Unit Selected: Legal Aid Agency
Comments Tool
 (1) Having managers that actually do their job properly and efficiently, who lead and are accountable for their and their team's
actions - if managers are not suitable for the role and clearly do not have the relevant skills to mange people and who are willing to
comply with and/or have belief in the Agency's strategic objectives then they should not hold that position and those above them
who knows this should demote them (2) Flexible working hours (3) Career development (4) Actually having one to ones with your
line manager and ensuring that whoever is above your line manager is ensuring that these are carried out (5) PDR's should be
done on time, rather than your line manager entering an unagreed grade on the system then having the two way PDR at a later
date (6) More disciplinary for those who behave inappropriately - all too often this is management and staff are left frustrated at the
lack of action
1) There needs to be more communication with caseworkers on changes to processes which affect them. They need to be involved
in the decision making process in order to be fully on board.
2) MOJ HR desperately need some training on LSC legacy terms as they don't know what they are doing and their default position
is to advise in relation to MOJ terms. Pay related queries need to be prioritised.
3) Supervisors need more structured training - yes the onus is on the individual to identify their own training needs but Managers
and Senior Managers also need to focus more on coaching and succession planning.
4) The sickness policy needs to be re                                                                          ed. Why do Managers have no discretion in relation to long term sick? Written warnings
are not always appropriate.
5) It has been said before but it still applies - we are too reactive. There needs to be more forward planning and multi killing so that
caseworkers can work across different work streams. Also - there is a focus on driving down, 'lost time' but sometimes this just
can't be helped. Can 'lost time' be used more effectively e.g. team events/cross Office exchanges/project work.
1)More emphasis on training and development.
2)To discuss changes with those on the "front line", in good time and prior to those changes going ahead- we can help to figure out
the best ways in which to implement these changes in an effective way.
1. Consult employees before [job title] decisions are made and carried out.
2. Rather than implementing temporary change, evaluate the effects of the change in the future and only carry out if deemed to be
successful
1. Continue the recent trend towards more face to face discussion with reduced reliance on email.
2. More collaborative working Despite ad hoc improvements there are many silos in the organisation, sometimes within the same
directorate.
3. Demonstrable action against those with poor attendance records.
1. I would like management (at all levels) in Operational Assurance to ensure communication is a key aspect of their daily role. I
have quite a lot of responsibility in my job, however when management get involved in decisions, they often liaise with other
directorates and I'm not kept in the loop and quite often I am left out of the final decision
2. Management need to be supportive of employees and give credit where credit is due. The reward and recognition scheme and
the annual staff awards are great, however a thank you or message of support for the daily tasks that would otherwise go
unnoticed, would be a great personal moral boost and is often forgotten about.
3. Unacceptable behaviour that is brought to the attention of management should be dealt with immediately. I have worked in the
LAA for years and my experience this year caused me for the first time in my life, not to want to come to work, which is terrible.
This is as a result of an ongoing situation with a team member that was reported and not sufficiently dealt with
                                                                          
1.promotion! Been here for a very long time, i HAVE NOT HAD ANY PROMOTION OR ENCOURAGED TO GO FORWARD.
WHEN I HAVE RAISED THIS AS AN ISSUE, THE WORD "BUDGET" SPRINGS TO MIND, AND YOUR PERFORMANCE IS
UNFAIRLY DICTATED BY BUDGET, ALWAYS HAS BEEN ALWAYS WILL BE.
2. Trust! I feel at times treated like a child, as we have to be a great team, but we in reality people go about their business, not
willing to engage or help. It still is a them and us place.
3. Families: ALTHOUGH MY IMMEDIATE MANAGER IS VERY UNDERSTANDING AND PATIENT AND WILL ALWAYS HELP US,
THE LONG HOURS, TARGETS ARE SET UP, ITS ALWAYS A WORRY.
                                                                          
A better understanding of how part time workers contribute would be useful. Opportunities for development appear to be given
predominantly to full time workers.                                                                           
A change from a culture of "entitlement" , ‘blame’ and ‘laziness’ to one of accountability, integrity and transparency that befits the
traditional ideal of the civil servant. Too many people have gotten away with too much for too long.                                                                           
A clear and better way to promote that does not involved central locations in London It often feels that in order to move you have to
move to London
More caseworkers as it often seems like we are hamsters on a wheel.
An IT system that is fit for purpose and does not require work around. CIS is simply not good enough any more, CWA is overly
complex just to assess and still requires work to be assessed on spreadsheets before you use CWA/LAA online.
Also the use of an Old Internet Explorer is surly a security risk
                                                                          
A clearer emphasis on standards of behaviour.
I'm also bothered by the number of personal relationships between staff, and I wonder how that fits with overall values, e.g.,
impartiality, especially when it's a relationship between manager and a member of their team.
                                                                          
A consistent approach to the services we provide and improved management of the overall workload to avoid the current
imbalance of either too much work or far too little.                                                                           
A decent office to work in would be nice Something else                                                                           
A fairer pay structure where people are paid in to relation skills and the job that they do rather than where the office is located
within the country. The location of the office to an area where facilities are much nearer to access                                                                           
A few more places for privacy. Just as I started this survey the [manager(s)] stood behind me to have a conversation with the
person next to me. What's the point of saying this is private if everyone can clearly see the information you're supplying because
your screen is visible to anyone passing by? Going to another desk is not an option when there are people already working in
corridors as there are no desks available.
Working
environment or
facilities
                                                                          
A good pay rise 

A greater balance between work and office social activities. No theme                                                                           
A greater emphasis on actually allowing people to spend the time doing their job, rather than being distracted by large-scale
reactions to a small number of negative, dissatisfied employees.                                                                           
A greater focus on service and quality.
Greater autonomy to manage work at a local level
                                                                          
A greater level of support for front line line managers                                                                           
A greater sense of common purpose and collaboration between departments in place of elements of 'silo mentality'.                                                                           
A little more care about communications from senior management (timing & content), although it's significantly better than it was a
few years ago. Communications                                                                           
A longer life span in Cambridge!                                                                           
A lot of effort has already been made and I think that if even more things were done it may be seen as over egging the pudding.                                                                           
A medium term plan for the amount of full time employees that are required and across all sites.
Consideration taken for those with young children when looking at organising change events that involve overnight stays of more
than one evening
More specific training for means assessment and for legal applications/amendments undertaken by senior staff who have
responsibility for these areas of work
Staff volunteering available for those who work and live in Wales
Intranet is less London centric
                                                                          
A more accessible Human Resources department. There is nothing in place on a local level ie. in the regional office. I have never
worked in a place before there is no actual person you can go to to ask even trivial questions such as pay queries, absence,
pensions and personal problems etc.
I believe many people will struggle on without basic support as they don't find it easy to locate an email address for a HR person in
an office hundreds of miles away.
HR processes or
procedures                                                                           
A more friendly atmosphere from all staff and line managers
Able to work without having to be stressed on targets
Have more areas for social areas during lunch time
                                                                          
A move away from Londoncentric development opportunities taking account of the ability of non-London staff to deliver via use of
remote working . A more flexible approach to creating development opportunities for part-time staff. A more effective tool for
determining development rather than the reliance on the CSL programme which relies on a one size fits all approach. More
effective monitoring and management of workload. A pay rise equal to or greater than the year on year cost of living increases.
                                                                          
A move towards recognising quality over quantity, time standards for certain work are very strict and unrealistic whilst maintaining a
quality service.
Encouragement for staff to learn more skills and taken on greater responsibility
Greater awareness of job opportunities whether vertical or horizontal.
Greater communication of changes - when our position is clarified a more efficient way of cascading change.
                                                                          
A pay rise Pay and benefits                                                                           
a period of stability My work                                                                           
A permanent desk
Working
environment or
facilities
                                                                          
A realistic resource model for our team to allow us to spend more time on learning, development and time with staff on a 1:1 basis.                                                                           
A reconsideration of the Legal Aid cuts would be a good starting point although I presume that this isn't what you mean. Perhaps
reconsidering the LAA's practice of taking advantage of differing levels of regional deprivation through regional pay differences
(excluding London would be a good start. It's a fairly cynical thing to do (and just because it's the MOJ's policy doesn't make it
right). It really is shameful. Also, seeking to redress the disadvantageous position lower grade (previously know as A1/A2) workers
now in following unforeseen changes in their contracts would be a good idea. There's plenty to go on here and you really don't
have to look hard to find things which really aren't right. It's having the commitment to change things thats sorely lacking amongst
senior managers and the exec team.
Also less focus on engagement!!! I can't stress this enough. What does "engagement" actually mean anyway? It just screams 'last
survey lip-service buzz word'! I really don't want to be "engaged" and the next person who tries to make me is risking getting it in
the neck.
                                                                          
A structured training programme and operating manual to deal specifically with each job role and to therefore to achieve
consistency in decision making within and across offices, which is not evident at the moment.                                                                           
A3 grade staff doing some work rather than staring at spreadsheets all day. No theme                                                                           
Abandon the notion that it's beneficial for senior managers (be they at the SMT level or the Exec Team level) to spend face time
with staff in big, formal meetings. We waste far too much time preparing for such meetings and sitting through them. Ultimately,
managers are focused on targets/results: if we're meeting or exceeding targets then they should leave well alone, and if we're not
then they should be meeting with team managers to discuss why and leaving it to managers to fix the problem.
I don't need to be "inspired" by managers showing up to give my team a pep talk or 'get to know' me. It's wholly artificial and utterly
superficial and (as I've already said) a waste of time for all concerned.
                                                                          
absence policy - recognise in some cases the doctors have stated you are not fit to work for a medical reason then a manager
scares you with a possibility of a written warning and makes you feel worse. It feels like you are being picked on because you have a medical condition which can result in time off with your GP.
                                                                          
Accountability for decisions made.
Clear progression opportunities.
Pay a fairer wage for the work done and the responsibilities taken on (1% pay rise per year) I lose more than this in increased Tax,
NI and Pension as I’ve surpassed the threshold between paying 4.8% and 5.6%. This doesn’t taking into account the rise in costs of
every utility [name], food, Council Tax etc. Effectively a pay cut every year.
Also with the move to MOJ traditional grades have been “squashed” together and we have a real money difference between people
doing the same job on the same grade with as much as 6-7k difference in salary It’s now almost financially impossible to progress
within the LAA if you are a D grade or above as you would be expected to work longer hours per week, have less A/L and take a
real pay cut this is evidenced in Nottingham where it has been impossible to appoint a C grade line manager.
                                                                          
actually listen to the issues that affect the work we do rather than narrow mindedly following outdated and bureaucratic practices
that have no effect on changing provider behaviour- the LAA still operates in a silo mentality despite all the spin doctoring to the
contrary
                                                                          
actually pay attention to feedback rather than lip service Something else                                                                           
Address the issue of poor managers who do not tackle performance or customer service issues but instead get defensive and allow
the status quo to remain.
Have a creche or affordable child care facilities.
Invest in delivering better MI to give us the best tools to do our jobs.
                                                                          
Addressing practical/environmental issues would help enormously, for example the cleanliness of our office & work spaces, the
lack of kitchen space available. The lack of social space on our floor prevents staff from interacting socially and unfortunately our
cleaning contractors are not very effective. A cleaner more inclusive environment would increase staff engagement and liaison
across directorates & make the LAA a better place to work environmentally.
Working
environment or
facilities
                                                                          
Adopt a flatter structure
Homogenise pay across grades
Abolish bonuses allowing a fairer spread across all grades
Produce better job descriptions and re                                                                           them once a year
Move from a process based approach to a practice based approach
                                                                          
Albeit culturally the LAA is fantastic, the link between offices isn't always the best. More cross-office integration is needed.                                                                           
Align communications streams so that we're not getting the same message from many sources. At the same time, reduce
unnecessary comms that can cause a distraction from the day job and can at times feel overwhelming Communications                                                                           
All senior positions in all directorates properly advertised without a 'preferred candidate' having been lined up to take the job. There
is a place for succession planning but that can sometimes be a ruse for a personal favourite to be given an unfair advantage.                                                                           
All staff to be treated equally.                                                                           
Allow caseworkers more flexibility on the time it takes to perform/complete a given task i.e to move away from formal "time
standards", particularly in civil case management or at least allow more flexibility in time taken to process work. I personally find
the process affects my morale when you are judged on the "quantity" of your "daily output" of work.
                                                                          
allow more development opportunities between departments of the LAA and give more thought to the development and promotion
opportunities for staff based outside of head office. Something else                                                                           
Allow more suggestions from staff on how to new ideas for how to achieve desired outcomes and improving where things are not
working well.
Make it easier to access information on how the various teams and functions work and who is responsible for them. E.g. structure
charts with functions and responsibilities and process charts attached.
                                                                          
Allow people the choice to decide if they want to engage and become involved. Some people just want to come to work to work and
should be allowed to just get on with it.
On site child care facilities and extended office hours.
                                                                          
allow the working day to be less stressful by bringing back non clocked out tea breaks and fairer hourly rates for all types of work                                                                           
Amended time standards to reflect the amount of time it actually takes to do my work thoroughly. Better opportunities for career
progression through the organisation.                                                                           
An effective re                                                                           of the work carried out and the pay scales at A1 & A2. I think that the very small amount of extra responsibility
experience just not justify the pay difference Pay and benefits                                                                           
An end to the culture of permanent revolution.
Less dependency on fixed term contracts - it does nothing to create a sense of permanency, belonging or security, and also means
many good staff do not stay with the LAA.
Better development/training opportunities.
More pro-active and better use (and recognition) of the diverse talents within the team.
Better IT systems - what is currently in place is unfit for purpose.
More realistic time standards.
An understanding of the effect change has on both performance and morale.
Networks such as Spirit to be less London centric.
                                                                          
An end to the discrimination based on office location ie exploitation of the low cost staff in ST. Merely talking about equality is not
acceptable!                                                                           
An investment in better facilities for staff who work in or from South Tyneside - it is a remote site with only very basic facilities for
staff and very little investment since the move from Newcastle and since the significant expansion of the office.
Better IT - making better use of IT generally but I expect to see changes in the Digital by Default programme.
Communication - it feels there is too much information at times - it is so hard to keep on top of the constant stream of information
we receive from day to day operational issues, local information national and strategic information performance updates, what's
going on across the Civil Service, Moj, LAA..... I feel sure it could be streamlined to reduce the concerns I have and hear from
other managers that they feel overwhelmed and never certain they are fully aware of what is going on. I sometimes feel this info
overload causes stress and anxiety.
No theme                                                                           
Annual salary increase Pay and benefits                                                                           
Annual salary increases as our pay has been virtually frozen for a number of years Pay and benefits                                                                           
Appreciate the difference between MI and data - some confuse one for the other and this makes the job harder.
Improve remote access                                                                           
As a caseworker working in an office that has been under threat of closure for a significant period it is difficulty to say. I do not
understand why our office is closing, given the experience, QC results and performance of this office is one of the best in the
country. Furthermore if we are due to close I am sure that the Senior Management Team (SMT) are aware when the closure is due
to take place.
As such I would like to know when I have to make a decision about my future. I am sure that this is a sentiment that is echoed by
many of my colleagues, though I can't speak for them individually.
I will state that I did miss the most recent executive team visit however from what I am told we are still not aware when we are due
to leave our office.
Locally I feel that managers/supervisors are very good and will listen to thoughts/concerns that I have however I never hear
anything from the SMT as to what is going to happen with regards to the office.
Having worked under the threat of closure for several years and with the closure of the office having been put back several times I
feel that, if the SMT know when the office is closing, they should tell us as soon as possible. At least then once we have a
confirmed date or even month then I have the time to plan/consider my future, be it transferring to a different office, looking for
other opportunities within the civil service or deciding on a career outside the civil service.
I feel that the SMT should provide as much information as they can to staff members whose offices are under the threat of closure
and they should provide the information as soon as possible.
                                                                          
As a member of the Operational Assurance Analyst team I feel it is unfair that some members of the London team have to fill
lengthy weekly time sheets and other member of the same team carrying out the same role do not. I think a more consistent
approach is needed for members of the same team.
                                                                          
As has seemingly always been the case the Agency (and Legal Services Commission before it) is appallingly bad at
communicating change. The organisation is reactive rather than proactive and decisions either take an age to make or if they are
made an age to communicate to staff. The recent situation with the temporary contracts is a case in point - management have a
very clever way of telling staff everything they know but not actually telling them anything. This leaves staff, particularly those on
temporary contracts, in the dark until the very last minute. To make the Agency a better place to work work needs to be done on a)
making decisions promptly and b) communicating those decisions to staff, particularly the ones impacted by the decision
On a local level the Agency would be a better place to work if the team manager actually started managing the team instead of
leaving the management to one of the supervisors. Since my PDR I am yet to meet up with my manager for a 1-2-1 and now the
PMR's are coming up and I am still in the dark as to what I am supposed to be doing to develop within my role.
                                                                          
As this is the only part of the survey to leave comments, I thought I would take this opportunity to give you my reasons for some of
the answers I have given
Any references to "Manager" in this survey I have answered about my 'Line Manager', as my line manager is the one I see on a
regular basis, and has an active role in my workload.
Any references to "Team" I have taken as High Cost Civil as a whole, and not the team I am a part of, as there are issues within
the office more so than the team.
Below are reasons as to why I have answered some questions the way I have as the questions are too broad, and therefore will not
give an accurate answer
B21) HCCT are encouraged to put forward ideas for better ways of doing things, however they do not take advantage of this, and
simple complain about it afterwards when they could have contributed.
B37) This was a question about pay. I'm not satisfied with the amount I'm paid, because it seems like myself and my team are
working extremely hard, whereas there are others in the office who simply sit at their desks looking at a blank screen (this has
happened), or spending many a hour talking. These are the same people who at this present moment in time are trying to up their
pay because they believe they have not been graded properly in the MoJ. This frustrates me, as I'm probably earning half of what
others are, and yet I am working hard and doing my job, but others dont feel the need to and are not working and not even doing a
full day in the office. That is my issue with pay.
B55, 56 & 57) We do this survey every year. It used to be 'if you wanted to to complete the survey', which was never the case, as
we were always pressured into doing it. The issue with this survey, as it seems with most things, is that a problem is highlighted,
we all attend meetings and such to try and see if we can turn things round, then 2/3 months later we're back to square one. Nothing
gets changed, and it seems all that has been achieved is wasting time. There seems to be trends round here in which something is
mentioned (for example, at the moment the buzzword is "engagement" ) and we go through all this 'what it means to us' and 'how
can we...' just for a few months until it phases out, and we're onto the next thing Last year, there were some [job title] issues within
the team, and we had meetings and groups to try and get everything back in order. Now, thats stopped, and we're back to square
one again and everyone seems to be miserable. It starts off all positive and 'we will tackle this' but then that motivation dies down.
Everyone seems to think everything can be solved in 5 minutes, which clearly is not the case. If it's not a quick fix, it's not worth
pursuing.
E03) This was a question about bullying in which is asked 'Have you experienced bullying in the office' I originally said "yes" , but
then had to change it to "no" , as thwe question means if I had been bullied at work. I haven't. I have seen it, though and it was
between 2 managers. There seems to be this way that people act in the office, and the best word to use is "childish" . It's ridiculous.
dont get me wrong, the situation was not handled the best of ways from anyone involved (we were moving [name] work to a slightly
different location). But, the attitude of people was disgusting, and a total lack of respect from some of the people was, as
mentioned, childish.
A lot of these comments are only in respect of a small percentage, but again, as there was nowhere else to voice my reasons I
have used this space. Dont get me wrong, I like everyone in this office but, just the attitudes of some of them in the work place is
unacceptable. I understand there is a lot going on, and that they are under pressure with pay and such, but that does not excuse
them from working and just being civil to others.
Thank you.
                                                                          
At present I think it is a great place to work so there are no significant changes I would make.                                                                           
At present my team is extremely understaffed and we aren't going to get any new staff ... Our workload is far too high and Morale is
very low
Resources and
workload                                                                           
At the moment the changes that have changed over the last few months have made it a great place to work. These have been the
TIB brought the team together and up to date with information on a daily basis                                                                           
Attitudes towards PDS lawyers to change so that they are treated the same as other lawyers within the LAA and MOJ.
Clearly defined career progression opportunities.
Implement an IT system that would allow more flexible working
                                                                          
Balance the focus on performance, behaviour, targets and achievement with a rewards package to include a decent pay rise,
promotional opportunities, NVQ learning, development to a higher grade and increased responsibility Everything is geared at what
we are expected to aim for and achieve, but we are expected to exceed all expectations without a reward that would inspire and
motivate staff the most. How can staff work to a high level for 23 years without being promoted??
                                                                          
Be consistent in application of HR guidance. Inclusion and fair
treatment                                                                           
be fair to people on secondments and not penalise them by being unfair in rating at pdr's eg- rating a seconded band higher as
effective but giving them the pay rise on their lower band salary                                                                           
Be less Civil/Crime orientated and more LAA orientated. There is too much segregation between the two areas of business.                                                                           
be less patronising when communicating.
understand that some people just want to come, do a job & leave, rather than encouraging (or even pushing) them into doing things
they have no interest in.
                                                                          
