The Law Society and the Legal Services Complaints Commissioner have announced a range of measures costing £275,000 aimed at improving client care by solicitors.

Last June the commissioner, Zahida Manzoor, announced she would be imposing a £275,000 fine on the Society following her decision to declare the complaints-handling plan submitted by the Legal Complaints Service inadequate.

The commissioner and the Society have been discussing ways forward, considering in particular measures to improve client care. They have reached a regulatory settlement that will see the money spent on measures primarily aimed at improving client care, rather than being lost to the Treasury.

The measures agreed by the commissioner include the Society committing £100,000 to establish a consultancy service that will support around 200 solicitor firms which have been identified as most in need of client care assistance.

The aim of the consultancy service is to provide support and information on best practice in client care and complaints-handling and to evaluate and monitor firms’ progress as they implement the necessary changes.

The Society will also launch a client care and complaints-handling helpline as part of its existing helpline services.

Manzoor said: ‘I am very pleased that I have been able, with the Law Society, to find a pragmatic solution to ensure that the money from the penalty, that would otherwise have not been made available for complaints-handling, is being used to assist the profession and will ultimately benefit the consumer. This can only be seen as good news.’

Society chief executive Des Hudson said: ‘We are pleased that the commissioner has accepted proposals from the Society to use the funds to promote diversity and excellence in the profession and improve client care.

‘The initiative will have links to the existing and substantial range of Law Society activities to broaden access to the profession and improve standards of client care and complaints-handling within the profession.’

Another element of the agreement will see extra funding provided to the Solicitors’ Diversity Access Scheme (SDAS). With the support of the Law Society Charity, the scheme is able to award scholarships to a number of students to enable them to undertake courses leading to qualification as a solicitor.

The Society will make an additional £105,000 available to fund two additional places per year for five years.

Hudson said: ‘The Society is extremely pleased that, alongside the Law Society Charity, we will be able to invest in the future of new entrants to the profession, through the vehicle of the SDAS. We know there are factors that can stand in the way of talented individuals taking up a career in law.

‘With the support of this scheme we hope that individuals, who would have otherwise struggled, can now break through. It is vital that the solicitors’ profession embraces people from every kind of background and experience.’

Manzoor said: ‘I am particularly pleased that the SDAS enables those who otherwise would not be able to study to be a solicitor realise their ambitions. This additional funding will extend the scheme further and mean 10 deserving people will be able to join the legal profession over the next five years.’

The Law Society has also agreed to make quarterly reports to the commissioner to update her on progress and expenditure under the programme of agreed measures. The first report will cover the period ending 31 March.

For more on this story see tomorrow’s edition of the Gazette.