Beth Pipe, FCIPD

This Precedent provides a worked example of the Improving efficiency—Voice of the Customer/Client—blank precedent and demonstrates how client feedback can be used to determine the efficiency of processes. All process improvements should be geared towards improving the experience of the internal/external client, and to do that you need to understand what they want or expect from you. In continuous improvement (CI) terminology this is known as understanding the ‘Voice of the Customer/Client’ (VOC). The VOC needs to be balanced against what your team is willing and able to provide. In CI terminology this is known as the ‘Voice of the Business’ (VOB). This worked example has been tailored for those working in an in-house legal team.

This Precedent L&D policy and plan—annual review will help you to conduct an annual review of your learning and development (L&D) policy and plan and identify action points.

This Precedent Learning needs analysis (LNA) questionnaire is designed to be completed by direct reports to help identify and prioritise the learning and development (L&D) needs of managers or prospective managers. Whenever a LNA is focused on a particular group in an organisation, eg the managers, it is advisable to conduct a secondary level of investigation with those for whom the managers are responsible to obtain a more rounded view of L&D needs. This Precedent can be used for gathering this additional insight.

This Precedent Learning needs analysis (LNA) questionnaire can be used to gather feedback from your managers on individual learning and development (L&D) needs. The aim of an LNA is to identify any performance gaps relating to skills, knowledge or behaviour that can be addressed through L&D.

This Precedent Letter notifying an employee of an attendance review meeting (ARM) is produced in partnership with Beth Pipe,. It is intended to be accompanied by an FAQ document. Periodic attendance review meetings are an integral part of managing long-term sickness where an employee has been absent from work for an extended period of time (usually more than four weeks).

This Precedent contains a comprehensive library of core skills—key competencies, from which you can pick and choose to create a framework of core skills for each role within your firm.

This Precedent Performance appraisal and personal development plan can be used to create a tailored performance appraisal and personal development plan for an individual employee or for different roles in your firm. It is commonly known as an appraisal form and is intended for use by law firms, although it could be adapted for other organisations. There are pre-populated performance appraisal form Precedents available for a number of common law firm roles within the Appraisal and personal development subtopic.

This Precedent, produced in partnership with Beth Pipe of OnLive Learning, can be used to capture key information about yourself which can be used to build a clear picture of who you are and what you want to achieve. This insight will help you to develop your personal brand. A strong, authentic personal brand is vital for a leader or anyone wanting to move into a leadership role.

This Precedent Preparing for your appraisal meeting—appraisee is intended for law firms. It provides guidance to the individual being appraised on how to prepare for a performance appraisal and personal development meeting (appraisal meeting).

This Precedent Preparing for your appraisal meeting—appraiser is intended for law firms. It provides guidance to the individual conducting an appraisal on how to prepare for a performance appraisal and personal development meeting (appraisal meeting).

This Precedent Prioritising root causes table can be used as part of a continuous improvement process. Once you have identified the causes of inefficiency, the Precedent will help you prioritise which will be tackled first.

This Precedent Process map provides a worked example of a process map which has been created to map the end to end process of opening a new client matter.

This Precedent, produced in partnership with Beth Pipe, can be used as a guide to reasonable adjustments that you might consider making for an employee that has a long term health problem covered by the provisions of the Equality Act.

This Precedent, produced in partnership with Beth Pipe, contains a framework to help a manager conduct a structured return to work interview (RTWI) with an employee. The RTWI questions and prompts should be used at the manager’s discretion according to the individual circumstances of each case.

This Precedent, produced in partnership with Beth Pipe, can be used to prepare for a return to work interview (RTWI) and to keep a record of the meeting itself. It will help to ensure a consistent and structured approach to all RTWIs.

This Precedent Return to work interview (RTWI) audit register, produced in partnership with Beth Pipe, is intended for law firms. It can be used to check and record that RTWIs are being conducted consistently for every employee and to the required standard. It will allow you to check whether there is appropriate follow-through on issues identified during RTWIs and recommendations made. This register can provide important evidence in the event of an employee claiming they are being singled out or treated differently from their colleagues.

This Precedent checklist, produced in partnership with Beth Pipe, can be used to plan and prepare for a return to work interview (RTWI) and to ensure you have all the information you need to conduct the interview consistently and effectively.

This Precedent, produced in partnership with Beth Pipe, contains a selection of FAQs for employees about return to work interviews (RTWIs). These FAQs are intended to accompany a staff communication on introducing a return to work process, but can also be used as a free-standing document to supplement any return to work interview provisions in your sickness and attendance policy.

This Precedent, produced in partnership with Beth Pipe, can be used to inform staff that you are introducing return to work interviews (RTWIs).

This Precedent Risk appetite statement can be used to formulate and record an organisation’s position on risk. It sets out the overall approach to risk as well as the organisation’s appetite for different categories of risk, ie strategic, operational, reputational, legal, regulatory, financial, people and technological. It is also sometimes called a risk tolerance statement. A formal risk appetite statement may help to focus the minds of the board when an attractive but high-risk proposition presents itself, but ultimately the business’ true risk appetite is demonstrated by what it does rather than what it says.