Be less prescriptive and take action when people aren't performing effectively. Inclusion and fair
treatment                                                                           
be more aware of the problems when changing HR procedures i.e. changing time allowances for hospital appointments etc, if you
are poorly and need visits to the hospital a bit of compassion should be given rather than saying you can claim back 20 mins when
in the past you have been able to claim back an honest amount. you have to have an appointment given to you at hospital , so
therefore cannot make it either first thing or last thing this will now cause staff to take holiday entitlement which is totally
unacceptable, especially when you give the LAA 110% during the time you are in the office.
                                                                          
Be more flexible in its recruitment - Part time positions are rarely advertised.                                                                           
Be more flexible on working from home.
Financial recognition for strong performance, for too long have the government>MOJ have hidden behind the excuse of austerity to
penalise colleagues
                                                                          
be more honest and not use change and challenge to bully people.
Discrimination,
bullying or
harassment
                                                                          
Be more open and communicate along the way. Involve us more in changes as we are the people process the work on the floor
daily. Treating people fairly and with respect.                                                                           
Be more open and honest and stop covering things up by saying everything is going well                                                                           
be more realistic and honest. Any project or change has always been communicated as a success, when in fact there are many
flaws and it has been managed poorly.                                                                           
Be open to                                                                           s that may be different from senior management.
Learn from past problems/issues.                                                                           
Be realistic about what is achievable with the resources we have, in particular being able to put our people at the centre of all that
we do. The things that make it a great place to work are more about listening and hearing and empowering people than simply
achieving targets, helping people to understand where they fit in is a great start but we must also focus on the day to day impacts
that make a real difference locally. Whilst things that are measured tend to get done we can spend a disproportionate amount of
time reporting on performance rather than tackling underlying issues across the business in a sustain able way. Reactive
management rather than proactive management regrettably is often the result. Time is a precious commodity and needs to be
structured by all to obtain the best benefits for all
                                                                          
Before issuing new directives or changes, ensure that there are plans in place to effectively respond to issues arising. Further, to
ask front line staff opinions and ideas before extreme action is taken If further consideration is taken on the issues that may arise,
difficulties may be reduced
                                                                          
Better access for learning and attending training courses
A better defined " career path " and how it would be achievable to get a higher salary                                                                           
BETTER COMMUNICATION                                                                           
Better communication (improving) more honesty and transparency about the future and how staff will be affected by all the
changes, less duplication of work (such a waste of time and resources) not to be treated in a patronizing manner especially by
senior management and to dispose of the hot desk policy reverting to staff having their own desk/chair
                                                                          
Better communication about key changes - consultation which teams who are effected by change before change is brought in.
Greater scrutiny of management of local teams - feedback sought on how management can be improved from team members -
perhaps focus groups with senior managers and lower level staff. More training for people on telephone teams about how to handle
calls and the stress which comes from dealing with difficult callers. More career focused development and more development
opportunities. More feedback from management locally when work is done well. Poor performance needs to be tackled especially if
behaviour is witnessed by local management.
                                                                          
Better communication across the whole organisation                                                                           
Better communication and consistency                                                                           
Better communication and involvement in decisions that effect me                                                                           
Better communication and stability with contracts                                                                           
Better communication and transparency of decision making, involving caseworkers who do the work rather than certain selected
groups. More proactive planning rather than fire-fighting events, which happens too often, especially on a Friday when work is sent
from the postal hub and is going out of target.
                                                                          
Better communication at all levels within the agency, not just at the top                                                                           
Better communication when changes are made especially when new members of staff join a team - proper introductions before
hand. Junior staff being acknowledged/included more when staff changes are being made. Clearer communication re staff changes
- we say we need to cut back and make people redundant but then have new teams and staff members
                                                                          
Better communication, be more pro active and less reactive.                                                                           
Better communication, particularly from the top. I recognise that this is being addressed, but often that feels like a 'tick box' exercise
put in place so that it can be claimed that the previous survey has been acted upon rather than a real effort to communicate better.
Having said that I am on the whole a happy camper!
                                                                          
Better communication.                                                                           
Better coordination of the overall changes that affect providers - all projects take action in isolation Managing change                                                                           
Better information and implementation of CCMS - which is already affecting our work.                                                                           
Better initial training with a more structured approach                                                                           
better IT IT systems                                                                           
Better IT IT systems                                                                           
Better IT and more effective tools.                                                                           
Better IT in general, including lap tops more readily available for home working
Although a cost implication, the scarcity of desks and periodic not sitting with your team (quite often on your own somewhere
relatively remote on the floor) does not engender team spirit or make the actual doing of one's work that much easier
                                                                          
Better IT infrastructure to improve the efficiency of working from home - DOM 1 connection is unreliable.                                                                           
Better IT systems - easier remote working (e.g. emails available on personal mobiles) and IT systems that work effectively in the
office and at home (e.g. sufficient storage space for emails and consistently available remote working.                                                                           
Better jobs and training opportunities.                                                                           
Better joined up working Too may teams operate in silos and do consider or do care about the impact of their work on other parts of
the organisation.                                                                           
Better line management, better change management, better planning of large projects, honesty when not able to deliver on
objectives/promises                                                                           
better overall package e.g greater use of reward schemes Pay and benefits                                                                           
Better Pay                                                                           
Better Pay & Pension Package, Staff Incentives & Bonuses                                                                           
Better pay and considerable thought needs to be taken before any [job title] changes are made - it appears that there are decisions
made to make a [job title] change then a knee jerk reaction by managers to carry out the changes to make them work - insufficient
forward thinking
                                                                          
Better pay and getting the chance to visit courts to see how things work from the solicitors side                                                                           
Better pay and I also feel that promotions are often decided before the official selection process (i.e. who you know matters more
than experience.) Further to that, i feel that the large amount of temporary contracts affects staff morale and how much people feel
part of the LAA.
                                                                          
Better pay and more opportunities for progression                                                                           
Better pay progression without limits by virtue of pay bands Pay and benefits                                                                           
better pay
treating every member of staff the same                                                                           
Better project management support for BAU activities not just big programmes. Line Managers given sufficient time to support
reports on learning and development - difficult to manage a large cohort of reports as well as a large personal workload. Update our
IT system to better support new more efficient digital ways of working e.g. the way we can share and comment on documents etc.
                                                                          
Better promotion prospects. More consideration given to caseworkers as to how systems should be developed as they are the
people who will have to use them (i.e. IDP).                                                                           
Better qualified people who are proactive, efficient, accountable, with good customer service skills, good leadership qualities who
inspire others.                                                                           
Better regional opportunities for Senior posts. Enabling career progression without having to be in London 5 days a week. Learning and
development                                                                           
Better shared services from the MOJ. From my experience the service is appalling and I am about to make an official complaint to
them
HR processes or
procedures                                                                           
Better understanding of [name] capabilities and weaknesses and not just if the face fits or like ability.                                                                           
Better use of IT across the agency and to encourage suppliers to use more IT. Better reward and recognition actually giving a
decent bonus for people that go the extra mile.                                                                           
Better wage. And people that work part time, if there is overtime available they should get time and a half like other colleagues that
work full time.                                                                           
Bigger sites could offer child care/supervision.
Enable complete flexibility in workable hours such as 7 day week opening or earlier/later opening.
Have distinct & separate pay scale for different grades i.e. no overlapping of the next pay scale by the top earners on lower grades.
When decisions are made on how we process work then give the providers a chance to be updated before we implement the
change and get their feedback as well as ours.
                                                                          
Bring back a local HR person to the Regional office. All enquiries through this new Phoenix system are proving to be very difficult to
solve even simple things!
We had a much more efficient system when we had our own HR team.Even though it was small it worked well.Everyone had the
confidence that any issues raised would be dealt with speedily & efficiently It was great having an actual person in the office with
whom you could raise any queries re : pay/holidays etc.These people were knowledgeable and understood the system well.
Unfortunately, I cannot say the same of this new Phoenix system.People are not knowledgeable, can't re-solve things efficiently
There seems to be contact by e mail that goes on & on and for me a recent simple amendment has still not been resolved.This
concerned a very basic amendment to personal details including Title & emergency contact details.Firstly, you would think after
more than 20 years service the simple transition of personal details would have been correct, when we became MOJ.This is not the
case.The whole thing is very time consuming, and to end the scenario I have now discovered that I need to complete a form signed
by my manager to change my Title; which by the way has never changed since I started working in the organisation. Other
amendments are still been looked into!
The whole point of Phoenix I believe, was that you could update the system yourself at any time and keep track of your own
details.This is not the case. Phoenix for me is a huge disappointment. It is not user-friendly by any means. Another example I will
give you was an enquiry relating to advice & help linked to an exterior body that we always had a connection with as employees,
where we can obtain free advice on such things as health insurance/legal advice etc. When we were LSC everyone was issued
with a card & contact number.A person came to the office each year to give a presentation on benefits available.Now no-one knows
anything about it. I was given a name of a company and told to "google" it .
The whole new system for me lacks the personal care and attention to employees , making you feel completely detached and
dissatisfied, with no confidence that things will be done correctly so far, it has been a very negative experience for me.
                                                                          
Bring back the canteen, it was good for ad-hoc meetings over lunch and staff morale
Working
environment or
facilities
                                                                          
Budgets available for face to face training on CSL for our team.
Scope to try new ways of working                                                                           
By giving more job security for staff on temporary contracts/ offering permanent positions My work                                                                           
By giving staff stability and security in the terms of contracts would make the LAA a better place to work                                                                           
Can't think of anything at the moment                                                                           
Can't think of anything, they are doing am excellent job currently                                                                           
car loan scheme Pay and benefits                                                                           
Career progression for employees with higher education and demonstrable ability. Something else                                                                           
Career progression has tailed off. I see the benefit of bringing excellent people in from the outside, but it seems internal
progression has been stunted as a result.                                                                           
Change management as it seems almost non existent as a management skill at all levels. No change champions. No single
message. Managers spinning the message to try to keep people happy, rather than being honest, leading to improper management
of expectations, confusion, anger and lack of morale. This damages individuals and team performance and by extension, the
overall performance of the agency
Managing change                                                                           
Change the culture away from just achieving KPI targets.                                                                           
Change the time standards allowed to complete each area of work as some of the time standards are unrealistic which results in
raised stress levels.                                                                           
Changes to the management within the LAA, most of the managers have been with the LAA for far too long and gotten to
comfortable there is no drive shown and I do not feel very inspired.
The middle managers need completely retraining on how to be a manager within the Civil Service, there are lots of avenues open
to help staff progress and develop, however the managers are not aware of most of them and have no interest in learning
something new.
                                                                          
Clarity in relation to temporary contracts would make the Legal Aid Agency a better place to work. The loom of termination dates
can be worrying for the majority of staff.                                                                           
Clear progression path and more emphasis on personal development. This has to come from managers (rather than online
learning). Performance re                                                                          s are not sufficient and only focus on what you have done not what you could be doing in the future.                                                                           
Clearer and more fairer progression paths between bands for all staff and not a select few. Consistency with how different
departments do this is required.                                                                           
Common purpose theme has made a huge difference, particularly at regional office level, managers need to build on the work
already undertaken to maintain momentum.                                                                           
Communicate changes better, asking the opinions of those who is involves                                                                           
Communicate more effectively. In issue directly associated with my job, we do not receive clear information It is received in various
intervals, various ways over various times, 'bit by bit'. It would be more effective to have clear written instructions for the processes
and amend and re-issue these when things need to change.
                                                                          
Communication My work                                                                           
communication Communications                                                                           
Communication could be improved Training could also be more structured, i.e initial training, then shadowing, feedback then
perhaps refresher or formal QC after a few weeks. I feel once training is administered, you are left to your own devices to an extent                                                                           
Communication when in relation to [job title] changes to structure.                                                                           
Compare the culture and attitude of the work place with that of our previous location in [name] Street, Grays Inn Road and Red
Lion Street.
We changed from quangos to civil servants, however the attitude is that of the private sector in comparison to the public sector.
                                                                          
Concentrating on getting the IT systems to work properly so staff are not left frustrated by the systems not performing as they
should. This particularly concerns the part of CCMS that has already gone live.                                                                           
Consistency across teams, effective management of Supervisors. More fairness, openness, honesty...                                                                           
Consistency in approach across both sites (Liverpool and Nottingham)
Online processes (get rid of the paper mountain!)                                                                           
Constant communication is needed. Sometimes things are said but never followed through.                                                                           
Consultations with the front line staff before taking drastic actions.
Better and more comprehensive guidance.
Proper band structures, accurately reflecting the skills of the person rather than the grade they have been thrown in at.
Scope for progression (currently we are depending on civil service more widely rather then LAA itself).
Cancelling overtime is fine but do not expect the staff to continue to meet the targets in a 5-day week that they were struggling to
achieve in a 6-day week. The pressure will simply become too great and the current swoop of witch-hunting those who have been
rude enough to take a day off sick will prove to be a far greater task.
                                                                          
Continue to focus on taking positive action in relation to staff feedback, rather than paying lip service to it, as has happened in the
past.                                                                           
continue to listen to staff and raise profile on 360 degree assessments Leadership                                                                           
Continue to provide us with key messages and updates but less emphasis on "staff engagement". It feels like we are being forced
to "engage" when this should be a more natural process. Communications                                                                           
Continue to streamline work processes. Regularly update department management organograms so that we can see who is
responsible for what                                                                           
Continued drive with development - great to see the training days and training records - more work around CSL and time available.                                                                           
Continuing to celebrate when we get it right, and the value people add.                                                                           
Contracts. Make them much longer, or give me a permanent role so I can feel secure. My work                                                                           
Create more career development opportunities. My work                                                                           
Deal more effectively with poor working attitudes held by LAA staff.                                                                           
Deal with matters when reported and keep persons up to date with issues affecting them to prevent them from feeling isolated and
the one causing the issues.                                                                           
Decisions are being made that directly affect the work I do. I would like to see that the impact of these decisions has been fully
considered as well as justification to how these decisions are made.
I don't feel I have any job security, I work on a project and therefore have a temporary contract for this project, when it comes close
to the end of the contract I am always told it will be extended, however, sometimes the paper work doesn't turn up until after the
contract has expired. I don't feel I have any security in my position
I feel the performance re                                                                           is too broad and the opportunities for recognition are few and far between, no matter what I do I'll get
the middle rating, so why put in the extra effort when other members of your team just coast along doing the bare minimum and
getting the same as you.
The MOJ shared services got my pay wrong for two months which seriously impacted on my standard of living and all I got was an
email explaining where the confusion happened with a meek apology. There is still outstanding issue over my pay, I am supposed
to me moving towards target rate however when shared services re-calculated it, it was £4k less than it currently, was. Everyone in
my team and numerous other people I know have been affected by incorrect pay. Shared services don't seem to be in any hurry to
sort this out when this has a serious impact on [name] lives. What action is being taken are people being disciplined for these
continuous failures?
                                                                          
Decisions that are made need to be considered and practised before being fully implemented. My                                                                            of the Central Postal Hub,
and restructuring of teams in the Agency has not been great, and also minor procedural issues are never stuck to be all offices.                                                                           
Decisions that impact on caseworkers should be communicated to all staff and in a reasonable amount of time. Recent changes
have not been communicated consistently to all staff and have been delivered sometimes only days before a process changes.                                                                           
Demanding targets put a strain on working here. If targets are to be so high, at least ensure that we have the resources, training,
support (especially use of technology to help hit those targets.                                                                           
Demonstrate understanding of how we may feel, not just ask about it and tick boxes to say that they have engaged with us.                                                                           
Determine whether contracts can be extended or made permanent sooner. The team I work on still do not know and we only have
5 months left to know whether to start looking for other jobs. It is difficult when we enjoy the job we do to not know whether we can
continue it.
                                                                          
Develop individuals. if it is clear that someone is hardworking and capable of more, then they shouldnt be stuck in admin roles until
the day they leave. Should capitalize on [name] potential, qualifications and previous experience by progressing and developing
those individuals.
                                                                          
Development Objective setting should be more rigorous within every team. I for example have not received my last PMR write up
from May and still no idea of the objectives that we were setting due to long term sick leave. I am now facing doing a re                                                                           with no
objectives and having to work backwards based on the responsibility I took on covering her role. I have brought up various
development requirements but never allotted the time to complete any of this - including receiving feedback on Job Applications.
                                                                          
Difficult one to address                                                                           
Dispense with micro-management.                                                                           
Do not change CIS without good reason or without informing caseworkers. Even though it may soon be obsolete, we work with CIS
and it is annoying when changes are made to it causing workarounds which take longer. e.g if a firm has a contract but CIS does
not recognise it, [NAME] used to be able to fix CIS but now each caseworker that comes to that account number has to do a workaround
which takes longer. Why?
Why make someone stay till 5pm on Christmas Eve/New Year's Eve when the majority of the profession close at lunch time or
before. Close at 4pm? All it takes is a message in good time on the web site. The solicitors endorse their closing dates/times on
their letterhead in sufficient time
                                                                          
Don't know                                                                           
Earlier communication, rather than sometimes leaving things until the last minute, particularly when there seems to be no reason
for doing so.                                                                           
Educate the teams more so that all understand the processes and pressures that others experience.                                                                           
Employees wages INCREASED in                                                                            of the amount of YEARS service employed by the LAA.                                                                           
employees who make an effort and constantly contribute to their team should be rewarded with something they actually want
(permanent employment) rather than £5 vouchers for argos.                                                                           
Encourage more cross-office interaction and collaborative sharing of information or "best practice" rather than pitching regional
offices against each other when re                                                                          ing performance statistics I feel this would help staff feel more engaged in a wider (crossoffice)
team working towards a common purpose rather than in direct competition with each other.
                                                                          
Encouraged to provide feedback and ideas to senior leaders but still the feeling that it would't be wise to raise or highlight certain
negative issues.                                                                           
Encouraged to use transferable skills.
All employees given a chance to take up work/projects not only the chosen few.
It would be nice if CCL had learning that were clearly displayed with ideas of what specific skills were required for which job role.
Flexible working that includes weekends.
                                                                          
Ensure changes are discussed before put into place. Make sure each caseworker has an allocation for when they come in in the
morning; there are occasions when myself and colleagues have come in to no work and nobody has been around to allocate.
We've had to pick up scraps of work left around until somebody has come in.
                                                                          
Ensure local managers are receptive to feedback;
Institute effective project and programme management;
Senior Managers should gain wider recognition within the Justice family for the work we do;
Support career progression
Reduce pointless and excessive Corporate Service bureaucracy;
Drastically improve IT including network speed, outages and support.
                                                                          
Ensure more consistency across teams, especially when it comes to MoJ policies.
Communicate with Staff about the Policies and how it affects them and what is expected of them. A lot of people have been
shocked by some of the detail of these and it makes people distrust the transition.
Make sure people are paid correctly It would have been appreciated to have a explanation/statement of recent pay award, instead
of individuals having to work out if it is correct or not.
                                                                          
Ensure that PT staff feel that they have suitable catch-up time to deal with all the emails etc that they have from days when they
are not working - including training updates. Ensuring that all staff recognise that working PT hours often means strong
commitments outside of the office - not days off.
                                                                          
Ensure that Senior Management and Executives know which processes they are following at any given time and that they stick to
them. That they give clear, coherent and justifiable reasons for decisions made so as to enhance their credibility and engender
trust.
                                                                          
ensuring that expectations for all managers and supervisors are the same irrespective of the team on which they work. It is obvious
that some managers and supervisors are replied upon more than other because they are more willing and have a greater sense of
responsibility Recognising that a healthy work life balance means that managers will feel more engaged and and better equipped
for their job.
                                                                          
Equal across the whole organisation, it is wrong to pay someone more money for doing a less job somewhere else in the country
other than London Pay and benefits                                                                           
Equal Opportunities irrespective of race, gender and age No theme                                                                           
equality regarding pay scales Pay and benefits                                                                           
Even closer working between case management and contract management, this would include the CCMS teams                                                                           
everyone to be treated fairly and respected by managers.
Line management /
management
where I work
                                                                          
