Juliette Dalrymple, director of Family Matters Mediation, is delighted to announce that the firm has passed its annual audit by the Legal Aid Agency (LAA).
As well as ensuring that the firm is making good use of public money, the annual audit is an external measure of the high standards offered by the firm and of its policies, practices and processes. It ensures that Family Matters complies at all times with the quality assurance standards of the LAA Standard Civil Contract that it holds, which measure all areas of the service, including:
- Quality of service and best practice
- Equality of service
- Confidentiality
- Safeguarding of children
- Supervision
- Qualification of supervisors and mediators
- Making information available to the public
- Signposting where necessary
- People management
- Service management
- Financial control
Legal Aid audits are always a bit daunting. Family Matters strives to have the best policies and procedures in place at all times and has a dedicated team of mediators and mediation coordinators who work with clients to make sure they can provide the information to get the best service possible. However, having someone looking at them from the outside means Family Matters is constantly improving its service and receiving feedback from an external body.
Juliette says “I am committed to providing a mediation service for those who are on a low income or may be in a vulnerable situation through illness or being forced from their home. Family Matters has provided legally aided mediation for 23 years and will continue to do so. This is despite the rates paid by the legal aid agency having stayed the same for the last 23 years. I am delighted that we passed the audit with flying colours.”
