The Whitehall & Industry Group are supporting LSCP with the recruitment process. If you have any questions or would like to arrange a call to discuss the role, please contact Cezanne Ritchie-Hutchinson, Talent Manager at The Whitehall & Industry Group via email at talent@wig.co.uk. Or view the WIG website: Legal Services Consumer Panel Member (wig.co.uk)
Legal Services Consumer Panel Member
Application deadline 7 October 2024
Contents
Summary
- Organisation
- Legal Services Board
- Sponsor department
- Ministry of Justice
- Location
- London
- Sectors
- Judicial, Prisons & Policing
- Skills
- Legal, Regulation, Consumer Advocacy
- Number of vacancies
- 1
- Time commitment
- 15 day(s) per annum
- Remuneration
- £4500 per annum
- Length of term
- 3 Years
- Application deadline
- 5pm on 7 October 2024
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Timeline for this appointment
-
Opening date
23 August 2024
-
Application deadline
5pm on 7 October 2024
-
Sifting date
21 October 2024
-
Interviews expected to end on
11 November 2024
Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change
About the role
Introduction
Dear candidate,
Thank you for your interest in joining the Legal Services Consumer Panel (LSCP) and working with us to ensure that the public interest is at the heart of legal services regulation.
If you’ve ever sought legal advice, you may have found it challenging to compare providers based on price and quality. You may have been unsure whether the provider was regulated or what steps to take if you were dissatisfied with the service. Or perhaps you’re among the one in three people with unmet legal needs each year.
The current legal services market does not serve everyone effectively. The Legal Services Board (LSB) and the LSCP are dedicated to changing this, and to ensuring that everyone with a legal problem receives the help they need.
We want to reshape legal services to better meet society’s needs. That’s why we’ve created a sector-wide strategy that places the public and consumers at its core. The LSCP has played a crucial role in developing this strategy and has aligned its work with the objectives of fairer outcomes, stronger confidence, and better services.
The LSB and LSCP collaborate with stakeholders across the sector to listen to citizens and create a legal services environment that is diverse, competitive, and professional. As such, it will be better able to serve the public.
We’re looking for a new member to join the Panel, which brings together expert and lay voices to create a rich source of skills, experience, and perspectives. Panel members lead key workstreams between meetings and champion its work externally. Only through collaboration can we achieve our vision, so we’re looking for someone committed to a hands-on approach.
To ensure the Panel is as representative as possible, we actively encourage applications from all sectors and sections of the community.
Good luck!
Alan Kershaw
Chair, Legal Services Board
Role description
We are particularly interested in hearing from candidates with experience working in the wider justice sector, working with customers in receipt of front-line pro bono legal experience. Examples include but are not limited to, experience working within a third sector organisation or a charity.
Organisation description
The
Legal Services Consumer Panel (LSCP, ‘the Panel’) exists to represent the
interest of consumers in the regulation of legal services.
The Panel was
established by the Legal Services Board (LSB), the independent body responsible
for overseeing the regulation of legal services in England and Wales, under the
Legal Services Act 2007. As a permanent, discrete champion for consumers we
have an essential responsibility to ensure that regulators are able to consider
and act on the user perspective.
We provide high quality, evidenced-based
advice to the LSB, in order to help them make decisions that are shaped around
the needs of users. The Panel has a remit to represent the interests of the
many different consumers of legal services, including small businesses and
charities. Within this we have committed one of our work strands to
prioritising the needs of more vulnerable groups of consumers. The Panel has
legal powers to publish its advice and the LSB has a legal duty to explain its
reasons when it disagrees with the advice that we publish.
Board composition
The
Panel is made up of eight lay members, including a Chair, with varied
experience and expertise that currently covers: charitable, private and public
sectors, advice provision, economics, trading standards and government.
Person specification
Essential criteria
- Understanding of, and a deep-seated commitment to, promoting and protecting the interests of consumers and the wider community.
- Frontline experience or a deep comprehension of the needs of vulnerable and marginalised communities who do not have access to the legal system, without pro bono or subsidised support.
- Awareness of deficiencies or changes in the pattern of consumption of legal services.
- Proven commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.
- The ability to listen and challenge in a constructive manner, providing an objective and independent point of view.
- The ability to work as part of a team, working collaboratively and cooperatively.
- A highly developed ability to take account of different perspectives as part of a collegiate decision-making process and to take responsibility for decisions made.
- Excellent communication and influencing skills.
Application and selection process
Public appointments are made on merit following a fair and open competition process which is conducted in accordance with the Governance Code for Public Appointments. We will deal with your application as quickly as possible and will keep you informed at key stages. We aim to conclude the appointment process within three months of the deadline for applications – this is in accordance with the Governance Code.
The assessment process
Ministers are responsible and accountable to Parliament for the public appointments made within their department. As a result, they must be consulted at every stage of the appointments process.