Executive team visits which interacts with the teams as they work or sit in on meetings so they can understand the challenges we
face in our job. I do not want to give up another afternoon hearing my own team give a presentation about the job that I do. The
whole room is disinterested.
The LAA needs to support the members of staff who have an appetite to progress and support them. Not just in the "development"
department (coaching, mentoring and another futile exercises) but in having the opportunities there for them to aspire to. Perhaps a
management programme with a job at the end? In my many years at the LSC/LAA there have been 3 jobs which have been above
my pay grade and in the South West which I could apply for.
Stop passing the buck of staff engagement onto the staff. We spend time and money engaging for the benefit of the LAA, nothing is
given in return. Perhaps the LAA can find a budget somewhere for xmas parties or another cheap external activity so it doesn't feel
so synthetic. It could come out of the transport cost where some managers often use taxis for short distances and train journeys
are booked late, without railcards or advanced tickets.
Finally, stop congratulating us on a job well done and show us your gratitude. I'm tired of hearing how brilliantly we've done but in
the same sentence being told there is so much more to do. There is no motivation to work any harder when we are not rewarded
accordingly. Particularly as members of staff who do not work as hard or are not as effective are left untouched. The awards
scheme is not enough. The awards generally go to members of staff in the higher bands who have more opportunity to go above
and beyond. I am part of a remarkable team who have performed far beyond anyone's expectations, the bacon sandwich as a
thanks was nice but not enough (also I did not like that this came from my managers pocket)
                                                                          
extend temporary contracts longer!                                                                           
Fairer career opportunities. Inclusion and fair
treatment                                                                           
Fairer pay based on experience and work load. Although there is no difference in the old A2 and A3 grades under the MOJ as they
are both classed as Band D now, and the work loads and expectations are the same for the grades, there is a huge difference in
pay between these 2 old grades, and yet you are both doing the exactly the same work and other commitments, even working on
projects together, and sometimes taking the lead, and o be told that you are all one grade now and this is reflected in the work load
you receive, but it is not reflected in the pay differencial seems and feels unfair
Pay and benefits                                                                           
Fairer time standards and greater focus on encouraging caseworkers to do their job, rather than expecting the unrealistic and
making caseworkers feel like a failure when they inevitably don't hit their targets.                                                                           
Fairer valuations of jobs - same people same grade have completely different amounts of responsibility/accountability                                                                           
Fairness and equality. Ensuring seniors and supervisors do not discriminate against A1's                                                                           
Fairness would help My work                                                                           
Faster and better resourced customer service. This is such an important image for the LAA and first point of contact This is a
great team with very committed professional staff but overwhelmed with calls.                                                                           
Faster computer systems, little things to say thank you, an hour flexible for xmas shopping for example.                                                                           
Fewer pointless 'engagement groups' that do absolutely nothing but irritate the vast majority of staff who just want to come in and
work. The executive team meetings should be a more open forum, more time for questions from the staff and ensure that the
executives are fully briefed and willing to engage with the staff.
                                                                          
Finance: Whilst I understand the strict target driven system of working is there for a very good reason works very well for the type
of work we process and is of benefit to the providers in terms of work turnaround and revenue, I also feel there is an unintended
negative knock-on effect to the working life of the finance caseworker who, in order to meet target, may feel unduly pressurised,
creating stress and a drop in the quality of their [name] processing so to get through quantity. With so much emphasis on staying
within the target dates it does make the Agency as less enjoyable place to work because it removes the humanness element of the
service that we provide, shallowing the service we provide where the aim is to get through quantity, leaving quality challenged
                                                                          
Fixed Term Contract employees who have worked extremely hard and helped reduced backlogs, helped with the surge in
applications and transition arrangements should be rewarded with permanent contracts.                                                                           
Flexibility to allow quicker business changes where there is a budgetary implication e.g where there is a need to fill a post (admin
supervisor). Improved tools for work e.g. new keyboards when letters rub off. Better and quicker local HR support for complex
issues especially on sickness/attendance issues
                                                                          
Follow its own recruitment processes. HR processes or
procedures                                                                           
Follow procedures correctly and fairly                                                                           
Following the move to shared services, I do not feel that the level of HR support which managers receive is suitable.
Too much management time is spent searching for relevant guidance and subsequent completing of forms. Additionally, due to the
often ambiguous nature of the HR guidance, managers can end up arguing with staff about their individual interpretations.
A general improvement in the level and quality of the HR support would benefit the work environment for both managers and staff.
                                                                          
For caseworkers to understand how and what senior managers roles are - what is it they do? As sometimes this is difficult to
determine and establish.
Managers should not openly discuss matters on the floor, too often managers are seen discussing matters at desks which is
obviously private as this is always in a hushed tone - this can create an uncomfortable working environment.
                                                                          
For caseworkers: Less emphasis and pressure from performance being measured by hitting targets only - and instead looking
more at quality of work produced. Rushed work from pressure to hit targets simply leads to mistakes and more work for everyone
else and continues to give the LAA a bad name amongst providers and the general public. Also getting stats back every week
showing your performance measured simply against a production line where unrealistic time scales are used is depressing and
frustrating.
                                                                          
for departments to be more interactive Something else                                                                           
for less pressure to be put on people when people are genuinely off sick                                                                           
For less pressure to be put on people to complete work within unreasonable time standards when there is a stringent QC process.
E.g. work is allocated for the full amount of hours worked even though it s recognised that there will be an element of non-process
time. For everyday practices to support the overriding objective that quality of work is paramount.
                                                                          
For managers and supervisors to spend less time on statistics and spreadsheets or in meetings and more time actually paying
attention to the staff in their care- they should be more aware of who is going through periods of stress/or is upset- when obvious
signs are there this shouldnt have to be pointed out to them by the individual or other team members- asking how someone is and
meaning it, not staring at their computer screen or going immediately back to another conversation
                                                                          
For senior management to ask staff for their                                                                           s on changes and ideas, to get an understanding from the people who do the work
if this change would be for the better of the workforce.                                                                           
For senior managers to take a longer                                                                            of saving money rather than now or next six months Resources and
workload                                                                           
For Senior Managers/managers to tackle poor performance and poor behaviour effectively and quickly and to lead by example. For
colleagues to behave professionally even when they feel they are hard done by.                                                                           
For the Legal Aid Agency to be a better place to work. There has to be more understanding and tolerance of individuals differences
of the people who work for the organisation. I would like to see more black or asian employees in Executive roles as well as Line
Managers in regional offices. This would go a long way to show the Legal Aid Agency rewards people who are qualified and are
right for their roles.
                                                                          
for the local managers and the SMT to be HONEST ! The recent changes from LSC to LAA have been a shamble.                                                                           
For the MoJ, influenced by the LAA and the public, to take account of the fact that offering non-means/non-merits funding without
consideration to the personal progression of the respondents concerned so that payment for proceedings is linked to personal
improvement e.g. if a respondent fails a drug test then a certificate sanction is placed upon their funding certificate and if a second
is failed then certificate is discharged until proper proofs provided. This would contribute to a personal sense of not throwing good
money after bad.
make it known that you don't need to be on a "sexy" project to have a voice within the LAA.
don't see talent management as a panacea of all ills - the level of selfishness at the "be exceptional" event from those on CSTM
was shocking - lots of "it was good for me" and not much of "it was good for us"
                                                                          
For them to employ managers at an area office level who are adequately equipped for the job and for them to start taken correct
and proper action when they employ people at both management and caseworker level who can not adequately do their job.
We currently have lots of people within our office who cant do their jobs correctly and should be performance managed and not a
single one of them are being, instead we are expecting good caseworkers to correct their mistakes while we just put with it.
Inclusion and fair
treatment                                                                           
For there to be equal opportunity for all employees to develop and progress - these opportunities should be given to all team
members, with the same time and opportunities afforded to gain new experience and skills if staff want them. Often in recent
years, these opportunities have been given to a select few and it can come down to whether your manager favours you or not. I
also think clamping down on sickness/absenteeism should be a priority as unnecessary absenteeism places more pressure on
other staff. I dont' think is much room for improvement on the overall benefits package at the LAA.
                                                                          
For very senior managers in the office (less line managers) to show a less autocratic approach to resolving issues. In many
instances the behaviour displayed in dealing with contentious issues has seemed closer to bullying rather than managing.                                                                           
From listening to ways of improving efficiency, senior managers understanding the time pressures involved; and taking this it into
account more when deciding.                                                                           
Full explanations of why changes are being made to operating procedures before they are made                                                                           
Fully investigate bully's and make them accountable for what they have done Notice and monitor counter claims.                                                                           
Fundamentally, much of what caseworkers do is extremely boring and not very challenging, but there is little that can be done to
change this. There should be clearer avenues for career development within the organisation. As an agency worker within the
organisation I believe I should be more closely included in the team I work with (for example I do not have evaluation meetings in
the way other staff so).
                                                                          
Further investment into training and development of staff without the heavy reliance of Online Learning. I feel that staff across all of
business delivery would really benefit from classroom style training where staff can share experiences and ideas
Learning and
development                                                                           
GENERAL PAY INCREASE
ASSISTANCE RE MEETING WEEKLY TARGETS. DIFFICULT TO REACH REQUESTED TARGETS                                                                           
Get rid of the antiquated systems we work on; Purchase or create new systems that do not break down or cause errors; new
systems that are modern and can be updated/upgraded as things change                                                                           
Getting the level of communications right. We hear a lot about things which don't necessarily affect our day to day work, but then
don't get told enough information about changes to our working practices. This mainly links in to the training and comms
surrounding LASPO.
                                                                          
Give people realistic time standards to do jobs properly. Be less aggressive in relation to the implementation of new policies such
as PMR and justified absence                                                                           
Give staff a pay rise. My work                                                                           
Give staff doing the same job working at the same grade equal pay and stop discriminating staff with regard's to pay scales.                                                                           
Give the Line Managers better management training. At the moment they have no 'people skills' its all about statistics and hitting
targets. Leadership                                                                           
Giving assurance about Job security. At the moment I am worried not knowing whether I will have a job next year or not. My work                                                                           
Go back to basics - value and acknowledge the long serving, hardworking staff.
Personally i have worked here for 10yrs last week and no one acknowledged it. I have always been a consistent good performer
and used to feel valued.
I feel targets have taken priority which i understand as the organisation grows but they need to get the balance right.
I am never thanked for a job well done
                                                                          
Greater accountability from Senior Managers - at present there appears to be some reluctance to make decisions for fear that the
decisions may come back on them if things go wrong
More strategic direction from my directorate's senior management team - there is a tendency to focus on administrative functions
and get bogged down in detail at the expense of setting a clear direction on where we want to be in the medium and long term. I
don't feel at present that there is a great deal of strategic thinking or vision
                                                                          
Greater career opportunities/promotion for under represented groups within the Agency at management and senior management
level.                                                                           
Greater certainty in job security My work                                                                           
Greater control at a local level.                                                                           
Greater development / promotion opportunities in regional offices across the organisation and not just in London
Some training would be better delivered off site rather than sat at a desk looking at the screen which doesn't always get the
information across clearly
                                                                          
Greater diversity across the senior leadership group                                                                           
Greater flexibility and variety in work done Less focus on quantity and speed of processing more on quality. Better forum to
question current approaches to work and propose new ideas (neither T.I.B. nor rare section meetings seem to be achieving this at
present. Using ideals of LEAN to stamp out Bureaucracy for Bureaucracy's sake.
                                                                          
Greater openness on projects ongoing throughout the organisation to ensure Legal Aid changes are meeting the deadlines set,
enable staff to contribute towards meeting these targets (instead of relying on traditional "clique" management techniques), and
give staff aspirations to help meet objectives set.
                                                                          
Greater opportunities for staff in lower paid grades. Also existing skills No theme                                                                           
Greater surety about job security.                                                                           
Greater transparency                                                                           
-Guidance for means assessment needs to be clearer and circulated more effectively
-Consistency in all areas of work needs to be practiced across the offices                                                                           
half decent managers that give credit where its due, managers are only as good as the team they have and its clear because of the
current work climate managers ([NAME]) have lost sight of this, he takes all the credit for the recoupments made even though he
does not actually do anything other then forward emails and promote the white ppl in the team.
recognise ppl who adapt quickly, pick up new skills and get their work done and help them develop, rather then having them carry a
snail pace team and then say there is no I in team. some people are allowed to spend six months on an audit because they are
difficult and kick up a fuss.
                                                                          
Has become a top heavy organisation with lots of management levels being "created"
People dont work together in different departments - although this is improving.
Moral of staff no longer taken into account - doing surveys and actions groups is not the way forward
[name] efforts aren't always realised because of who your manager is - pay is also inconsistent in offices, especially performance
ratings.
                                                                          
Have line managers encouraging people to improve and learn new skills.                                                                           
Have more opportunities for promotion Learning and
development                                                                           
Have our pay reflect the level of work we do and competitive with the private sector. Pay and benefits                                                                           
Having a plant / plants in the office to make it a bit greener. And windows that open.
Working
environment or
facilities
                                                                          
Having sufficient resources to function at the level required to do the job that is expected. For there to be more productive dialogue
around setting objectives. When this happened in the summer it felt like there was too big a gap between expectations and support
(there was plenty of talking but not enough talking that me or talking that I felt was productive for me) and a lack of knowledge
around the future to be able to make the process one that I came away from with a greater sense of purpose or how I would
develop in my role.
                                                                          
Having worked for the LAA for over 20 years and seen many changes in the work processes that we follow, i would recommend
that the LAA keeps on evolving and transforming as a body to safeguard
its important future.
                                                                          
Having worked in other organisations, you can't get much better than the package I get ie. pay, annual leave, working conditions,
work life balance.                                                                           
higher pay Pay and benefits                                                                           
Hold correct individuals accountable for their actions                                                                           
Hot desking - although things have improved Bring back the staff restaurant.                                                                           
How senior managers are only concerned about meeting targets. Do look at customer service or staff when considering this.
eg. Out of target assessments - these were sitting in a box for months on end, as if these all were input, the targets would be low!!
not very customer service!
                                                                          
I already think the LAA is a great place to work, but there are still a few things that are still happening and need addressing.
1. The inter                                                                           process needs to more transparent so that the inter                                                                          ee has the confidence in that he or she is being treated
fairly and equally. How do we know that this is being done fairly since due to confidentiality laws we are not allowed to know which
then opens up the process to possible fixed inter                                                                          s and sabotage of others.
2. Why do certain roles need to be inter                                                                          ed and other roles staff are simply moved up into a higher position without competing
against other staff in an inter                                                                          ? This seems so unfair A staff member could spend months and months applying for inter                                                                          s
of which they have to do in their own time, then someone else just gets moved up into a higher position Feels like a big kick in the
teeth.
3. We still have issues where a staff member has been lucky enough to be on a project of some sort. Then someone
acknowledges this by the staff award scheme. That's fair enough, but what reward do all the other staff get for covering that staff
members actual work that they are employed to actually do? Usually nothing rewards go out to those who have gone above and
beyond, its very rare you see anyone getting a reward for doing their day job even though they could be covering for someone who
is fortunate to be doing something recognisable outside their day to day job.
                                                                          
I already think the LAA is a great place to work and nothing instantly springs to mind that needs changing.                                                                           
I am concerned that over the years that I have worked with LSC now LAA that promotion is very limited and if your face does not fit
the management structure you will not get promoted despite you maybe undertaking managerial like role within the team you will
not be formally recognised as a manager. I would like to be recognised for the work that I do and promoted accordingly.
Line management /
management
where I work
                                                                          
I am very satisfied working for the LAA, and our office overall is a great place to work, except for one thing which is the pay
difference between the A1 and A3 grades. This has always been an unfair pay scale and has improved slightly for A1's under the
Moj, including me. I am now at the maximum for my grade, although it has taken me 20 years to achieve this, despite very good
PDR's and some exceeded grades. Although the A3 caseworkers do in most cases have more responsibility that the A1
caseworkers, it does not justify the huge gap between the pay scales, ie A3's in some cases being paid £10,000 a year more that
A1's. Also the A3 caseworkers have more opportunity to develop than A1's, as they are given projects/task to do, rather than it
been openly offered to all staff.
I realise this is to do the with pay scale and not individual caseworkers, however it down to managers to give the A1 caseworkers
more opportunity to progress.
There are a lot of A1 caseworkers at my office, who have been A1 grade for many years and the difference in pay, does cause a lot
of friction and its something that A1's have had to put up with for a long time. However, since A3's have had a pay freeze, they are
unhappy and we have to sit and listen to their complaints etc., even though we are on much less pay and have been so for a long
time. Its about time the management found a way to bring some resolution to this matter, as this would make our office an even
better place to work.
                                                                          
I believe the LAA does not take into account the number of staff on temporary contracts. I get the feeling the staff have been
forgotten and I find it hard to get engaged and encouraged by the LAA plans and future when not a lot is being done to make the
temporary staff permanent.
                                                                          
I believe there should be recognition for people who come to work and get the job done well. I think there is a strong preference
towards people who are extrovert and wish to get involved in extra activities and social events rather than an emphasis on the work
done and how well it is done Unfortunately, I definitely feel there is a certain favouritism within the agency. I don't feel that everyone
is treated equally 100% of the time.
                                                                          
I dislike keeping a spreadsheet where I have to write my daily progress through numbers of payments, calls, e-mails etc. I believe
that strict control over an employees performance causes unnecessary tension and makes staff worry more about keeping their
percentages high than to actually focus on the job to be done Additionally filling out the spreadsheet itself is time consuming.
However I do acknowledge that I have a somewhat limited awareness of what happens in the agency as a whole, especially on a
higher level and I imagine that there must be heavy pressure from higher departments to obtain figures that prove how much each
department has done Therefore this comment comes merely from a personal level.
Performance
management                                                                           
I enjoy working for the Legal Aid Agency very much, however, the path for progression has been somewhat limited at times and the
future not always made entirely clear. Having said that, at this particular point in time I am feeling somewhat more positive about
the future.
                                                                          
I feel that overall staff levels of morale are very low, this is due to the uncertainty that surrounds the future and the sweeping
changes that have been made. A little more honesty about the direction of the organisation would be greatly appreciated. For
example, temporary staff were told that there would be no office closures, which gave them optimism for the future, but were then
told they may have to apply for a reduced amount of positions.
                                                                          
I feel that the LAA is a great place to work and feel that the opportunity for staff to have an input into decision making is a good
thing and this has improved over the last 12 months. I think we need to continue with all of the good work that is already happening                                                                           
I feel that the LAA overall works effectively. Within certain teams there is a lack of motivation from the line manager which makes it
a tense and boring environment to work in. There are clusters of people who "rule" the teams and this is taken as accepted
behaviours. there need to be an inspiring line manager who leads the team in a positive way!
                                                                          
I feel that there are things that have been put in place to address this with reward and recognition and staff engagement as i
believe these things help make your work environment a more enjoyable place to be                                                                           
I feel that we should have less coffee meetings as this takes up quite alot of time. I feel my department and I do not benefit from
these and we are losing alot of time to get outstanding work done My work                                                                           
I feel that when there are [job title] changes e.g. LASPO that the training prior to the changes is not adequate. It does not give
confidence to the Caseworkers processing the applications due to the limited training.                                                                           
I feel that with the amount of fixed term contract workers that there is a great deal of uncertainty within the workforce. This can
result in negativity in teams and people not really caring about the quality of work they are undertaking. I have personally been on a
fixed term contract for 2 years and 11 months, have been seconded to a higher role, work efficiently and to a high standard, get
involved with numerous projects within the office and nationwide, yet have no job security. This is extremely frustrating for me as I
would like to make a career and have a future within the LAA but feel this is just not happening
Something else                                                                           
I find working at the LAA a great place to work anyway and I would just suggest that Communication is kept as a high priority from
all levels.                                                                           
I have been working at the Legal Aid Agency under a temporary contract since April 2013 and am finding the work both interesting
and challenging. I enjoy coming to work. I would love to hear about permanent positions within the Agency.                                                                           
I have confidence in my manager personally and within a work setting but it seems that other managers in my office do little that
could be classed as performance management or daily/weekly managing of their team.
My manager is effective at recognising my achievements and contribution to the workplace but this seems to be as far as it goes.
The louder you shout or the bigger your reputation for being awkward or a difficult member of staff, the more attention etc you seem
to get. If you sit quietly and get on with your work every day and do not kick up a fuss you seem to get ignored or worse, dumped
on and expected to go above and beyond your pay grade or job description I have no problem with being given responsibility and
other tasks as this provides me with variation and keeps my days interesting but I feel there needs to be greater recognition of
those you do necessarily shout the loudest all the time.
Poor performance or it seems complete lack of performance seems to be ignored by other managers in my office. They seem more
concerned with just getting on with their casework and ignoring their responsibilities to challenge and confront unacceptable
behaviours in their team. There are a number of staff whom everyone knows do little work, frequently do do their necessary hours,
claim overtime without there being any recognisable work done in the time claimed, or are just generally rude and unwilling to be
questioned about anything they do. These staff members could be named by all other colleagues and yet nothing is done to
performance manage them or challenge these behaviours.
I find the environment of the office inward focused and negative. If a member of staff tries to suggest a new way of working or a
slight adjustment to enable more efficient working it is met with hostility and the belief that it will not work even before it is thought
through. My colleagues seem unwilling to consider ways in which their working might impact those around them and if they could
assist each other in order to make for a more harmonised office environment or workload.
There seems to be a belief amongst some members of my team that they are somehow above doing certain jobs or that it is for
someone else to deal with I find this attitude patronising and arrogant and have attempted to challenge this when I have
seen/heard it happening but think it is not something that I should be challenging and should be being picked up my managers or
more senior members of staff who generally stay as quiet as possible. Being a lower grade does not mean that you are less
important, intelligent or capable, but it often seems that you are treated as though you are by certain colleagues.
My workload has dropped off since LASPO and I have highlighted this numerous times with my manager and my managers
manager. I have been given various smaller tasks to keep me busy and to help with the general running of the office. I am happy to
complete these other tasks as I enjoy the variety but still feel that my potential is not being fully realised. I do offer to help
colleagues is they seem busy but I could take on more responsibility and would like to prove my capability
Following on from this, it is not that I want to leave the LAA completed but I need to progress my career within the next year and
take the next step. Currently, I am looking within the LAA, but if a opportunity does not arise I will look outside to the wider Civil
Service or the private sector and look to move on over the next 18 months.
                                                                          
