who needs to be consulted or kept informed of progress? Which branding will be used? Continuous Improvement – Quality system changes

Quality Team “independence” Surveying service “Satisfaction” Challenges and responses Defining quality Quality Team “independence” Surveying service “Satisfaction” Demonstrating the value/KPIs Defining quality – internal project; external work with customers, former customers and potential customers to set service standards; OA service standards work. Independence – set up to be independent check. Sits outside process. Benefits: genuine challenge, KPMG keen; Challenges: ownership, adversarialism, respect. Surveying satisfaction: In-process surveys, qualitative research, service principles research

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Quality Team “independence” Surveying service “Satisfaction” Challenges and responses Defining quality Quality Team “independence” Surveying service “Satisfaction” Demonstrating the value/KPIs Change ... Defining quality – internal project; external work with customers, former customers and potential customers to set service standards; OA service standards work. Independence – set up to be independent check. Sits outside process. Benefits: genuine challenge, KPMG keen; Challenges: ownership, adversarialism, respect. Surveying satisfaction: In-process surveys, qualitative research, service principles research

Steve Jobs on change “...you usually go through a period where everybody tells you that you've completely failed.” I have a great respect for incremental improvement, and I've done that sort of thing in my life, but I've always been attracted to the more revolutionary changes. I don't know why. Because they're harder. They're much more stressful emotionally. And you usually go through a period where everybody tells you that you've completely failed. Strive for perfection, don’t be deterred, and catch excellence!