An Advisory Assessment Panel (“Panel”) is appointed by Ministers to assist them in their decision making. The role of the Panel is to decide, objectively, which candidates meet the eligibility criteria for the role.
At the shortlisting meeting the Panel will assess applications against the eligibility criteria and decide which candidates have best met the criteria, who should be recommended for interview. Ministers will then be consulted on the Panel’s recommended shortlist. If you have applied under the Disability Confident Scheme and you meet all the essential criteria, then you will also be invited for an interview.
Once the shortlist has been agreed by Ministers, you will be advised (by e-mail) whether you have been shortlisted. Those shortlisted will be invited to an interview.
The Panel will meet again to interview candidates and determine who is appointable to the role. The Panel may invite you to make a brief presentation at the start of the interview and will go on to question you about your skills and experience, including asking specific questions to assess whether you meet the criteria set out for the post. The Panel will also explore with you any potential conflicts of interest or any other issues arising from your personal and professional history which may impact on an appointment decision.
Details of the panel’s assessment of interviewed candidates are provided to Ministers, including whether they have judged a candidate to be appointable to the role. It is then for Ministers to determine merit and decide who should be appointed. In some circumstances, Ministers may choose not to appoint any candidates and re-run the competition.
Ministers may choose to meet with candidates before deciding the outcome. Candidates should therefore be prepared for a short time gap between interview and a final appointment decision being made. Candidates who have been interviewed will be kept informed of progress.
Once the decision on the appointment has been made, interviewed candidates will be advised of the outcome of their application, including whom they may approach for feedback. Successful candidates will be issued with their Terms & Conditions and a letter of appointment should they agree to take up the position.
Further information about appointments, including tips on applying, can be found on our guidance pages on gov.uk.
The Selection Panel is as follows:
● Lizzie Peers, Member – Legal Services Board and Chair of the LSCP Selection
Panel
● Tom Hayhoe, Chair – Legal Services Consumer Panel
● Cindy Butts – Independent Member
Advisory Assessment Panels (AAP) are chosen by ministers to assist them in their decision-making. These include a departmental official and an independent member. For competitions recruiting non-executive members of a board (apart from the Chair), the panel will usually include a representative from the public body concerned.
AAP’s perform a number of functions, including agreeing an assessment strategy with ministers, undertaking sifting, carrying out interviews in line with the advertised criteria and deciding objectively who meets the published selection criteria for the role before recommending to ministers which candidates they find appointable. It is then for the minister to decide who to appoint to the role.
The Legal Services Act 2007 does specify some circumstances in which a candidate is not allowed to serve as a member of the Consumer Panel. This includes anyone who is:
● a member of the Legal Services Board or its staff;
● a member of the Office for Legal Complaints, an Ombudsman appointed by it or a member of its staff;
● a member of the governing body, or of the staff, of an approved regulator1
● an authorised person in relation to an activity which is a reserved legal activity2
● a person authorised, by a person designated under section 5(1) of the Compensation Act 2006 (c.29), to provide services which are regulated claims management services (within the meaning of that Act);
● an Advocate of Scotland;
● a solicitor in Scotland;
● a member of the Bar in Northern Ireland; or
● a solicitor of the Court of Judicature of Northern Ireland.
The successful candidate will be required to undertake Baseline Personnel Security Standard checks in line with the Civil Service guidelines. Additional Security Clearance may also be required for certain roles. However, where this applies, candidates will be notified during the appointment process. Further information on National Security Vetting can be found on the Gov.uk website here.
Additional information for candidates
We encourage applications from talented individuals from all backgrounds and across the whole of the United Kingdom. Boards of public bodies are most effective when they reflect the diversity of views of the society they serve and this is an important part of the Government’s levelling up agenda.
We collect data about applicants’ characteristics and backgrounds, including information about people’s educational and professional backgrounds, so that we can make sure we are attracting a broad range of people to these roles and that our selection processes are fair for everyone. Without this information, it makes it difficult to see if our outreach is working, if the application process is having an unfair impact on certain groups and whether changes are making a positive difference.
When you submit your application, your responses are collected by the Cabinet Office and the government department(s) managing your application. The data is used to produce management information about the diversity of applicants. You can select “prefer not to say” to any question you do not wish to answer. The information you provide will not be seen by the Advisory Assessment Panel who review applications against the advertised criteria and conduct interviews.
We are a member of the Government’s Disability Confident scheme. We use the Disability Confident scheme symbol, along with other like-minded employers, to show our commitment to good practice in employing people with a disability. The scheme helps recruit and retain disabled people.
As part of implementing the scheme, we guarantee an interview for anyone with a disability whose application meets the essential criteria for the role, set out in the advert, and who has asked that their application is considered under the scheme. Indicating that you wish your application to be considered under the scheme will in no way prejudice your application. By ‘essential criteria', we mean that you must provide evidence which demonstrates that you meet the level of competence required under each of the essential criteria, as set out in the job-advert.