I hesitated over an answer re discrimination. I have had a fantastic experience within my own department since returning from
maternity leave last year. I have suffered sex discrimination from colleagues in other departments who refuse to ever flex anything
for the fact I work part time. Something needs to be done to ensure all staff are as positive about part time workers as my own
department is.
Discrimination,
bullying or
harassment
                                                                          
I hope to see a better dedication by managers to strictly follow related rules and LAA policy's.                                                                           
I notice that a select few people are relied upon when work needs to be done and done well. I get the feeling that senior managers
shy away from pushing those that are disinterested in helping the team to achieve it's goals. I do not blame the individuals, they
have spent a considerable amount of time doing the minimum but as workloads increase and staff numbers do not increase
concurrently those earning Band D money should be pushed to really earn their money
                                                                          
I sincerely believe that the LAA is a great place to work                                                                           
I sometimes feel that information vital to the success of my work and the work of my team comes too late causing us to either work
at risk or to make changes which may not be as considered as we would like. We work in an environment of 'make do' and while I
understand sometimes we can't have all the information we need when we need it it wold be nice if this was acknowledged and
allowances given
                                                                          
I still feel that there is a two tier LAA - those who work on an operational or regional level and those who work in head office. From
my own personal experiences of both - there are far more opportunities to those in head office. There is also not consistency
across pay and grade - someone managing an operational team of 10 people can be on the same grade as someone who
generally does admin in head office - that can't be correct.
                                                                          
I still think that a lot of our actions and decisions are knee jerk, when we should talk through issues and find the best solution
There is a lot of uncertainty within the LAA at the moment with regards to FTC and the future of certain sites. I understand there are
complex issues surrounding these decisions but it is important that affected people are kept informed. We are going to be in a
position where we lose very good caseworkers as we could not offer them any assurances.
I feel that over the last year or so we have done really good work on "engagement" for Bands F, E and D but feel that there is not
enough work being done for Band C. We have targets/objectives being pushed down and issues from the teams being pushed up -
without assistance we could get squashed!
                                                                          
I think it needs to continue the progress that has been made to employ/train senior managers to demonstrate core behaviours and
to be inspiring leaders.
Often the poor performance I observe is at more senior levels, where continued feedback seems to make little e difference.
Also where an individual has an unsupported line manager, this can impact negatively on them and their performance which is
upsetting, unfair and unproductive, and there seems to be little its possible to do to improve things. I'm not sure what the remedy is,
but it feels like another available route could help these people improve their daily experience of doing their jobs.
                                                                          
I think it is a good place to work in terms of some of the pay scales across CCM but i think that to make it a great place to work,
there needs to be a shift towards greater transparency around decision making when staff are impacted.                                                                           
I think it is already, if not great, a very good place to work!
However the Commission/Agency has changed quite dramatically over recent times and while lots of the change has been positive
there has been, in my opinion a creeping in of hard nosed pragmatism that is dangerously close to the line. By this I mean that the
desire to improve and achieve, while admirable goals, can drive behaviours in negative way a few (and I emphasise it is only a few)
people adopting an “end justifies the means approach” where colleagues and employees are treated like commodities, or tools.
This may be effective in the short term but is not a good way to ensure you have happy, engaged, productive and high achieving
staff in the longer term.
Discrimination,
bullying or
harassment
                                                                          
I think it is going to continue to be quite difficult whilst [job title] change continues, but I hope that once strategic plans come to
fruition, the work of the LAA will become more proactive and we can concentrate on core service delivery, quality and improvement.                                                                           
I think its a great place to work now                                                                           
I think it's already a pretty good place to work in! To improve Executive Team needs to continue to be highly visible and be seen to
listen to & hear what's being said; improvement can be made in Communications- they are not always timely especially from Senior
Managers. However, I would say that the Civil Service's values of honesty & integrity are clearly on display in the Agency- this is an
enormous step forward as it generates an atmosphere of trust.
                                                                          
I think Senior Managers should think about the business objectives and about the Civil Service standards of behaviour. The
statements they make are often at odds with what they actually do which does not engender confidence or trust.                                                                           
I think that change needs to be managed more effectively in the organisation. Communication regarding potential change is
extremely poor at the moment and the last people to find out about change are usually those who it affects most. People dont
always understand why a particular change is taking place due to poor communication and decisions appear to be made without
consulting with those who it will directly affect. Decisions are made by senior managers but the reasons for the decisions are not
always transparent and can leave people feeling frustrated and unappreciated. In addition, the opportunities for promotion within
the organisation are practically non existent at present I think that opportunities for progression would help keep people motivated.
                                                                          
I think that the recruitment process needs changing. At the moment if you apply for a new position or promotion you are appointed
based on your performance on the day of the inter                                                                           or assessment centre yet your past performance including absence history
is not taken into account. This can result in people who may be more qualified being overlooked on the basis that someone else
may be able to sell themselves better.
                                                                          
I think that there should be more focus on development at all grades and levels and opportunities for staff to develop from entry
point grades as well as focusing on higher grades.                                                                           
I think that this would be a better place to work if work allocation where based on individuals. I do not agree that each person
should be given the same amount of work/bills as some people are quicker and so people take longer. For those that take longer to
do this must feel pressure and not get a change to enjoy themselves because they do not want to disappoint managers at the end
of the day when the hand work back that is not completed.
                                                                          
I think the Agency is already a great place to work and I feel confident in raising any improvement ideas with my line manager.
Line management /
management
where I work
                                                                          
I think the LAA is on the right course - so more of the same i.e. listening to staff and exploring new things.                                                                           
I think the Legal Aid Agency would be a better place to work if they consulted staff on decisions that would affect their job/team.
There have been several occasions when decisions have been made by senior managers and changes have been brought in
which have had a negative impact on staff and quality of service provided. This leaves staff feeling not at all engaged and like the
organisation does not care how these changes impact on staff. This could be avoided with some consultation in advance of the
changes. If what the staff suggest cannot be done it would be nice to receive a clear explanation on why not instead of just feeling
'fobbed off'.
                                                                          
I think the number of Temp contract and the uncertainty which evolves from this is unhealthy. I think teams should be individually
evaluated to see the different spectrum of work carried out by pay bands. The difference in workloads, work difficulty and pressures
of certain roles are not rewarded due to the generic banding of employees within the LAA. This is something that should be looked
into to get a greater understanding of why caseworkers on certain teams feel undervalued in comparison to other teams.
                                                                          
I think the salary is not reflective of the work we do, and the commitment and motivation we show. I accept that this is not an easy
thing to change and so I think if there can be no movement on salary then some additional benefits should be given i.e. more leave,
more pay awards, more team away days/ nights that are funded to encourage team building. I also think despite the executive
team claiming that we should comment where we do not agree with decisions being made higher up the reality is they do not like itand
that's why we would rather give our                                                                            anonymously.
                                                                          
I think the transition into agency status has left managers confused about our HR policies. This is getting better but I think we
currently lack consistency and managers need support to get used to the MOJ approach/culture to HR issues.                                                                           
I think there is a fine line when encouraging engagement. I personally don't feel engaged and find that constantly having the
'engagement issue' forced on me makes me even less engaged.
I think you need to look at what is actually happening in teams and improve that and then people will start to feel more engaged.
                                                                          
I think while the focus has shifted onto learning and development in the last month or so, it has felt that this has been overlooked
with everyone's' priorities and responsibilities and it would be good to discuss learning and development not just related to the job
but also looking at us developing as people and members of staff outside our current roles.
Learning and
development                                                                           
I value the exec team, and truly believe that they believe in the job they are doing But i believe its middle management in the laa
that's the problem. Look at Bristol office for an example of where middle management have been sat in their jobs for years, where's
the fresh ideas from them where's the opportunity for people on their team's to progress to a management role? A visit from the
exec team always lifts spirits and makes you believe things can be achieved, ideas by team members are certainly listened to by
line managers, but what can they do, they say, we only have so much power.
                                                                          
i wish that pepper house lease could be renewed                                                                           
I work in an office that is under threat of closure and has been for several years, but the date for closure is constantly being
postponed. However good the managers are (and they are very good in my office), the uncertainty cannot help but affect how I
and others in my office feel about whether or not the Legal Aid Agency is a great place to work.
                                                                          
I would change the performance ratings by adding one more performance tier between exceptional and successful Having not had
a consolidated pay rise since 2009 and with no prospect of one for several years to come after the change in salary scales with the
move from LSC to LAA, it would be motivating to see financial recompense and reward for all the hard work that has been done
This would be motivational for all.
                                                                          
I would firstly like the attitude of the people I work with to change. The word "engagement" is used alot and high level management
seem to thing we are one big happy team. But how when people can't even say Good Morning to one another and show common
courtesy are we supposed to "engage" with each other.
I feel my team are highly under valued. We never receive any praise or recognition for the work we do.We go along to coffee
mornings and the like to hear about how marvelous other teams are and as we are an under staffed team I think that these things
are a total waste of man hours.
I realise that our budget puts constraints on pay rises but over the last few years our work load has increased dramatically with no
financial reward.
So at present I feel unmotivated and unhappy at work
                                                                          
I would like a more definitive answer regarding the closure/merging of offices, it is currently causing a great deal of stress not
knowing whether I will be employed in 6 months time. Whilst I recognise that there are a lot of changes it is making things hard to
work with as I am unsure of the outcome of my job, and whilst I want to stay with the LAA it is not secure.
I think the SMT need to do more of asking caseworkers on the ground before making [job title] decisions, being more pro-active
rather than reactive to the situation when it goes wrong. It is frustrating for caseworkers to action out directions even when we see
that it will not work eg during the surge means assessment was minimised drastically. I also think any new trials that ome into play
need to be given a reasonable time standard allocation as it does eat into the time that we have and reflects on the stats.
It would also still be nice to have more positive feedback, there is still a sense of feedback being negative rather than positive.
I also think there should be a more positive attitude to using CSL as finding time to even look into what courses to take whilst still
managing your work load is difficult so it is usually not bothered with until compulsory due to time restraints.
I also think that that we need to become more on top of the diary issue as cases which are brought to our attention can be given
harsher treatment than those left on the diary when the [JOB TITLE] flag is placed.
I would also appreciate the opportunity for a clearer understanding of pay progression and pay rises, under the LSC we could
estimate our reasonable pay increase whereas under the LAA it is not the same I would also like to have more information
regarding how to achieve these.
                                                                          
I would like an effective HR department which understands the old legacy policies and how they should be applied and who keeps
to promises and agreements which were made during transition. I dont think I will ever get it.
I would also like an exec team that leaves me alone. I do not want to be called to all manner of meetings to hear about this that
and the other that doesn’t concern me. Have the meetings if you must but dont force people to attend who aren’t interested or
complain that when they are forced to attend that they look disinterested. Let people get on with their jobs.
And please please please, stop sending me emails with paragraphs which begin firstly, secondly, thirdly! Find a new template!
                                                                          
I would like better IT and legal training                                                                           
I would like decisions to be made and stuck to. Sometimes consistency decisions are made for certain types of work and then
changed within less than a month to something completely different which makes us look like we don't know what we are doing
Music or radios would be good as background noise makes it easier to concentrate.
                                                                          
I would like front-line caseworkers to work with the IT architecture team to improve the existing software applications. Without the
input of new and existing system users, developing an intuitive application system will be very challenging, and as a result,
processing performance is negatively affected because of the difficulty in navigating an inefficient user interface.
                                                                          
I would like it to be less time standard driven. Allowed to carry out the work how you see fit rather than with check lists as this I feel
makes you reject items that you may have allowed previously as a matter of discretion.                                                                           
I would like more of a balance between engagement focused activities and processing activities. I feel there is too much focus on
engagement.                                                                           
I would like more security when discussing temporary contracts and more communication when it comes to this.                                                                           
I would like Senior Management to be more committed when making decisions: often I feel that I have no back-up when faced with
a decision and it also feels that political considerations prevent management from committing to anything. This makes my work
very difficult, especially when deadlines need to be met.
I would also like senior management to manage sick leave and weak performance better .
                                                                          
I would like senior managers to take stock,of their actions,opinions and how they have far reaching implications on other members
of staff. Be honest, open and fair with all members of staff and not just the "chosen few" who can do not wrong. It creates a very
bad image.
                                                                          
I would like senior managers to explain clearly and concisely exactly what the above statement means to them and exactly how this
fits into the what the LAA does. It does not matter whether or not someone is "engaged" at work as long as they do their work
within the guidelines/objectives set them. For me frankly nowhere would be a "great place to work" as I dont in fact want to work;
however I have rent to pay and a family to feed so I have no choice and as places go it could be worse.
                                                                          
I would like staff to be consulted before changes to work practices take place.                                                                           
I would like the Agency to give fixed term contractors a more clear path in terms of the stability of their job. Decisions are not made
quickly enough to enable a fixed term employee organise their life and begin to search for a new position in or out of the agency. I
think that this is unfair hence why people leave the agency to gain more stability within their lives elsewhere
                                                                          
I would like the LAA to be more informing to those on a fixed term contracts, and be able to inform them if they will be given a
permanent contract, there is a lot of uncertainty over the future of myself and colleagues who on this type of contract.                                                                           
I would like the LAA to change the whole PDR & pay re                                                                           process. The current process frustrates and irritates my colleagues
and I. Twice a year I have a PDR with my line manager. Twice a year my line manager tells me that I am "top end succeeding", yet
my last pay rise was as far back as 2010. The whole process has become a mockery and lacks meaning if there is no career path,
no senior positions to aspire to and no prospect of a pay rise.
                                                                          
I would like the LAA to consider the skills that people have when they start within the organisation and consider this when making
decisions about where work will be processed. I think it is a great shame that the organisation fails to utilise existing skills that
people have obtained from previous work i.e specifically in ST office there are a number of people that previously worked in the
legal sector as qualified solicitors/lawyers whom are now working on A1/A2 grades and previous skills are not utilised effectively. I
appreciate and understand that ECF was based in London to be closer to corporate legal, however, I still feel that this is a great
failing when you could effectively utilise skills in ST which would be of financial benefit to the organisation in addition to providing a
level playing field across locations. Currently, it is noted that a great majority of the legal/higher graded positions are only available
outside of ST.
                                                                          
I would like the LAA to re                                                                           the decision to close the Chester Office. The unknown fate of the Chester office has been going on
for over 6 years and has already negatively affected personal decisions as a result. Failing a decision to keep an office in or near
Chester a defined plan with specific dates would help people to plan for their future
                                                                          
I would like the LAA to stop suggesting there will be redundancies in the short-medium term but then refuse to provide further
information for months. Either provide honest information more timely to enable me to plan my life to include this possible
eventuality, or stop making the suggestion in the first place. It leaves me feeling insecure in my position but also unable to come to
terms with the possibility of moving on.
                                                                          
I would like the LAA, and MoJ, to remember that:
1. People are not simply "resources".
2. It's only possible to achieve more for less up to a point without the quality, or the people, suffering.
3. Decisions should be made taking account of all the facts and involving the right people, not as a knee jerk reaction.
4. Communication of those decisions should be more frequent, targeted and relevant; it's not enough to send out an occasional
catch-all communication, or one that simply ticks a box.
                                                                          
I would like the Legal Aid Agency to provide with all the opportunities (such as personal development, internal recruitment and etc)
to the temporary staff.                                                                           
I would like the managers to take action when people have issues with discrimination and harassment. I believe there is one rule
for some people and different rules for others. Everyone should be treated fairly and if someone does bring up an issue with their
manager then is should be acted upon. We have an issue in this office will bad discipline and people do not get punished
accordingly when the step out of line or cross the boundaries
                                                                          
I would like the pay bands to be changed. All staff across the agency should all be the same grade irrespective of the work they do.
The only members of staff who should be a higher grade is the managers. There should not be that many pay bands. For example,
all staff are D grades and the managers C grades.
Contracting managers should be D grades because they seem to 'look down' on the staff who are in the lower bands. If all staff are
the same grade then equality would exist within the Legal Aid Agency. We certainly do not need several pay bands within the
organisation.
The Legal Aid Agency will certainly be a great place to work if everybody were treated equally. At the present time fairness and
equality does not exist.
                                                                          
I would like the senior leadership to be consistent in their approach across offices, sometimes it feels like Liverpool and Nottingham
are weighed up against each other with the weight of work and responsibility falling to Nottingham. We have to resolve most of the
issues, complaints that arise and yet it feels like our                                                                           s and opinions are taken second to that of Liverpool's.
                                                                          
I would like the Senior managers to begin to look after the staff they have. It appears that there has been a shift from looking after
and developing good staff to a civil service conveyer belt. We have been told that if we have ambition we should move around the
MOJ. The model sold to us was the CV of a senior manager, which showed 7 different jobs in 10 years. is this what we should aim
for? There is no attention for staff who are happy in their work and definitely no focus on the quality of a person's work anymore.
I think that there should be a focus on quality of staff, rewarding staff that do a good job and keeping staff that have the skills and
knowledge to do a job well.
The rules relating to the recruitment of staff are also applied differently to different teams. We have seen a sharp intake of staff in
the corporate centre directorate for jobs that were never advertised. I am aware that some staff have been poached and moved into
the LAA within a week and jobs appear to be created on a daily basis, yet other teams within the directorate are told that they have
to provide a business case to replace existing staff - who have been poached by others. There is also a culture of 'jobs for the boys'
where people move their friends into rols. One senior manager in the directorate has clearly told me that they got 3 of their friends
jobs in senior manager roles because the [senior manager(s)] listens to them. That's 3 jobs which could have been filled by staff
that have been at the LAA and have the expertise to do the job. Its definitely a case of 'its not what you know, but who you know'.
Maybe this is a cultural change that came with the civil service, but it is something that no previous LSC staff are used to.
Lastly, I would just like manners to be introduced to the senior managers at the LAA. None of them say hello to staff in the morning
or acknowledge the existence of lower level staff. They appear to think that constantly asking for feedback means that they are
great at staff engagement. I know very few people who would give honest and [name] feedback to a senior manager or indeed the
[senior manager(s)] Has anyone actually taken him up on a offer of a cup of tea? I'd prefer him just to say hello when he walks in
the office.
                                                                          
I would like there to be a greater deal of support for line managers who have to deal with difficult employees.
Also I have experienced issues being a female line manager dealing with some male employees, who make their difficultness more
personal and target directly at myself.
                                                                          
I would like there to be a stronger communication network between area offices. A number of caseworkers that process work are
not listed on the e-mail system so, if you needed to query something with an individual caseworker in another office, you cannot tell
which office they are in and have no way of contacting them.
I would like the Agency to ensure that training does not become completely about completing online training modules - as process
work needs more that theoretical training undertaken by reading a series of Operating Procedures.
I would like the Agency to ensure that contact with the HR department doesn't become completely electronic and that there will be
people available to discuss HR matters with staff if needed.
I would like the Agency to build a provision for time spent on administrative tasks into the daily caseworker work statistics
Caseworkers spend an increasing amount of time completing forms and following admin procedures required for various types of
work, but there is no formal time allowance for admin.
                                                                          
I would like to be given a permanent contract to have job security. Without it people look for job security elsewhere and leave the
team.                                                                           
I would like to feel trusted to deliver results based on my skills, knowledge and experience. One size does not always fit all.
Please let me prioritise my workload. That way the LAA will get the most out of me. My work                                                                           
I would like to see a clearer path for career progression and to feel that there are opportunities for this within civil service that are
open to those that are not able to work full time in London                                                                           
I would like to see consistent line management standards implemented and adhered to.
Line management /
management
where I work
                                                                          
I would like to see fairer recruitment processes. I would like recruitment within my office to be handled by senior managers outside
of my office and based solely on inter                                                                           performance. It is extremely obvious to employees within my office that the recruitment
process is manipulated by senior management in order to appoint their own desired candidates into roles.
I would also like to receive communication about changes that affect me, especially changes to HR, contracts and pay. I believe
that not all changes are communicated because my manager doesn't understand what is important or doesn't take the time to read
and circulate certain communication documents. Managers may need training in this respect. One of the biggest issues within the
LAA is that important information does not get filtered down to employees. For example, the majority of staff in my office were not
informed of the recent pay award for staff on MoJ terms or that they still had the opportunity to opt in and receive said pay award. I
believe a lot of communications are lost or misinterpreted in the transfer process so it may be more effective if they were delivered
to all employees straight from the source. Then the responsibility is our own and we are only letting ourselves down by not
attenuating to it.
Finally, I would like to see poor performance managed effectively by line managers. Unfortunately, there are individuals within the
office who, despite extensive training and support, cannot perform the role that is required of them. Although I am sympathetic to
this, it becomes frustrating when other competent members of the team are forced to rectify errors or take on extra work to
compensate for the poor performance of others. In most cases line managers are fully aware that members of the team cannot
perform the job they are paid to do and openly discuss this with other members of the team, yet nothing is done to manage the
problem. It leaves other members of the team with feelings of pressure and resentment and does not inspire any confidence in
management.
                                                                          