When you apply you will have the opportunity to select if you would like your application considered under this scheme.
We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to make sure applicants with disabilities, physical or mental health conditions, or other needs are not substantially disadvantaged when applying for public appointments. This can include changing the recruitment process to enable people who wish to apply to do so.
Some examples of common changes are:
- ensuring that application forms are available in different or accessible formats;
- making adaptations to interview locations;
- allowing candidates to present their skills and experience in a different way;
- giving additional detailed information on the selection / interview process in advance to allow candidates time to prepare themselves;
- allowing support workers, for example sign language interpreters;
- making provision for support animals to attend.
When you apply you will have the opportunity to request reasonable adjustments to the application process.
The Seven Principles of Public Life (also known as the Nolan Principles) apply to anyone who works as a public office-holder.
1. Selflessness
Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest.
2. Integrity
Holders of public office must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work. They should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.
3. Objectivity
Holders of public office must act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.
4. Accountability
Holders of public office are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and must submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure this.
5. Openness
Holders of public office should act and take decisions in an open and transparent manner. Information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for so doing.
6. Honesty
Holders of public office should be truthful.
7. Leadership
Holders of public office should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour and treat others with respect. They should actively promote and robustly support the principles and challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs.
The Government expects all holders of public office to work to the highest personal and professional standards. In support of this, all non-executive board members of UK public bodies must abide by the principles set out in the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. The Code sets out the standards expected from those who serve on the boards of UK public bodies and will form part of your terms and conditions of appointment.
Holders of public office are expected to adhere and uphold the Seven Principles of Public Life and the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. Before you apply you should consider carefully:
- any outside interests that you may have, such as shares you may hold in a company providing services to government;
- any possible reputational issues arising from your past actions or public statements that you have made;
- and/or - any political roles you hold or political campaigns you have supported;
You will need to answer relevant questions in relation to these points when making an application. Many conflicts of interest can be satisfactorily resolved and declaring a potential conflict does not prevent you from being interviewed. If you are shortlisted for an interview, the panel will discuss any potential conflicts with you during that interview, including any proposals you may have to mitigate them and record that in their advice to ministers. Alongside your own declaration, we will conduct appropriate checks, as part of which we will consider anything in the public domain related to your conduct or professional capacity. This may include searches of previous public statements and social media, blogs or any other publicly available information. The successful candidate(s) may be required to give up any conflicting interests and their other business and financial interests may be published in line with organisational policies.
Details of declared political activity will be published when the appointment is announced, as required by the Governance Code (political activity is not a bar to appointment, but must be declared).
As this is an office holder appointment, you will not become a member of the Civil Service. You will not be subject to the provisions of employment law.
Appointments are for the term set out in this advert, with the possibility of re-appointment for a further term, at the discretion of Ministers. Any re-appointment is subject to satisfactory annual appraisals of performance during the first term in the post. There is no automatic presumption of reappointment; each case should be considered on its own merits, taking into account a number of factors including, but not restricted to, the diversity of the current board and its balance of skills and experience. In most cases, the total time served in post will not exceed more than two terms or ten years in any one post.
Remuneration for this role is treated as employment income and will be subject to tax and National Insurance contributions, both of which will be deducted at source under PAYE before you are paid.
You can claim reimbursement for reasonable travel and subsistence costs which are properly and necessarily incurred on official business, in line with the travel and subsistence policy and rates for the organisation to which you are applying. However these payments are taxable as earnings and will be subject to tax and national insurance, both of which will be deducted at source under PAYE before you are paid.
This is an office holder appointment and does not attract any benefits under any Civil Service Pension Scheme. You will not be eligible for redundancy pay as you are not an employee. No other arrangements have been made for compensation upon the end of your term of appointment because an office holder who is appointed for a limited duration would have no expectation of serving beyond that period.
We will notify you of the status of your application. We regret that we are only able to offer detailed feedback to candidates who have been unsuccessful at the interview stage.
We aim to process all applications as quickly as possible and to treat all applicants with courtesy.
Please contact Cezanne Ritchie-Hutchinson in the first instance if you would like to make a complaint regarding your application at talent@wig.co.uk. They will acknowledge your complaint upon receipt and respond within 15 working days.
The Cabinet Office will use your data in line with our privacy policy.
If you have any questions or would like to arrange a call to discuss the role, please contact
Cezanne Ritchie-Hutchinson, Talent Manager at The Whitehall & Industry Group via email at
talent@wig.co.uk.
The
Consumer Panel usually meets six times each year. The time commitment for panel
members is estimated at 15 days per annum. Much of this commitment is flexible
(i.e reading, commenting and contributing to responses to documents).