I would like to see favouritism to change, ie the same people being giving opportunities time and time again, this may me due to the
fact that line managers/managers are either friends with these individuals or they are pub buddies. I mean it would be nice and
mostly fair for everyone to be given development opportunities. I also believe that some people need a push or assistance for them
to be developed and that line managers/managers should do more to help those individuals, esp those who feel they have been at
the LAA for such a long time especially in the same role and feel they are no longer valued. I appreciate it is down to individuals
however I also believe if individuals are stuck in the same role for a long time then maybe this reflects on what their managers are
like?
                                                                          
i would like to see the Agency recognise, promote and give opportunities to talented individuals. I have seen more of this happen
recently then in the past but I still dont think enough is done in terms of nominating people for interesting work, encouraging
secondments and shadowing, given people opportunities to lead etc.
I think there needs to be more focus on basic professional behaviours such as turning to meetings on time, responding to emails,
meeting deadlines and delivering on actions. At every level of the organisation there is a lax attitude to these things which needs to
be turned around to help us work at pace and deliver effectively.
I think people need more support in being line managers. They need better training and support. I think we need to identify those
who are really good at it at all levels and encourage them to support others.
                                                                          
I would like to see the LAA become a more modern organisation. It is very forward thinking in some ways but there are a lot of old
processes that could really do with updating - paper files being piled up in offices, less electronic working than there should be, a
less joined up relationship with the regions.
                                                                          
I would like to see the re-introduction of open days & supplier visits across all regions and for all staff not just Contracting. Raising
the profile and reputation of the LAA is really important for us and I feel that building relationships with suppliers and giving both the
opportunity to experience each others roles and how they impact on each other is vital. It will also give us both the opportunity to
agree ways of working to ensure procedures for possessing work is as effective as possible.
Not to lose sight of what we do well by trying to improve things we could do better. We should take the opportunity to examine what
we do well & why to see if this can be used on other areas. we should also re                                                                           what has gone well to ensure we maintain the
levels in those areas.
                                                                          
i would like to some supervisors to be trained on people skills.                                                                           
I would like toasters and toasties in the kitchens at Petty France.
Working
environment or
facilities
                                                                          
I would like us to trust each other and realise that we are working towards the same goal. There often appears to be competition
and antagonism between some senior managers that prevents closer working at best and sets divergent working plans at worst. I
find this frustrating because we can achieve so much if we followed the same path.
                                                                          
i) Pay scales
ii) the whole of the pointless Exec Team who have got their heads stuck so far in the sand that they say hello to Australia.
iii) the amount of middle management that say a lot that they think sounds good and then appear to do little
                                                                          
I'd like the LAA to be more consistent in processes. Seems a lot of regions do things differently and not all caseworkers take on
responsibilities they should (e.g. making decisions). I'd like the SMT to deliver updates in time scales staff has been promised and
if there is no updates, to also make the staff aware (e.g. temp contracts).
                                                                          
I'd like the LAA to provide better tools and systems to address consistently poor performing staff. This is something that is simply
not dealt with with by the LAA, and often creates more work within a team.                                                                           
I'd like to change the pay day back to 25th of each month.
Allow and spend money for staff to have access to appropriate external training.                                                                           
I'd like to think the LAA could focus on a longer term strategy. Some of the decisions made are frustrating and show them to be
very short sighted. Decisions are nearly always reactive. There's always an emergency meeting or business case needed to justify
a change and/or decision when it's been clear in the past that a decision would need to be made.
It's my opinion that there's been far too much change take place far too quickly. A period of stability is needed. I feel that
opportunity's are few and far between and I dont see that changing. I always considered my job at LAA to be my last but I find
myself looking for alternative employment now.The culture has changed from one that was once very much about the people who
work here to the performance of the organisation. It's not about the people, it's about hitting those KPi's and staying in the green!
Facilities aren't great. Everything is done on a shoe string and to get anything done there's so many hoops to jump through to get it.
When standard equipment is needed, it's often paid for from personal accounts then claimed back through expenses. This isn't
right!
                                                                          
I'd like us to take a step back as a team every now and then to consider what the priorities are and how we can make the most of
our resources                                                                           
If all temp / new staff (those on existing temp ongoing contracts) were given an idea of job security/stability then this could help
retain staff, and perhaps improve productivity & motivation                                                                           
If we had a problem with our line manager we would have no one to turn too. If we did report our line manager i.e. if we weren’t
happy/problems arising then this would be very uncomfortable for all staff day in day out. There is inclusion happening within our
team. There are also days when I could be upset and my manager would't even know. We need better links and communication
with line managers and senior managers above our line manager i.e our line managers manager. Team building exercises/day
away from the office and include Senior Managers (SMT) This could possibility help. At least it would build bridges for all staff
across the department.
                                                                          
If you are going to structure a recruitment and reward package around behaviours, then make sure that managers and senior staff
actually live up to the behaviours which they glibly impose on junior staff (otherwise, the organisation just appears deeply
hypocritical).
Treat people fairly when it comes to opportunity... and stop promoting people on the basis of appearance and sycophantry backed
up by decidedly nebulous concepts (e.g. when you're appointing a subject matter expert, actually make sure that they know
something about their subject rather than focusing on whether they can talk about how marvellous they are in a team!).
                                                                          
I'm leaving so not really sure I can give an answer Managing change                                                                           
I'm not convinced that asking staff to complete surveys as often as we seem to be asked is the best way of gauging this. Some of
the questions are genuinely not applicable to an individual's set of circumstances, but there's no way of recording this and so the
results may not be representative of that individual's                                                                           s.
                                                                          
I'm not sure it will ever be "great" - but it is good, and thats good enough for me. Something else                                                                           
I'M REALLY PLEASED WITH THE CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE SO FAR. WE JUST NEED TO KEEP THE MOMENTUM
UP.                                                                           
Immediately remove the geographical pay bands so that people doing the same job in reach region are treated equally. The totally
unjustified and unjustifiable imposition of these unfair and inequitable regional variations is extremely demotivating and dispiriting. Pay and benefits                                                                           
Improve communication and provide team building opportunities to prevent the us and them situation                                                                           
Improve cross office and internal communications as alot of the time people who do the actual work are last to know important
details which relates to there job Communications                                                                           
Improve efficiency via more up to date software and faster start-up times for computers and more openness to ideas which
challenge and present a new                                                                            to the "accepted" method.                                                                           
Improve its approach to change management                                                                           
Improve on some of the operational issues that impact on staff negatively - that is where we sometimes "fall over", e.g. payment of
travel compensation for staff moving was a shambles.                                                                           
Improve pay and work conditions                                                                           
Improve planning and delivery to ensure that expected outcomes are realised. Managing change                                                                           
Improve the networks into buildings so that applications run faster Prioritise the use of video equipped meeting rooms in Petty
France for meetings that need video links.                                                                           
Improve the quality of the service we provide to our providers; be as critical of our own shortcomings as we are of the shortcomings
of others.
Resources and
workload                                                                           
Improve working conditions - fix the Air Con !
Get more printers.
                                                                          
Improved IT infrastructure to make it easier to do the job IT systems                                                                           
Improvements have been made over the past couple of years. There appears to be more interaction between teams in our office
these days.
As for making it a 'great place to work', it is embarrassing when we invite external companies to our office, and the meeting room
we use has files everywhere and is not exactly a nice place to hold a meeting.
Working
environment or
facilities
                                                                          
Improving our learning and development offering. Learning and
development                                                                           
Improving the HR service, it really isn't very good since we've become the LAA Something else                                                                           
In house cafeteria. Financial bonus in accordance with set objectives. Bigger work space (desks). Better communication with the
HR department (already too many bad experiences since transition). Free coffee and milk (it's all about the small details...!). More
storage capacity (risk of misplacing or losing information is real and correlates to the lack of storage).
                                                                          
increase pay rise Pay and benefits                                                                           
Increase my pay! Pay and benefits                                                                           
Increase pay in line with inflation by not raising it in this way I am receiving a pay cut year on year. Pay and benefits                                                                           
Increase pay to accurately reflect the work I do, and be commensurate with similar jobs within the civil service and the other public
sector positions.
The work I do is not adequately rewarded considering the responsibilities I have and the financial decisions I make.
Pay and benefits                                                                           
Increase pay to reflect the work that we do. The work I do is extremely complex at times and I feel that my pay does not reflect this.
Band D caseworkers have a lot of extra pressure upon them but for little extra monetary gain. I feel that this is not fair and if the
LAA addressed this the agency would be better to work for overall.
                                                                          
Increase the pay and more holidays Pay and benefits                                                                           
INCREASE THE PAY TO REFLECT THE WORK THAT WE DO. HAVE ALL PEOPLE WHO ARE ON THE SAME GRADE
WORKING TO THE SAME JOB DESCRIPTION AND RECEIVING THE SAME PAY OR WORKING TOWARDS REACHING A
FINAL SALARY THAT IS EQUAL
HAVE MORE PROMOTION OPPORTUNITIES
Pay and benefits                                                                           
Increased and better pay for the role undertaken at A1/EO. This is because the majority of staff are at this level and they are the
ones who have help the team to achieve and maintain it's targets.                                                                           
Increased pay. Pay and benefits                                                                           
Increased reward and recognition. My work                                                                           
Internal opportunity outside of London job security Learning and
development                                                                           
Introduce change at a slower pace, rather than trying to rush change through. Have case management senior managers
acknowledge there are other non-case management teams within the LAA who may be impacted by decisions made within case
management.
                                                                          
Invest more in effective leadership skills training for managers prior to giving them leadership responsibilities.                                                                           
Involve us in decisions before they happen, especially when changes are to be made. We can voice our opinions but it still seems
as though these things have been decided and we have no choice. My work                                                                           
Is too focused on targets and not on the quality of the work - Some credit should be given for money saved to the LAA by complex
work that has been carried out as well as considering the processing time that may be saved in the future by extra or complex work
carried out in the present
                                                                          
It already is...                                                                           
It could start by being fair, open and transparent and treating staff in a consistent way. It could also do with dropping the culture of
overdone positive spin and the tick-box mentality towards staff feedback, which mean that while it says it is open to challenge, it
punishes those who challenge it, or consigns them to a backwater.
                                                                          
It has gone back to being incredibly Londoncentric again. This has to be improved                                                                           
It is a great place to work                                                                           
It is a very difficult time to be a civil servant. The consistent agenda is cuts upon cuts and there is an underlying sense of dread that
an announcement will be made regarding significant job losses. Whilst this is somewhat inevitable it doesn't make dealing with the
situation any easier There are many positive "Engagement" programmes at the moment but these are undermined by a
government policy that the LAA can do very little about. People want to be positive and generally they do a fantastic job for the LAA
given the precarious job security situation.
                                                                          
It is already a great place to work however it would be great (but a pipe dream) if we could just slow down a bit. The pace of
change at the LAA is significantly faster than other government departments                                                                           
It is already a great place to work, just keep moving with the times Something else                                                                           
It is already a great workplace however, I can see unrest amongst some employees due to the number of temporary contracts. I
can also see how this is important for the business. My work                                                                           
It is clear that there is a genuine desire amongst the agency’s senior leaders to make the LAA a better place to work however, the
effectiveness of their efforts often appears hampered by middle management.
On a personal level I seem to spend more of my time explaining to my line manager how things work and setting the direction than
they do. I help them understand how they contribute to the Legal Aid Agency's objectives rather than the other way round and their
decision making is no more than a rubber stamp of my ideas and policies.
I would be less concerned about this if it wasn’t for the fact that my personal development is suffering through a lack of feedback
and effort on behalf of my manager. Questions like “I re                                                                           my learning and development needs with my manager on a regular
basis” are particularly annoying when re                                                                          s do take place because of my manager’s attitude e.g. “mid-year re                                                                          s are coming
up and I’m going on leave so I’ve decided that your objectives should be the same as they were a year ago!”
Given that my manager was appointed earlier this year I have to question the judgment of those further up the ladder when it
comes to identifying talent rather than ticking boxes in an inter                                                                          .
Over the last few years the agency has dramatically improved the way that it communicates with us particularly in relation to
change and how it impacts upon us. That said I sometimes get the feeling that we do always get the full picture when things aren’t
working such as our progress on IDP.
The new HR process leaves a lot to be desired. While we cannot expect to be treated differently to the rest of the Civil Service we
seem to continually receive conflicting and incorrect messages or else hear nothing at all.
It seems as if there is one rule for most of us and another for the people at the top. Our senior leaders should be expected to act in
the same way as everyone else i.e. hot desk, have fewer support staff and not bully people!
                                                                          
It may be a misconception, but it seems that the overwhelming majority of the organisation's focus is on staying green and not
making financial errors, with little attention given to quality of the decisions we make on funding. The first two are important and
need to be part of the organisation's focus; however, I think the quality of our decision making needs the same focus as it is where I
think I, and colleagues, throughout case management add most value to the work that we do, bringing about justified and
reasonable costs savings to the legal aid fund.
                                                                          
It needs to be able to take effective and swift action against poor performers.
It would be good to have big social events, even if they are not subsidised.
Managers should be able to manage recruitment within their own budget and not have to get everything signed off.
A reduction in roles being available in sites where their teams are based. Satellite working seems to be expensive and not work so
well.
                                                                          
It needs to change almost its' entire culture The management system is as follows at present the most junior line managers have
almost no power, the middle management (operations managers and their superiors) hold all the power yet have literally zero
empathy for the challenges of the job, and have almost no interest in the opinions or ideas of the regular staff, while the Exec team
make lots of noise about engagement and well-being, yet have nothing to do with the everyday process of the average staff
member and rely upon the middle management, whose sole objective appears to be to deflect criticism from themselves, for
answers about how things are done
The middle and lower managements response to last year's survey has been one of 'lip service' to be honest. They've obviously
been told by [name] and the Exec team to improve engagement scores, but their method of doing this appears to be to brow-beat
people into "feeling engaged" by constantly reminding people of what little changes have taken place. In my office, it would seem
that "engagement" means organising social events and having little chats in meeting rooms rather than giving the average
caseworker even the tiniest bit of influence in how objectives are met.
Also, as usual, poor performance is still woefully mismanaged. There's a culture of fear in place here; if an issue is reported, a
manager will email an entire team about the inappropriate behaviour/incorrect processing rather than having a 5 minute chat with
the person reported. I know management cannot tell staff when someone has been spoken to, but the fact that these issues are not
seeming to stop implies that the management of behaviour and performance is either inadequate or non-existent
Furthermore, it would appear that the Agency's implementation of the new "PMR" process appears to be one of castigating people
for challenging decisions,process or management. The implication appears to be that caseworkers can either agree, say nothing or
expect a poor score on assessment of their PMR.
In terms of listening to staff, again for all of the hot air blown around by management about listening, processes like the Postal Hub
were implemented whilst the most affected staff were totally ignored when their concerns were offered.
                                                                          
It should be like the military regarding leadership & roles. You don't allow someone into a leadership position unless they have
experience in that role e.g. you don't recruit a pilot to do a Marine job and vice-versa. Also if work loads increase, managers should
have the ability to do the same work as employees and help out. No evidence of this compared to the private sector, then
managers would have a real understanding of time performance of each individual piece of work. If managers know what the work
involves, then they can act on it.
Leadership                                                                           
It used to be a great place to work. It is now a place run by the power mad who get a kick out of micro-managing for the sake of it.
Every basic freedom and good thing about working here has been stripped away in the last two years. I now dislike working here
too much to ever imagine it as a "great place to work".
                                                                          
It would be a great place to work if less chasing for information from other areas of the business was required.
There are some departments in the Legal Aid Agency which have internal problems which then get passed on to another member
of staff from a different department when they have to get information from them. I think targeting these departments intensively
would reap the most benefits.
I attended a CSL event where the Deputy [SENIOR MANAGER(S)] of Blackpool Council gave a talk on on what they have done to
improve their engagement scores. Like us Blackpool council has been on a journey and they still feel they have some way to go,
but there engagement results are now in the high 80%
All line managers were trained on coaching techniques as the audit had found that workforce were providing solutions themselves
they were just told how to do their job. The coaching of line mangers helped install on employees that they should try and solve
their issues rather than ask for solutions and this approach empowered the workforce , and this in turn freed up managers
resources to tackle more complex problems . This had a big impact. CSL has coaching programmes which we should make more
use of
During the Olympics the council decided that their employees should walk collectively further than the Olympic torch relay had
done This engaged the whole council and the progress of miles was charted on the internet . We have done events in small teams
but I was thinking and I don't think we have ever done something as the whole LAA of this nature We could potentially
Quoting from a colleague/ event "Going the extra mile, which they called discretionary effort, was closely related to whether or not
they thought their mangers cared about them and whether they believed their managers were open and transparent even over the
delivery of tough messages. This reinforces what we know, but we must keep asking ourselves do we do this , do we hide
information that need not be hidden sometimes?
Reward and recognition. They found that a thank you was the single biggest factor in feeling valued Managers were given three
elastic bands each day – and they could take one off each time they offered a genuine thank you to a member of staff. It really
made difference and they say the difference is tangible . How often do you say thank you – three times a day ?"
I also think that being honest about when something has not gone as well as we had hoped and lessons learnt would be good. For
example the video about "the surge" just stated how we had great teamwork but didn't address the fact that there was bad planning
and what steps we have in place for it to not happen again.
I love working for the LSC and also the LAA and can see change occurring - some good and some bad. I just want to make clear
this comment is purely in relation to organisation wide recruitment. I have no problem with our departmental recruitment. I really do
think that the recruitment processes since becoming an Executive Agency need to be more transparent
There were a lot of people who moved jobs or who have entered the organisation and it is not clear where they have come from
Being completely honest I think we also need to be really open to giving opportunities for new or interesting to members of staff
already in a department and not always hiring a consultant or a fast streamer. This hasn't happened in my department but I have
seen it occur in the organisation
                                                                          
It would be a lot better if changes to Legislation were dealt with in an appropriate and timely manner with information flowing to
caseworkers to enable them to make decisions. I refer to the introduction of LASPO. The training consisted of 1 hour for non family
and a further 1 hour for non family work and yet the engagement presentation by [name] went on for 3 hours!!
This means that we are constantly referring to the Act and making our own conclusions as to what it means which isn't good for
consistency. The frequently asked questions booklet is a useful tool but again this has not been updated yet. Caseworkers are
probably asking the same questions to the various groups and could even be getting a different answer At the moment we are
waiting for a definitive decision in relation to the CFA question but what do we do in the meantime?
Motivation could be raised by allowing all sites to close at 4pm on Xmas Eve and New Years Eve. This would not cost the Agency
any money as time would be the employees own time used and electric could be saved with equipment being switched off. Over
the last years we the employees have given given and given and received very little in return. Help to raise morale a little by this
small gesture.
My line Manager does not really have time to take notice of my performance and issues as she is so too busy dealing with Stats
and e mails and is constantly having to deal with these as a priority. I completed my PDR on time and sent it on but have so far not
received it back. (this relates to last year) It makes me question is there any value in spending my time in preparing for this and
writing up notes after the event.
Daily team briefs are getting out of control. It was so much more interesting when we had them on a weekly basis.
I recently returned (17-09-13) from annual leave to find my computer not working and rang ATOS who told me my account had
been closed but due to technical problems they were not able to resolve the problem for me. I managed to sort something out for
the morning but rang back at lunch time to query the position and explained what I had been told and was informed that they do not
close accounts and when he checked my computer was unlocked and ready to use. A call from ATOS informing me of this would
have meant I could have got on with some real work.
More recently the font size on my CIS screens has been reduced when creating cert numbers or file tag number when I queried this
with them I was told they were not able to do anything as it appeared to be due to a CIS fix. Please when they are applying these
fixes can they be aware of the impact it has on users of the system.
                                                                          
It would be a significantly better place to work if the attitude of case management caseworkers is to be happy to take work on,
rather than being scared of the unknown due to a fear of being QC'd. The fear of decision making impinges our effectiveness and
cross-office communication and relationships.
                                                                          
It would be better if everyone was treated the same as some members of the team are treated in accordance to their personality
and allowances are made for people who are on good terms with senior case workers.
It would be better if there were less fixed term contracts as I do not feel fully secure in my role at the LAA and very little is said to
address this and inform me of whether my fixed term contract is likely to be renewed.
I also feel a better rate of pay would make the LAA a better place to work.
                                                                          
It would be nice to see greater integration across the organisations by allowing staff to shadow other departments. Currently
different parts of the organisation are very isolated from each other and have little idea of who does what                                                                           
It would have to change an awful amount to make it a great place to work. staff are underpaid, with even other managers
recognising that staff are multi tasking in areas such as forensic accounting fraud detection yet get paid the equivalent of a
supermarket worker. The general atmosphere in the office is one of doom and unhappiness
                                                                          
It's not really clear what it means to be a Civil Servant or the wider MoJ family, there still seems to be an air of us and them, this
must be holding some people back from truly making the most of what is on offer and excelling.                                                                           
It's ok as it is.                                                                           
Job evaluation for grading throughout LAA and not just localised.                                                                           
Job security , better wages                                                                           
Job security ,we do not have the job security we had previously                                                                           
Job security is my biggest concern which is not something that I believe can be addressed Something else                                                                           
Job security would be a real plus. It would help if praise could just be praise, rather than 'you've done ever so well, but there's a lot
more to do yet. It gives an impression of whatever we do is just not good enough.                                                                           
JOB SECURITY
HONESTY RE DECISIONS RE REDUNDANCY
MORE CHANCES OF PROMOTION & DEVELOPMENT
SALARY INCREASES
                                                                          
Jobs advertised more openly. When recruitment is taking place within a directorate staff should be informed and introduced to one
another. More focus on staff development and not just KPIs. More desk space to allow for flexible working                                                                           
Just being left to get on with your job. Learning and
development                                                                           
keep doing what it is doing - keep momentum                                                                           
Keep fixed term contract employees more informed on the progress of reaching a decision regarding their contracts. I'm aware that
nothing can be decided until more is known, but the constant "we dont know yet and we'll tell you when we know" comments dont
help - I'd like to be told more about what's being done to make the decisions, be given an exact deadline of when we'll know by
(and have the deadline kept to!), and updated as and when anything changes or happens that could influence the decision I
understand it's a difficult decision to make, but there are people's lives and it's not right to keep people hanging on for news - in a
few months, a lot of people could be out of a job, and the impact this has on people needs to be considered more. We're
individuals, not just numbers on a contract.
Furthermore, I'd like more consideration to be given to those with health problems. I know that absence due to sickness needs to
be controlled and kept to a minimum, but I feel that the current policy of dishing out written warnings after (in my opinion not a great
deal of absences is unfair and promotes people coming in to work even when they're unwell - which results in them not recovering
or taking care of themselves enough, and other people becoming sick in turn. I feel the written warnings policy can be seen as a
subtle threat to employees, rather than a fair way of managing absence. It's all very well and good having an appeal process, but
employees with health problems shouldn't have this stress at work in the first place - rather than taking the number of absences on
paper, it should be considered more on an individual basis. There are always reasons, and those with health problems are often
discriminated against, I feel, with this policy.
                                                                          
Keep going the way it is, implement the suggestions.                                                                           
Keep heading in the same direction particularly getting more staff involved in [job title] decisions/ change processes                                                                           
Keep up the R&R process.                                                                           
LAA is a good place to work and the fairness and how one is treated I have never experienced previously in the private sector.
Very satisfied.                                                                           
LAA should have a formal way of recognising contributions of individuals who performs exceptionally in their day to day work                                                                           
LAA should mandate all future and current line managers to undertake interpersonal skills' related courses. Also, communication is
very important with the appropriate tone and pitch. And importantly, all managers need to know that every employee matters
regardless of their status. Respect and love are reciprocal. So, every employee deserve love and respect. Every employee
deserves te right to peace of mind to do their work.
Something else                                                                           
Lead from the top - Senior managers to say hello to all staff. To take pride in their staff by saying thanks and knowing people's
names.                                                                           
Learn lessons from current IDP project and this time, put them into practice in the next project.                                                                           
Less bureaucracy - simple things such as recording annual leave involve updating a diary, two spreadsheets and a paper record.
Greater empowerment of middle managers (Band As) - can often feel that they dont have sufficient confidence or ability to make a
decision or that they feel restricted by Senior Managers.
Greater confidence in working from home - it seems that there are mixed messages between departments and managers regarding
how often it should be used what criteria (if any) have to be met.
                                                                          
LESS CHIPS, MORE FISH.                                                                           
less constant focus on targets, more flexibility on performance management when offices are green. Performance
management                                                                           
Less corrupt in behind the scenes management. Maybe this is a localised issue.                                                                           
Less e-mails and meetings.
LAA working as a whole not departments trying to set there own policies and procedures and going rogue.
A more human touch from HR and the ability to listen
Deal with things in a way that is fair to all.
                                                                          
Less E-mails. Too many irrelevant E-mails are received on a daily basis. Senior management make decisions/changes which have
an impact on caseworkers however caseworkers are not consulted.                                                                           
Less emphasis on time standards and statistics which put pressure on caseworkers, which can cause errors, and which can make
caseworkers feel entrusted, and make they themselves feel like statistics                                                                           
Less exec team meetings. We're all very busy and spending 2 hours per member of staff listening to information that could be put
in an email is a gross misuse of tax payers money Communications                                                                           
Less focus on secondments to give people a clearer vision of their future, this is a particular problem for me at the moment. Abolish
the need to always advertise a job through the fair and open competition rule. Sometimes it is not required and the the best person
for a job when it's obvious who this is should be employed!!
                                                                          
Less form filling. For example ask a colleague if I have a query instead of filling out a form and receive the answer to my query
direct instead of on the form Team working                                                                           
Less Londoncentric. I am having to consider a career outside of LAA on the basis I am not based in London and cannot travel
every week                                                                           
Less meetings and presentations and focus back on consistency of work for providers/clients                                                                           
Less meetings for staff, less meetings between managers, quite often cannot find a manager as they are in yet another meeting!
Managers who dish work out fairly to all staff across the grade rather than just pass work to the ones they know will do it well whilst
the staff who are not so good at their job get left alone - almost like being rewarded for bad at their job - nothing ever happens or
changes with these staff and others who get more work to do get a bit sick of it!!!!!!!!
                                                                          
Less of an expectation to put work before life outside of work
More transparency and honesty when things aren't going to plan
An understanding of the impact that the above have on life outside work
Steps to help managers have the time to support their staff in their development
A HR service (shared services) that understand the LAA and can provide helpful and constructive solutions and advice to issues
and get things right the first time (an awful lot of time is spent / wasted dealing with their errors and chasing up things that haven't
happened)
Managers who demonstrate that the have an appreciation of the contribution their staff are making, listen to them and respect their
experience and opinions
                                                                          
Less of finger pointing for blame and more of 'lets just sort it out'. More people who are honest and not trying to hide behind
policies. People actually saying what they want rather than changing minds when someone raises concerns after it has been done                                                                           
Less of the endless shifting of the goal posts as regards procedures. A bit more use of common sense to solve everyday problems                                                                           
Less pressure to conform to time standards. The time standards (number of minutes expected for a piece of work to take) seem to
be based on the easier examples where everything goes smoothly, however in reality there can be a lot of very complex matters
where you need more time to think and analyse so I have to do a lot of work in my own time to achieve the time standards.
                                                                          
Less rejection of ideas/concerns raised that contradict a political message the programme wishes to present                                                                           
Less repetitive work.                                                                           
Less senior managers which would free up the budget for further caseworkers at a lower level. Better incentives and recognition for
hard work. Greater awareness of job opportunities.                                                                           
Less surveys Something else                                                                           
Less surveys.
An acceptance of the fact that it's ok to want to just come in, do your job and go home for some people and that doesn't mean they
are "bad" at their job.
Less management speak. If you only do ONE thing out of this whole exercise, please please please use less management speak.
                                                                          
Less temp staff and uncertainty around staffing
Communicating local changes more appropriately
Local managers (above team manager) need to be more approachable
                                                                          
Let individuals decide what team they would prefer to work in. If individuals are trained in other areas of work they should be able to
assist but not be taken out of a team they enjoy working in                                                                           
Let the PDS do its job of representing defendants charged with criminal offences rather than try to shoe [name] it into objectives of
the LAA such as putting victims first which as criminal defence lawyers we cannot do.                                                                           
Let us get on with our jobs without too much interference from senior management                                                                           
Lets get on with the day job My work                                                                           
Line managers need to be given more time to take care of their staff and more training to do so.
Due to work constraints my line manager is barely available which makes discussing problems with my work/workplace difficult.                                                                           
Line managers need to be more visible supervisors should actually be able to do the job they supervise. Re-evaluate the time
standards for work on means as they are out dated.                                                                           
Line managers to be more accountable. Line managers to be properly assessed for line management capability
Ensuring proper handovers when people leave.
                                                                          
Listen more to both staff and to our customers. Improvements have been made but I think we could still be better                                                                           
listen more to the frontline staff and consult before making changes that affect the way they work- agency is often reactive instead
or proactive and sometimes reacts in a short term way that creates more problems in the long term. Also look again at time scales
on processing casework- mistakes are made because not enough time is given to process properly
                                                                          
Listen to caseworkers who have ideas to improve work processing and team morale.                                                                           
listen to comments negative and positive and receive them exactly the same way.                                                                           
Listen to employees                                                                           s on their take on work rather than the chosen few.                                                                           
Listen to its staff, and then take action upon that.
Be more open and transparent
Stand by decisions.
Have someone accountable for decisions.
Remove the blame culture that has grown over the past few years.
                                                                          
Listen to people .Allow people to honestly speak about how they feel without being made to feel negative.Dont expect people to be
over engaged by having to participate in fun and games on.Sometimes trying to hard to make things too nice can be patronising
and create false picture.Mature people may not want to feel like they are working in a immature environment.If people are of a
lower grade and content at that level then make sure they are not stressed by having to deal or be put on by dealing with work
above their ability especially when higher grade staff should be dealing with it. Make sure managers challenge inappropriate
behaviour.
                                                                          
Listen to staff when they say they cannot squeeze any more time out of the current time standards and they should be re                                                                          ed
ASAP                                                                           
Listen when concerns are raised about the way we do or plan to do things and not dismiss it out of hand and criticise the individual
as being negative, especially when they put forward alternative solutions, then several months subsequently when others raise the
same issues implement those solutions causing delay and inconvenience.
                                                                          
location back to town centre instead of out in a particular bad rough area
Working
environment or
facilities
                                                                          
Long Coffee Mornings and meetings, Constant E-Mails that are far too long to read and do not always apply to the department we
are working in, to many forms to fill in overall a lot of time is spent doing these things and not enough time spent working supply
more desks, need resource to do work effectively ie more staff,
                                                                          
Longer opening hours, more opportunities to leave early.                                                                           
Lose the obsession with statistics Tell the truth at all times. More people actually doing work, less people counting other people
doing work. Engagement not simply being a way that a certain few use to get out of doing any work. Not introducing subjective
elements to assessing performance.
                                                                          
Maintain clear and cohesive management and communication                                                                           
Make development opportunities at Grade B (Band B2) more widely available and less London centric.                                                                           
Make it easier for those lower down the ranks to use their experience to influence decisions about what the LAA will do and how it
will do it.                                                                           
make more transparent and speedy the resolution of LSC - LAA regarding issues                                                                           
Make staff aware of bullying and harassment policies. ensure work is given fairly - I have felt for several weeks that my workload is
unmanageable and unrealistic.                                                                           
Make sure everyone is treated equally.                                                                           
Make work more interesting - I have never had such a boring job with so little job satisfaction All you get is criticism, not achieving
targets, not achieving QC and get aggressive feedback from suppliers. I thought a caseworker would take workload of a certain
area of work and develop relationship as I have done in the past. This is well paid data inputting and stupefying. I am glad to have
a job in the current climate and push myself hard to achieve and deliver but enjoy nothing about my work. I gain no job satisfaction
People outside work have noticed the difference in my personality since working here.
                                                                          
Making people have permanent contracts                                                                           
Making sure all teams in the LAA embrace a culture of continuous improvement rather than hold on to old values & ways of doing
things that doesn't chime with this                                                                           
Manage change better - we have no visibility of the change management teams and processes (central design authority,
programme and project managers, etc.) and it often feels that in Case Management we're the last to be told about the changes to
our working processes and procedures.
Managing change                                                                           
Manage change better.                                                                           
Manage change better: my feedback on this issue is still informed by the way in which the Chester office move has been handled
(ie badly. I also think that there was not adequate preparation my management for the LAR surge.
I often find that senior management (NOT my line manager), especially the [manager(s)] at my office, is too bust to deal with issues
which I raise. I can be very hard to have a face to face discussion when you want to talk about a pressing issue. The pace at which
decisions are made by senior management is slow and can be frustrating. As an example, there have been various ideas for
improvement to the way we work in relation of a pilot project I am involved in. I find that when suggestions for improvement are put
forward it can take months for any decision to be made and even longer before it is put into place. This does not encourage me to
put forward new ideas and attempt to solve problems.
I "see" my [manager(s)] frequently but I do think that person is accessible as they should be. iI realise they have many demands
upon their time but if some time each week/fortnight was put aside for face to face talks then this would be good. All to often emails
go unanswered or things are put on the back-burner and never brought up again
The communication of new guidance needs to improve Decisions are made but are often not communicated well across all teams
in all sites. I find ccbig a great resource but I am concerned that decisions are not being communicated as effectively as they could
be
                                                                          
Manage out poor performance so it stops other people doing more work to make sure the work is done                                                                           
Manage people better - a lot of people falling out and arguing and nothing is done about it. It makes it a difficult place to be.                                                                           
Manage poor performance effectively
Ensure HR policies and procedures are applied consistently regardless of location and team
Bring back and enforce core hours i.e. everyone must be in between 10-4
                                                                          
Management to be more transparent Staffing levels to be maintained so that there is room to be able to implement policies such as
part-time working and career breaks.                                                                           
Managers and supervisors take the role to actually manage their teams proactively. Not just show up and whinge on about how
they need to complete great number of work, which puts people off from engaging with them. I strongly believe that manager and
supervisor should engage with team members having one on one meeting. Where they can talk about: what they are happy with
what they might need help with is their training they would like to part take in.
Not just say on a team meeting “oh there is training out there, for look for yourself.” This type of comment annoy the [*@:!] out of
me, because if you dont do your work your not efficient enough. You get harassed over efficiency need to be above a certain
amount, this makes you feel as you dont have time to look into training. These one to ones should be regular eg every 2 weeks not
every 6 months. If you do this regularly you can maintain and track your progression
Encouragement, there is not enough of encouragement within teams. If you're a manager or supervisor, it is your duties to lead the
team. Encourage everyone give a motivational speech if it needs be. If idea neither good nor bad is given let us know why this idea
is not going to be implemented. At least then you can look back and evaluate this. You never know this fail now could lead to
further success in the future.
Just be more positive!!!
                                                                          
Managers and supervisors to be more hands-on with the team. Whilst I appreciate Team Managers have difficult roles (having
been one myself) I believe more engagement with their teams, for example a quick informal chat with team members first thing of a
morning, would go a long way to not only breaking down some of the "unapproachable" attitude team members feel but also their
visibility and shows they're taking an interest.
There are too many "groups" and "champions" which is beginning to muddy the water and, I believe, remove some of the
responsibility of managing a team from Team Managers and Supervisors to team members. Although this can have benefits for
team members such as personal development, I also feel that many of the issues raised by team members for example to Equality
Street are issues/concerns that perhaps shouldn't have got that far.
With the number of groups and champions I feel this is not helping with a consistent message, with some groups overlapping on
responsibilities, etc. It sometimes feels that while there are people who have additional responsibilities (such as being a champion,
etc) nobody actually TAKES responsibility even though I have no doubt that those people involved have the best of intention.
It sometimes comes across that although the company recognises there are issues, the people with the responsibility and means to
make an impact are not necessarily those that do so and are happy for others to do the work on their behalf.
I would suggest streamlining reducing the number of groups/champions.
I welcome the new PMR system being introduced as it's a similar system to what I have been used to in previous employment.
There has been very little (or no) consideration for behaviours to date and there has tended to be an attitude of 'we don't care how
you reach your targets as long as you do'. I also hope with PMRs that there will also be clearer and more defined objectives set.
                                                                          
managers need to be vetted more to ensure they are all at the required standard. More PMR moderation to be done                                                                           
Managers to have a better understanding and knowledge of the work undertaken as well as managing the team
Line management /
management
where I work
                                                                          
Managers who recognise hard work and reward the same rather than let poor performers off with very little work and pass the more
difficult and complex work to people who they know are competent. Maybe if I was more rubbish at my job I would get less work
and get left alone to do my allocation rather than get additional complex work because the managers cannot approach other staff
my level as they are "poor performers"!
                                                                          
Many national projects/developments still have a main base in London which prevents some candidates from applying for roles. If
we could do more to locate projects/developments around the LAA regional offices this would open the opportunities up further.                                                                           
Modern IT! our PC's, Laptops, blackberries and IT software are tragically out of date. Better pay! Private sector companies start my
role at nearly double what I'm paid. I dont expect to match that but it would be nice to be a little bit closer! Especially considering
the value of Money we are expected to manage.
                                                                          
MOJ policy and the no clear answer etc. I no longer feel like a person but just a number since going over to the MOJ.                                                                           
More accountability for managers in relation to poor performance .                                                                           
More action less of the acting. watching the Legal aid Agency develop is like watching a bad documentary on the birth of New
Labour - embarrassing and cringe-worthy believe in the message not on how the message is delivered.                                                                           
More appreciation by higher management of the case workers who process basic work day in, day out. Leadership                                                                           
More bonus' or pay rises would boost moral. Pay and benefits                                                                           
More career prospects in the regional offices, not just London                                                                           
More caseworker involvement in project and managing change.                                                                           
More certainty re contracts.Less of a blame culture & more flexibility to be able to offer colleagues support.                                                                           
More clarity and consistency on policies affecting things such as leave.                                                                           
More clarity in guidance for fee schemes. Difficult to do my job correctly when our guidance is so opaque and contradictory.                                                                           
More coffee mornings, regular attendance at TIBs by senior managers, open days for providers                                                                           
More collaborative working across directorates at a higher level eg discussing policies                                                                           
More communication from SLG members and more about how we work as part of MoJ                                                                           
more communication from the top to the bottom when change is to happen                                                                           
More communication regarding the future of various departments including Legal CPH and RMC                                                                           
More consistency across teams across the LAA. For example you often hear of the flexible rules being applied differently across
different teams even based on the same floor of the same building. Pay and benefits                                                                           
more consistency when training has been completed that you are able to use this and are given the work to do this                                                                           
more consultation in decisions made, particularly relating to casework. Efficiency time targets and increase in work makes us feel
like robots and not colleagues as we are expected to deal with this increase in work load and new rules,regs and procedure, yet
efficiency database does not take this into account. The usual rule of quantity vs quality.
                                                                          
More consultation on matters before decisions are made. There is often very little consideration for how such decisions will affect
caseworkers jobs and decisions that are then made to reduce problems are reactive and often not effective. If caseworkers had
been consulted initially they could have advise on potential issues and sufficient action could have been taken prior to the change.
                                                                          
more consultation with staff before changes are brought in, especially with those caseworkers who will have to deal with the
changes e.g Check-lists. More consistency between the offices. Some offices opinions seemed to be favoured over others
especially when it comes to opinions of staff, consistency issues, QC and interpretation of guidance.
                                                                          
more development opportunities in my area,
Would be nice to know whether im keeping my job in march, it is hard to feel attached or recommend this as a place to work as i
dont even know if ill be working here, no news has been given to us. we need direct answers not the wish washy rubbish we are
usually told.
                                                                          
More development opportunities in regional offices and less automatic centralisation of posts within London We have some very
capable and experienced staff in the regions who are fully committed to making the LAA an effective and efficient organisation. We
have the technology to support a more geographically flexible staff base - why dont we use it more.
Learning and
development                                                                           
More effective channels for providing feedback, better inter-team dynamics, change becoming less top-down.                                                                           
More effective management of poor performance Performance
management                                                                           
MORE EMPHASIS ON A JOB DONE WELL THAN FIXATION WITH "TARGETS" AND NOT JUST THROUGH THE REWARDS
AND RECOGNITION SCHEME, BECAUSE NOT EVERYONE CAN BE A STAR                                                                           
more emphasis on the quality of what we deliver rather than whether we have followed the right process in how we deliver it                                                                           
More encouragement to develop staff and widen their skill sets. The Legal Aid Agency has mentioned the 5 day development plan
for every member of staff, however I do not know any body who has been shadowed or mentored as I believe there is not enough
encouragement and support for this. Line managers should help out more in this area and at least point in a direction to help out.
                                                                          
more equality within colleagues not always the same people being asked to do something                                                                           
More face to face training - not solely dependent on on-line packages. For that training to be delivered comprehensively and in time                                                                           
More flexibility in allowing compassionate leave Pay and benefits                                                                           
More flexible working during the weekends, to offset hours during the working week (Mon - Fri).                                                                           
More focus on developing first class line managers as this is one area I feel is lacking within the LAA. Possibly even set training
courses for anyone with line management responsibility                                                                           
More focus on rewarding those that do a great job and to not get lost in the internal politics                                                                           
more focus on team building Team working                                                                           
More forward planning. At times workload is not spread evenly with several [job title] priorities all coming to a head at the same
time i.e. Civil [name] rejects; IDP transformation Legal Aid Transformation More thought needs to be given as to how we can
mange the timing of such initiatives better.
                                                                          
More high level opportunities outside London The world is getting smaller yet the civil service is too London-centric                                                                           
More honesty and integrity shown by my line manager when putting forward ideas for change or asking for personal training and
development. So far in my current role, I get the feeling that no matter how hard I work or how many training needs I address to
carry out my job effectively, the training I require has yet to be provided. My ideas to facilitate change for the better is very rarely
fed back whether positive or negative.
                                                                          
more input into working practices and confidence that we will be listened to and acted upon                                                                           
More interaction with other departments                                                                           
More internal & external training opportunities, greater communication between teams                                                                           
More involvement from front line staff in planning stages of projects / systems rather than at the end when systems designed.
Ensure relevant SLT members attend local offices                                                                           
more job certainty                                                                           
More job opportunities to progress to a higher grade in the field we work in, rather than having to change to a different type of job
completely to get promoted. E.g. Finance team not moving onto the phone team to be promoted, to be promoted within the Finance
team
                                                                          
More joined up thinking with MoJ (eg much info we need is on the MoJ intranet, but not linked to or mentioned on the LAA one
which we use every day).                                                                           
More joined up working in the MOJ                                                                           
More large lockers provided in Petty France to allow cycling and running to work.
Working
environment or
facilities
                                                                          
more money Pay and benefits                                                                           
More open and transparent recruitment procedures being carried out by a central recruitment team, instead of a localised
recruitment procedure. More recognition for a job well done More social sporting events, funding for sporting teams.                                                                           
More opportunities for career progression in regions - IT seems that many posts are restricted to London Given the opportunities
and facilities that exist for remote working surely it is not necessary for this to continue
Learning and
development                                                                           
More opportunities for development other than in London A lot of schemes which are introduced either in the main or solely focus
on the London Region Therefore, people in other places are already automatically disadvantaged when applying as they will need
to travel long distance (and foot the [name]) for inter                                                                          s and the actual placement will involve travel as well.
                                                                          
More opportunities for real promotion with consistent short-listing and selection process. Too many opportunities are offered with
one week to apply or 10 days. This leaves part-time workers at a disadvantage, and leaves processors at a disadvantage because
it's hard to take time out from processing to work on your application or meet with a manger for guidance. I'm not even clear if
applications for different positions should be done at work or in your own time. It would also help if the job descriptions were written
more in layman's terms or at least avoid huge amounts of jargon and acronyms, because some of them are impenetrable if you
don't already work within the specific department.
Learning and
development                                                                           
More opportunities for staff to become involved in project work, i.e. advertise when projects are available so staff can apply rather
than specific individuals being chosen as they sit close to managers or have been involved in previous project work.                                                                           
More opportunities of progression and learning. Although there might not always be opportunity to move up bands due to the
current situation of temps etc, I know some of us would still like the chance to be involved in higher roles in order to enhance CV's
and have a wider understanding of the processes.
                                                                          
More opportunities to progress                                                                           
more opportunities to spend one to one time with individuals across my remit - can see the benefits immediately when i can do this
and it results in both improved engagement and great suggestions from individuals as to how to make things better Leadership                                                                           
More opportunities to use skills you already have and have further training, for example in Information Technology and
management, especially for those on fixed term contracts as this would make them a more viable prospective employee
Also stop using words incorrectly, for example 'to cascade a leaflet' or 'Saturated by surveys'
                                                                          
More opportunity for caseworkers to learn new skills and exploit existing skills Learning and
development                                                                           
More opportunity for promotions without having to move teams in order to get a promotion. My work                                                                           
More options for development for temps as well as full time staff, when some temps have worked for the LAA for well over 3
months giving them the same rights as employees under law.                                                                           
more pay Pay and benefits                                                                           
More pay, more days off and free beer. Pay and benefits                                                                           
More pay, news that effect me delivered to me personally weeks prior to it happening                                                                           
More permanent contracts for fixed term staff.
More classroom based learning for Line managers to create networks across MoJ rather than LAA based.                                                                           
More permanent contracts would bring greater stability to the LAA and less knowledge would be lost as employees leave. Managing change                                                                           
More positive environment and put a less threatening sickness absence policy in place.                                                                           
More practical planning rather than inspirational planning i.e. IDP - we have known for some time the system was not ready and fit
for purpose but have not looked at the impacts and implications of delay.                                                                           
More promotional opportunities in the regions and not just London based. Although we are told we can apply for these, some
members of staff cannot commit to that level of travel each week.                                                                           
More realistic time scales for developing projects                                                                           
More recognition for case management. Senior management appear to believe the case working team do a straightforward
processing job when there is a lot more to the role than just inputting things onto a computer. The job often requires extremely
complex work which we are expected to do but which is not recognised, and there are many skilled caseworkers who feel that their
knowledge and hard work is not sufficiently understood. Other teams within the organisation also look down on case management
without good reason and make caseworkers feel belittled.
                                                                          
More recognition for knowledge of processes and correct decision making in line with Contracts and guidance in regards to
advancing in career. Currently the 'personal skills' take president over actual capability to make correct decisions on work
undertaken.
                                                                          
More recognition for the work you do and to be valued more.                                                                           
More recognition that staff who are not doing the "sexy" or "high visibility" jobs still make a significant contribution that enable
others to have the time to do those "sexy" or "high visibility" jobs . Something else                                                                           
More recruitment of lower grade staff, and less recruitment of higher grade managers. Also unfreeze pay for those who have not
joined the MOJ. Use redeployment of staff less by not using short term workers so much.                                                                           
More regular performance re                                                                          s. More acknowledgement of group success at a team level                                                                           
More security for existing staff                                                                           
More security in employment contracts.
More investment in longer term contracts (+1 year)
More transparency regarding, contract extension/termination.
Something else                                                                           
More social activities                                                                           
More social activities not just within local offices but nationally. Greater communication on a national level and greater
understanding of what everyone does both in civil and crime.                                                                           
More socials - but for everyone to take active involvement in setting them up rather than relying on a set number of individuals.
In order to become more rounded in my role i feel it would be beneficial to sit with other teams in finance to see what they do and
see how it feeds into my role.
For work loads to be evenly distributed between my team and that poor performance is managed quickly and robustly.
                                                                          
more staff engagement/interaction, transparency among some line managers, more useful, significant work responsibilities                                                                           
more standards across the different sections of the LAA as some do time sheets others do not and some do not even keep check
of their                                                                           
More streamlined change processes - MoJ issue.                                                                           
More streamlined information We're a bit bombarded with newsletters, intranet articles, weekly e-mails. I know this is as a result of
previous feedback about not communicating enough but it has to be meaningful communication rather than a scatter gun
approach. if I read every article, e-mail and newsletter thats sent to me I would't have time to do my day job. A good example is the
CM Newsletter. This is really useful as long as the articles aren't then re-hashed and sent again in e-mail form.
                                                                          
more structured and better training to give people more confidence and a better grounding to do the specific roles                                                                           
More Support for Line Managers with large teams.                                                                           
More support for managers. Civil service/MoJ devolve multiple activities (for example recruitment) back to individual managers, but
we need more resources to deliver these additional activities.                                                                           
More team building exercises. More communication between line managers and their teams. More interest shown to the staff and
in the work they do. Individual recognition /rewards done on a regular and equal basis.                                                                           
More team building opportunities. More visibility of job/activity opportunities, especially for those outside of London Team working                                                                           
More team spirit across the sections not just within them.                                                                           
More training and development opportunities. More opportunity to network. Greater visibility of opportunities - it often seems that it
is the staff of the London office who benefit most from promotion opportunities.
Learning and
development                                                                           
More training specific to role. This should happen more readily under the Civil Service protocol Learning and
development                                                                           
More training to improve development.
Poor performance that impacts on others should be dealt with more effectively.                                                                           
More transparency                                                                           
More up to date equipment and offices.
Working
environment or
facilities
                                                                          
More variation in work, incentives,                                                                           
MORE VARIETY IN THE ROLES UNDERTAKEN BY CASEWORKERS. IE TRAIN THEM TO BE ABLE TO DO MORE THAN ONE
TASK. My work                                                                           
More working together, collaboratively - Team building events/exercises Team working                                                                           
MOTIVATE STAFF REGULARLY. WE GET WEEKLY EMAILS FROM THE [SENIOR MANAGER(S)] WHICH ARE
ENCOURAGING BUT THIS SHOULD CONTINUE DOWN THE LINE OF MANAGEMENT                                                                           
Move away from blame culture and back to resolving matters as a team                                                                           
Move away from the obsession with targets and time standards. Managers must be aware that some pieces of work take the time
that they take and cannot all be quantified in the same way. The fact that many senior manager make reference to pieces of work
that do have more 'favourable time standards' speaks volumes to staff who deal with different allocations. I feel very strongly that
my contribution is only valued if I do half a job, not if I take time to complete something fully. It does appear that the lowest grade
caseworkers are the most heavily monitored staff in respect of time & quality, and I fear concerns that question this principle are
ignored as they are not want senior managers want to hear. A climate of fear if you fail to achieve time standards because of
factors you cannot control is never going to be a good thing for a staff morale or quality of work.
Opportunities to undertake further training ect. are severely limited due to this for many. I think many of the recent improvements
( electronic hand book /rates calculator) have had significant input from caseworkers. All organisations need knowledgeable staff
who are happy to more or less remain in the background, doing the job to the best of their abilities and being as productive as they
can. It appears the latest competencies and objectives require a more 'front facing approach' which will never sit comfortably with
everyone. A more inclusive approach whereby staff who just get on with the day to day job are valued in the same way as those
who wish to climb through the ranks would be nice.
                                                                          
My Blackberry - please replace it with a modern gadget that supports flexible working and is actually enjoyable to use. Who still
uses Bberries in their personal lives? But we all still have to peck away on tiny machines with tiny screens that cant show
documents etc
                                                                          
My managers                                                                           
My team needs to concentrate more on getting its work up to date - backlogs of embarrassingly elderly work are not acceptable
and affect both suppliers and applicants and hold up cases in the courts. Management seems to be a bit complacent about this
and should organise a blitz on the work rather than have lots of meetings, which do nothing to help alleviate the backlogs (quite the
reverse).
                                                                          
My wage continues to decrease year on year due to inflation being very much higher than our pay awards. I/we are asked to
continue to work to my/our high standards yet are given no financial incentive to do this. The LAA continues to rely on staff having
pride in their work to get the job done which I consider to be very short-sighted.
                                                                          
N/A - it's a great place to work                                                                           
Natural processes employed after periods of time toward natural progression promotion. Such as recommendation for promotion
from management, or recognised experience.                                                                           
New ideas are allegedly welcomed.Various colleagues and I have been fighting an uphill battle on a greasy slope in the face of a
hurricane to have our ideas even listened to, despite offering stats, figures and rational descriptions. Not always bu too often.                                                                           
New people into LAA are on MOJ pay and terms which mean they are often paid less than those employed by the LSC. All pay
should be made equal. Pay and benefits                                                                           
No changes as such. The uncertainty with the transition to MOJ and the further re                                                                          s of the Civil Service yet to come are the
main areas that impact upon my                                                                           s about working for the LAA.                                                                           
No comment Something else                                                                           
No issues - happy with the way things are going.                                                                           
no more pay freezes Pay and benefits                                                                           
No                                                                           s                                                                           
Noise levels in open plan
Working
environment or
facilities
                                                                          
Not a lot - other than deal effectively with behaviours of colleagues when reported instead of trying then realising the tactic did not
work, then leaving it hoping the issues will go away........                                                                           
Not applicable because the decisions are not the LAA's but rather through the MoJ.                                                                           
Not be so Londoncentric Inclusion and fair
treatment                                                                           
Not close the Chester office!! Something else                                                                           
Not much - there is much more consultation before changes are made now, but there is still some room for improvement                                                                           
Not so much pressure put on us with the work. a more relaxed atmosphere. Learning and
development                                                                           
Not sure                                                                           
Not sure My work                                                                           
Not taking caseworkers for granted who are not as outspoken as some other colleagues. Also when these caseworkers speak up
about issues that affect their day to day job and work enjoyment managers not then taking exception to the fact that they have
spoken up as they are not usually "outspoken". I think it is guilty of that a lot.
Line management /
management
where I work
                                                                          
not that much it is a great place to work                                                                           
Compared to some of the private firms I have worked for this is a great place to work                                                                           
Nothing fine the way it is.                                                                           
Nothing particularly overall - there are smaller more personal things.                                                                           
Now we are part of the civil service I would like to see more opportunities for inter service events to help build and share
experience and success. I would also like to see support groups more widely advertised as many people are not aware of things
like the LGBT networks etc. I also feel this would be a good way to advertise the LAA as a great place to work as we could be
recognised by companies like Stonewall. Separate to this I would also like to see the HR/pay process changed as I have had three
different incidents in the 7 months here which they have struggled to resolve and left me out of pocket.
                                                                          
Obsession with targets/ figures , absolutely no appreciation of a job being done well but done within target .Ankle snapping at
caseworkers "how many do you predict you will do today", when you have no way of knowing                                                                           
OFFER A PERMANENT JOB RATHER THAN A JOB BASED ON CONTRACT SO THAT PEOPLE CAN MAKE PLANS FOR
THEIR FUTURE AND THE FUTURE OF THEIR FAMILIES                                                                           
office location                                                                           
On a personal level I work for an office that is due to close yet we are regarded as one of the better performing offices who are
leading on the reject fix project. This seems nonsensical and I feel is effecting moral as more and more staff leave when in some
aspects they do not want. This office should not be closing and it is difficult to understand why we are being closed down and
exceptional skilled staff made to choose. To me the only thing that would make this a better place to work is to keep this office open
                                                                          
Once CCMS comes in (if it works) I would like to able to work remotely on occasions where it suits - at a "work hub" e.g. at court
buildings or other hot desk locations - all you really need is an internet connection. [NAME]'s commitment to this at Civil Service
Live has never been mentioned in the LAA but we're actually in great position to be able to make thing more flexible.
                                                                          
One point would be to revamp the Reject checklists and remove the three reasons and back it goes idea. It leads to double
handling.                                                                           
Openness, transparency and fairness. Managers being made to account for decisions they make and also employees having the
opportunity to feed into managers PDR's e.g. 360 degrees feedback.                                                                           
Out with the old and in with the new, one of the many problems within the LAA is that people in middle management have been in
the LAA/LSC for many, many years and have not moved with the times, they have outdated                                                                           s and are resistant to change.
Most Managers need to go on more training course to improve their skills with dealing with change and people, managers need to
understand they are there to support their staff, not the other way around.
                                                                          
Over the last year the Legal Aid Agency has done an excellent job of communicating difficult changes and difficult messages to
staff. The Executive Team are very approachable and encourage staff to speak / email them if they have ideas and concerns. I
like the way this is done through various communication mechanisms. This is what contributes to making the LAA a great place to
work. Please continue to do this, don't reduce these communications.
                                                                          
Overall, I think that the Legal Aid Agency is a fantastic place to work. The head of my team is very passionate and enthusiastic
about the work of the team and encourages me to learn and develop. I am very lucky to have the pleasure of working with them
and I am grateful for the experience I have gained with the LAA. I would like there to be more certainty in decisions affecting my
future and the future of my team (I am on a fixed term contract but I would love to stay on for as long as possible - maybe even on
a permanent basis).
                                                                          
Overly I do enjoy the work I do, I have gained alot of interpersonal skills and have learnt new skills, this is been out of my job
description I have worked on projects to assist senior managers, to help them with weekly statistics, however I do not always feel
this is valued. I like the flexi system which enables me to manager my private life and work life, which is very beneficial. I do
however feel some managers dont deal with caseworker queries straight away and seem to give their concerns less importance.
Overly I do feel this job is good stepping stone for exposure to working life, however I would not aspire to stay on a permanent
basis. I feel there is no progression and recognition is not given to the ones who deserve it the most.
                                                                          
overtime rates for part time staff Pay and benefits                                                                           
pay increase Pay and benefits                                                                           
pay re                                                                          s in all locations. Pay and benefits                                                                           
PAY RISE                                                                           
PAY RISE, MOVE TO NEWCASTLE                                                                           
pay scale - differ alot with different grades, (as all grade staff could be doing the same job but different pay)?                                                                           
Pay that realistically reflects living costs of regions and the city they are based in. There is no reason (now that we are deemed a
national organisation as opposed to regional) why career opportunities/promotions for some posts cannot be carried out in any of
the offices and not specifically London or ST or Liverpool
                                                                          
pay the staff more money Pay and benefits                                                                           
Pay to be comparative with similar jobs in other businesses/agencies. More certainty of future employment as I have been on a
temp contract for 21 months.                                                                           
PAY US BEFORE CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! STOP MAKING MISTAKES WITH [NAME] WAGES                                                                           
People value job security and knowing where they stand. It would be helpful if there was more honesty and transparency in terms
or letting people know about future head count reduction and whether they have a future role in the organisation. Activities to
encourage staff engagement seem quite superficial in                                                                            of the stance taken by some senior managers on certain matters.
                                                                          
planned progress not reaction to change Managing change                                                                           
Properly deal with staff with performance and attendance issues - even where managers are willing to do so they are continually
hamstrung by HR policies and processes and advice. It is always a case of 'give them another chance' or 'carry out another report'.
This is especially rich given that the HR help desk is one of the things that (along with the ATOS help desk) also needs to be
greatly improved Help is not something that is easily found when using either of these services.
The engagement or 'making work a better place' stuff needs to calm down now - it feels as if it is being stuffed down my throat and I
dont see that it is helping as it is always the same people that take part or contribute. There are some people that never do, and
those are the people that needed more engagement in the first place.
The D&G processes and time scales need to be re                                                                          ed. They do not take into account that staff may be innocent of what they
have been accused of. The process also needs to ensure they are kept more informed of progress and results rather than the
person making the complaint.
                                                                          
provide better opportunities for individuals i.e. in terms of career development and finding time for caseworkers to do this.                                                                           
provide clear job descriptions for each role                                                                           
Provide genuine succession planning opportunities and be a bonus-driven culture driven by performance My work                                                                           
Provide regular training for the managers on being an effective manager. Refreshers course.
Line management /
management
where I work
                                                                          
Provide training on time. My work                                                                           
Providing more desk space - Lack of desk space creates inefficiency and defeats the object of working in teams when people are
unable to sit together because there are insufficient desks allowed for each team. While this may be workable for teams where
members are regularly out of the office, where the team is office based this just causes problems and means that people waste
time hunting for a desk to use.
Removing open plan working - Open plan working is also disruptive and makes it hard to concentrate when there is excessive
amounts of noise. While it is sometimes useful when needing to speak to people from other teams it is more often problematic
because of the noise levels. It is also unpleasant when members of staff are inappropriately spoken to by senior managers not only
in front of their own team but in front of other teams as a result of the open plan environment. While I have not been on the
receiving end of such treatment I have witnessed it and this in itself is uncomfortable and makes me want to leave the LAA as I do
not want to be subjected to this.
                                                                          
Providing the right tools for the job that we do, not just what suits the management. E.g mobile phones that we can answer hands
free when on 'call out' and be able to access the 'on line diary'.                                                                           
Quicker recruitment processes to ensure we aren't short staffed for long periods of time putting extra pressure on the whole team,
meaning that we lose development opportunities in order to stay in target.
Performance related pay
                                                                          
Quicker,better, more reliable IT. To be able to invest in IT to benefit everyone.                                                                           
Quickly evaluate the level of staff needed for the future and award permanent contracts to the personnel currently on FTAs who
merit them.                                                                           
Quite simply more scope for advancement within the finance team in Bristol.                                                                           
Re open the cafeteria
Working
environment or
facilities
                                                                          
Re: Performance management ; greater emphasis on rewarding staff who demonstrate a strong work ethic, show a degree of
loyalty to the Agency; demonstrate good attendance record & strong sense of duty ; reward those who champion a sense of
positivity around the teams they operate in. It is people like that, that make this place a good place to work.
                                                                          
realistic targets My work                                                                           
really embrace engaging with staff by trusting staff as responsible adults to be able to make a contribution. Teach managers that
we are people, not "reports"  teach managers that they can learn a lot from respecting and listening to the people they work with
To be part of a team, we need to feel valued as an individual Value what people say but letting them actually say it, even if you
dont like it.
Stop "engagement" meetings. Stop managing down. It is a waste of time and patronising. Let the team own what we think we can
do to make the LAA better, and dont panic if that includes criticism of particular manager/s.
                                                                          
Recently additional layers of management have been added to the structure. Once again the LAA appears to becoming very
senior manager heavy. Reduce the number of meetings and relax the stress on "engagement" - we get it. Let us get on with our
jobs without having to get excited about endless "engagement" exercises (most of them for some reason involving cake).
                                                                          
recognise that my grade is not on the same level and the general MOJ level D's. That my grade is entitled to remain on its original
pay scale.                                                                           
Recognise that not everybody needs to be involved in every single group or event. More importantly those who shout the loudest
are the ones who are given most credit. What about the quiet people who consistently get on with their jobs? If we were all
involved in as many groups, ideas forums, meetings etc. then who would do the job they were employed to do?
                                                                          
Recognition for doing a good job. if you do unpopular activities such as QC or have to provide feedback you don't get nominated
for rewards by your peers. Other caseworkers tend to get rewarded or promoted if their face fits rather than on how they do their
jobs
                                                                          
Recruit people capable of actually doing the job; tackle poor performance; make recruitment and selection processes fit for
purpose; improve the daily working experience rather than just using "engagement" as an occasional sticking plaster for
disengaging management culture the rest of the time.
                                                                          
Recruitment - since becoming LAA there is no open & transparent recruitment based on merit. It is jobs for the boys. There are
different rules depending on what team you work in.
Senior staff & executives have absolutely no idea about engagement or how to motivate staff. There is a complete lack of
awareness.
Inclusion and fair
treatment                                                                           
Reduce the dependence on workers on temporary contracts.                                                                           
Reduce workload rather than just pass tasks around.
Make more of an effort to minimise environmental impact through provider contracts and changing individuals' behaviour within
Petty France.
                                                                          
Regular feedback - both positive and negative. More realisation from management when you are struggling that your usual
demeanour has changed and support is needed.
Communications needs to be greatly improved Often changes aren't communicated until after they have been implemented. The
change from LSC to MOJ was particularly poorly managed, with people being made to make decision on their terms and conditions
without actually have full and accurate information
                                                                          
Regular interaction with members of staff                                                                           
Re-In state the canteen or offer some alternative
Working
environment or
facilities
                                                                          
Removal of "TIBs" - this is something we have to do everyday but people within my team find it such a chore as we don't always
have things to talk about so seem pointless.
Better pay to reflect the amount of work you do.
                                                                          
Remove the central postal hub as a way to manage incoming work, this has set our customer service levels & reputation back a
huge degree. This has also meant that the LAA seems to have gone back to the "silo" working mentality that we had worked to
eradicate, which leads to no-one taking responsibility for managing work.
                                                                          
Remove the differences in the MOJ policies. HR processes or
procedures                                                                           
resolve frustrations with technology and increase abilities to work with the confidence that technology is supporting us.                                                                           
Resolve the fixed term contracts issues.                                                                           
resolve the seating issues as there are always questions regarding the amount of available seating on our floor. A more relaxed
approach would be welcome - we all understand we have important work to do but "down time" throughout the day is always a
welcome break. Give us the tools we need to do our job effectively.
                                                                          
Re                                                                           current pay freeze Pay and benefits                                                                           
Re                                                                           the pay against the responsibility of the role
Make change happen quicker
Re                                                                           the time spent on collating management information and the real impact this has on the business as well as the overall
need for this information
                                                                          
Re                                                                           the time standards for certain areas of work and stop the micro management of staff which would help reduce stress levels                                                                           
Reward experience and loyal staff who have worked with the agency since it was known ad the Law Society Legal Aid Board etc
but appear to have been left behind with regards pay increases and frozen pay                                                                           
Salary Pay and benefits                                                                           
Seeing local managers engaging more with their teams, taking keen interests in their teams, having the courage of their convictions
to deal with difficult situations, not seeing local managers relying heavily on their deputies to do what I consider to be work they
should be doing I believe a good manager needs to make their presence known be firm but fair, I dont see this. I feel managers
should be strong visible leaders who you aspire to be like, this is not the case for the team I work on. Employ managers who do the
job well, interact with their teams, have great working relationships with their teams, give praise & recognition when its due, I see
very little recognition from my manager which is a shame as this would allow staff to feel they are valued which in turn will make
staff want to work harder, it all has a knock on effect. If only managers would try it out, start to thank individuals for their efforts,
make this publicly known in TIBS but lets not see nominations coming from colleagues & managers just countersigning them, that
means nothing as they didn't prepare the original nomination its just policy that they had to countersign it & agree to the comments
made by colleagues. Lets see more senior managers giving out recognition too, this would have a huge impact on how staff felt if
praise was coming from senior managers, I know there are some individuals who do their upmost to help the business, do work
outside their day to day job but get very little recognition for this, again this needs to be recognised. Let managers change their
ways start to recognise the great work being done & I firmly believe the company will reap the benefits, its all about showing staff
how much they are appreciated. Think about it, if someone tells you you did a great job, how does that make you feel? Good,
chuffed, thrilled to bits, well its all has knock on effect to how that person feels & reacts in work on a day to day basis, please work
more on recognising staffs efforts, you really will see the benefits.
                                                                          
Senior Caseworkers paid a higher amount to reflect their skills , knowledge, experience and qualifications! - not just "A2" Band D
(starting salary 19k). These are the people that single handedly ensure the their own teams, offices and the LAA runs smoothly and
effectively, these are who providers deal with on a daily basis, it takes years and years to acquire this amount of knowledge.
extremely valuable to the organisation.
In private sector, in an equivalent position senior caseworkers would be paid double/treble.
Also - a lot of "A1" staff, e.g. Escape cases, whereby they should clearly be A2, the work they carry out is highly technical and
they're one of few in the country that are responsible and capable to carry out this work.
We are never going to attract great minds/graduates with starting salaries for certain jobs which require a high level of technical
expertise being £16k. Just saying'!
For the record, I am neither a senior caseworker or part of the Escape case team. My                                                                           s are independent and do not reflect any
member or the team as a whole.
                                                                          
Senior Management should listen to their staff and not act in a bullying or intimidating way.                                                                           
Senior managers and Executives need to publicly and privately demonstrate the key values, behaviours and competencies, and be
seen to do support them not 'do as I say, not do as I say'. Unacceptable behaviour and conversations get out and around.                                                                           
Senior Managers making positive and effective decisions, which they are prepared to defend and be accountable for.
Recognition of genuine success and commitment - and this should be done by managers without the need for nominations from
colleagues. I.e. Genuine awareness by managers of what their staff are doing
Managing poor performance: At the LAA it is apparent that poor performing staff are not necessarily managed as effectively as they
should be, or with at adequate level of response. If specific staff members are not encouraged to change their attitudes/habits in
the workplace or are allowed to continue 'taking advantage' it has an extremely negative impact for immediate colleagues and the
wider organisation.
There has been a huge focus on engagement in the past year but I am not convinced that it can always be described as "genuine"
engagement. Simply telling staff they are being engaged or need to engage themselves does not necessarily equate to meaningful
engagement in which staff feel valued for the work they do and empowered to voice their opinions or concerns. There have been
recent engagement events at which staff have raised specific concerns, but the response from senior staff has been vague or
unrelated to the issue. To feel properly engaged staff need to be assured that managers do take note of specific issues that are
affecting specific staff, and that these issues should not simply be brushed under the carpet in order to promote an illusion that we
are working in an "engaged" environment.
                                                                          
Senior Managers/Exec Team Members being taught about how to behave properly and how to treat their team well.                                                                           
Settled future in which we will know the impact CCMS is likely to have on staff numbers and also the future for the continued
assistance for Legal Aid funded clients.                                                                           
Share SLG objectives with staff.                                                                           
Sincere inclusion and fair treatment for all! A focus on genuine people management will make LAA a better place to work.                                                                           
So much focus again has been put on job opportunities in London if we could see more outside of this 1 city it would be positive                                                                           
Some confidence that permanent contracts will be offered. It is very difficult to plan for the future and move on in life (such as
secure a mortgage) without the security of a permanent contract. Likewise, efforts by senior management to encourage
engagement and discussion there of, are very difficult to stomach in the climate of office closures and fixed term contracts.
                                                                          
Some of the changes that are taking place are imposed political decisions, and I disagree with many them, so it is difficult to see
how these could be changed.
However it would be nice to have a clearer picture of what the future holds. I work in civil case management and it is still unclear
what the future holds for us. One minute we are being told that we can expect over 200 job losses by April 2014 and then we are
told that might not be the case. Then there is the question of how these potential losses will be achieved, redundancy or natural
wastage through reduction of temps / contract staff. Then there’s talk of some criminal work currently done by the courts being
transferred to the LAA but it is unclear where that work will go and how it will be staffed.
There are also no opportunities to develop a career in civil case management, unless you wish to micro manage staff and be tied
up with endless amounts of stats / worksheets.
I am also concerned that there is still very much the ‘them and us’ culture between departments in 102 PF.
                                                                          
Some of the management in Case Management retains an attitude that is not always constructive and breaking down these
barriers would help our day jobs.
It remains a challenge in several areas to establish who is responsible for something and who can then take ownership of a
problem and this can lead to frustration and wasted time spent trying to work out who can (& should) be doing something. For
example, I recently had a problem with a provider getting a refund following payment of a Claim2 but I could find no-one to take
responsibility for dealing with it (we tried Cash Office, Finance Queries, & Payment Info and kept getting referred between them -
thanks eventually to [NAME] who got someone to deal).
                                                                          
Some sort of trolley service in the mornings for snacks and hot drinks. Something else                                                                           
Sometimes those with the power to make decisions say the right things but dont always follow that up with action especially if there
is a cost even though the agreed action is the right thing to do and is within their power                                                                           
Sort out the situation with the canteen. No consultation was conducted before hand.
Working
environment or
facilities
                                                                          
sort out the technology to enable working from home
Working
environment or
facilities
                                                                          
sort the temporary contracts out My work                                                                           
Spend more money on fixing existing problems with our IT systems and improving our IT systems, not because it is necessary but
because it will give a better user experience.
Have the capability for our systems to operate on multiple IT systems and browsers, rather than hoping everyone is using IE7
(which they aren't).
Give people the ability to work towards externally recognised qualifications, even if it is not directly relevant in their current role.
For example, PRINCE2 is a very popular project management course which many people would like to complete as it is useful in
many environments. Currently it is only available externally at substantial cost, I'm sure access to online materials could be
purchased across the MoJ or for the civil service learning site. People would happily to pay to take an exam if they had the time
and access to materials to learn.
                                                                          
Staff arguments need to be sorted out and settled effectively by managers
Working
environment or
facilities
                                                                          
Staff need to feel more valued                                                                           
Staff not taken for granted & acknowledgement of the extra work we often have to do                                                                           
Stop being crisis driven and more co-operation between departments and external agencies.                                                                           
stop contracting out services / supplies to private sector organisations who overcharge , under deliver and couldn't give a toss
about service or requirements eg ATOS                                                                           
Stop discriminating against people with mental health problems. It makes a mockery of [NAME] signing up to mental health
initiatives to combat discrimination.
Stop making top down decisions on matter such as new standard operating decisions and IT. Ensure that caseworkers at the
frontline of assessing Legal Aid are consulted.
                                                                          
Stop having 2 hour long meetings that dont tell you anything. Communications                                                                           
Stop hypocrisy - e.g. senior managers criticising teams for booking last minute trains but changing dates and times of meetings at
the last minute.                                                                           
Stop 'management type words' and acronyms. Eg 'Engagement'                                                                           
Stop penalising people for speaking their minds. Suppression of dissent, whether by direct means, e.g. "your negative attitude is
unhelpful and shows a lack of team spirit" or by ring-fencing dissenters, is poor business and means that management reporting is
hopelessly inadequate.
                                                                          
Stop pushing Engagement activities on staff, not all staff wish to join in the sessions or feel it forms part of their day to day jobs.
Some people wish to come in complete their work and then leave. I understand that some people do feel it benefits them however i
do believe it is pushed onto people who may not feel the same
                                                                          
Stop putting pressure on people to all kinds off extra things, for nothing Learning and
development                                                                           
Stop trying to force people into taking part in group exercises. Some people just want to come in and do a good job then go home
and forget about work and spend time with Family. This now seems to be getting harder and harder as line managers are saying if
no one will volunteer than they will be made to do group exercises.
                                                                          
Subject to good performance a pay rise that at least kept pace with inflation                                                                           
Support for managers when they have to make difficult decisions, and when they are managing staff performance and behaviours.                                                                           
Support managers more. In a transitioning environment, too much HR competence is expected of managers and the forums for
sharing best practice aren't in place.                                                                           
Support staff who has a need to work from home in a better way.
Working
environment or
facilities
                                                                          
Systems - IDP can't be launched soon enough.                                                                           
Tackle bad behaviour and negativity head on. Really highlight that colleagues can raise issues & concerns but in the right way.
Emphasise that feedback needs to be constructive, not just negative without offering solutions. SMT already offer telephone days
etc which are a great idea but tend to appeal to colleagues who want to have a good moan. As an organisation we need to spend
our time with colleagues who are positive have the right attitude, good behaviour and are full of ideas to make the LAA a better
place to work.
                                                                          
Tackle inappropriate behaviour effectively and manage people better.
Listen converse with people doing the work before making decisions which effect their work particularly when we don't agree with
the decision made.
Ensure employees are competent enough to do the work they are given It is incredibly annoying seeing some appoint a certain
work such as QC or appeal admin when they don't have the necessary skills to carry out the task.
Better communication with providers, it is understandable why they get frustrated and don't know how to submit claims because we
are forever changing our minds and not consulting providers on this.
                                                                          
Tackle poor behaviour low attendance and people not working their proper hours. People who do a good job are put upon more
than people who do not complete their work load rather than tackling the issue.                                                                           
tackle poor performance Performance
management                                                                           
Tackle unacceptable behaviour, and create a workplace where everyone is expected to act professionally, regardless of their
personal feelings in respect of anyone else All too often it feels like working in a playground environment with some managers
seemingly reluctant to engage with certain individuals and tackle inappropriate behaviour.
Invest in our IT and create the systems/tools we need to manage providers effectively. All too often the response seems to be that
we can't improve our IT because it's too expensive we do have the resource etc etc and we experience the same problems year
after year with progress only actually being made/action taken when we reach crisis point with regard to system functionality.
                                                                          
Tackling poor performance and "undesirable" staff behaviour needs to improve in order to make the LAA a top-class place to work.
Hard working committed staff sometimes feel undermined and let down by unreliable or occasionally unapproachable colleagues
HR processes or
procedures                                                                           
Take a more realistic approach to the resources (human and otherwise) required to do certain work.                                                                           
Take away the work sheets. You sometimes feel rushed to get through work some days, leading to getting stressed. Other days
you can complete your work load and just take some more until you log off.                                                                           
Take caseworkers more seriously.
Assess senior caseworkers and supervisors more closely.
More management development opportunities.
More learning opportunities in general.
Perhaps offer college courses to staff to aid their development?
                                                                          
Take more effective steps to control work flow and more effective and consistent management                                                                           
Taking action when ideas are advanced for improving things                                                                           
Taking more notice of [name] personal needs and giving feedback to individuals rather than the team overall. For managers to be
more aware of the social aspects of the team and to recognise if someone is feeling alienated.                                                                           
Team Away days Team working                                                                           
Technology system changes, for example file requested can                                                                            it electronic method is so the file will not get lost. This is the time
when IDP will come in. The sooner the better.
Overtime is needed for extra cash.
                                                                          
Tell the different teams exactly how the changes will effect that certain team                                                                           
The [job title] gripe I have with working at the LAA is the way some local "senior managers (and I am not referring to my line
manager) bully staff and treat them like (naughtily) school children. The pettiness of it all is and draconian enforcement of rules
quite ridiculous. Complaints made against people such as this in the past have not been upheld and I have very little confidence
they would be considered fairly in the future.
A decent, inflation based pay rise would be good, since we haven’t had one for almost half a decade.
                                                                          
The ability to be promoted within the LAA rather than having to leave to move upward                                                                           
The Agency needs misses opportunities to give staff learning experiences outside of civil service learning,for example why not let
everybody have the opportunity of presenting some element of a TIBS Meeting this would give the team actual involvement in the
presentation and give them public speaking skills.Give staff at lower level more responsibility not just the people that in their
personal                                                                            have the skills.I have been here long time and not once have i actually been given chance to mentor or be
responsible for anything while staff who have been here less than 3 years have been given the chance to do new things,therefore
someone might think what is the point of learning opportunities when at local level your line manager doesn't think you are capable
of doing something.
I feel very confident i could be a team leader or manager however there is no way in my                                                                            that my managers would even
contemplate me having a opportunity to achieve this.
The same people present TIBS meetings we should be getting EVERYONE involved in the weekly TIBS Meeting.
Senior Management need to consult staff at local level more before making decisions.
For example our work storage places changed overnight without any manager actually explaining in detail why this was being done
which gave the impression that senior managers really dont care how decisions affect them.
Im personally trying to improve staff engagement by holding events within the office and trying to have positive effect within the
team.
Management need to listen to staff at local level more not just impose things without taking staffs                                                                           s into account before taking
decisions.
trust in [name] ability not just there own                                                                            of whether someone can do something.
One decision that i could not understand was opening the office on Christmas eve last year the reason given was for customer
service reasons which meant legal caseworkers left early while admin had to stay to answer the phone till 5 [govt minister(s)]- the
actual facts were that we received only 3 calls all day hardly any post etc the cost effectiveness of opening the office in these
circumstances would not pass a cost benefit test and if you closed the office would leave staff thinking you appreciated the hard
work they had done for you during the previous twelve months.
The cost effectiveness of training days for teams to other offices does not make sense for example 30 x £ 50 = £1500 in price of rail
tickets when one or two people could have delivered the same presentation by video conference or come down to brighton for the
day saving at £1400 ie 2 people coming down.
                                                                          
The attendance Policy which has the potential to discriminate against disability
Greater financial reward for the level of responsibility I hold
Re-evaluate the cuts in scope
                                                                          
The chance to develop into a new role, lots of jobs are currently ring fenced to budget codes and there appears to be no way to
cross over to a different team.
Our team has very little communication and we have a TIB that is only updated when it has to be because some one senior is
visiting.
                                                                          
The changes that are coming through the engagement champions aren't at a fruition stage, however, I am enjoying the changes
that are coming through, particular to team events. Maybe more should be done nationally in this regard.

I am aware that this is the only free text available throughout the survey. This may place the survey at a disadvantage as people
may have waited until the end to enter feedback. There are some questions within the survey that I am not comfortable with for
example, I have been asked do I have a strong personal attachment with the LAA. No I do not, but this is due to my status as a
fixed term appointee. I enjoy my work, I enjoy coming to work, I get involved with the organisation, but I can't allow myself to
become personally attached, because my employer has the flexibility to terminate my contract. As a result of this and my status as
a fixed term appointee I cannot apply for a mortgage or move house. I am happy in my work but not secure. As a result I am
actively seeking employment outside the LAA, which is not what I want to be doing
Another question has asked when I you want to leave the LAA (CO1). I do NOT want to leave, this is the problem. With the majority
of the workforce in temporary contracts the LAA retains control, thus placing its workforce at disadvantage. I believe the LAA work
force has skills and qualifications that the LAA has not tapped into, I personally would like to say at the LAA and progress to SMT
level.
                                                                          
The changes that have been made have been necessary and are positive however the changes (staff engagement) should be
done gradually. Senior Managers are asking for volunteers to present meetings, attend meetings and although this is vital, staff feel
pressurised into thinking they are going to be asked to present etc and this is not everyone strong point.... It sometimes feels like
you cannot say "No" to something you may not feel comfortable doing
It would be nice to build confidence between teams (smaller group meetings) like the lunch "n" learn sessions are a good idea as
more than one person from your team attends and helps individual confidence/engagement. Lunch "n" Learn sessions should be
implemented more.
                                                                          
The company should strive to excellence performance, have a strong customer satisfaction focus, staff satisfaction and a good
operational process. continue encouraging people on improvement to acquire new knowledges and new skills.                                                                           
The concentration on targets is ridiculous and the pressure being placed on us is unmanageable.
I appreciate how important targets are for SMT but the way this is communicated to the front line adds pressure and can be
unbearable.
we are working at full capacity and cannot do anymore and if we can do anymore I don't see why it should be pushed any further
when the current targets are well within our service level agreements. Every time a category of work is completed quicker than
initially planned the target days reduce and this is used as a precedent going forward.
the weekly efficiency and non process stats are a bit of a waste of time. individuals tend to work to their capacity and if their non
process is higher than usual then is because a task has been set which needs to be completed. providing war and peace on why it
is high each time this occurs if a waste of time and resources.
I feel like I need to justify my working week in order to fit the norm in respect of targets.
                                                                          
The drive for engagement is the right way to go but perhaps some of the time spent should also focus on how well supported line
managers are, rather than just front line staff.                                                                           
The executive team listening to people on the front line more                                                                           
The focus on managing under performance is a good one and is true for all teams. It must extend (and be seen to extend) to staff
at senior levels where poor (especially controlling) behaviour has been tolerated for too long.
Performance
management                                                                           
The grading system as this has caused the majority of issues since transfer                                                                           
The hot desking policy. It doesn't engender a good working environment if there are not enough desks for a team to be able to
work properly at. there is not nearly enough space for work to be stored because of the absurd policy of locking papers away every
evening.
                                                                          
The internal recruitment process of staff.
I suggest the use of external regional managers to screen score the applications to eliminate/reduce bias and promote impartiality
thereafter they also be involved in the moderation process to further promote transparency
                                                                          
The introduction of progression and promotion based upon exceptional performance.                                                                           
The LAA as become very much a process/target organisation from what was a people organisation. You are managed/performance
managed by a series of targets in which you have no involvement in setting and then your 'objective is to met that target which in
effect is someone else's objective This is a way of managing a business and many businesses are run this way but the LAA is
hypocritical in that it brands itself as an organisation where you "set" your objectives, (which in fact are short term targets), when
in reality the centre does this and then you are just expected to meet them. Fine but the organisation needs to be up front about
this.
                                                                          
The LAA is already a great place to work, it really listens to [name] concerns and trys if possible to accommodate ideas , where
that is not possible it explains why. I am new to case management and have never felt more welcome in any role than I have in
case management
                                                                          
The LAA would be a better place to work if the split between different parts of the Agency (Civil, Criminal, IT, Service Development,
etc.) and between different teams within those parts were lessened. There is too big a divide, which makes it difficult to feel
involved with the agency as a whole, impairs the organisation's flexibility and agility, and leads to some parts being busier (or
perceiving themselves to be) than others.
                                                                          
The Legal Aid Agency is already a great place to work.                                                                           
The Legal Aid Agency needs to be less 'civil service' in its approach and to place more store in the positive contribution it makes to
society rather than falling in line with the MoJ's way of doing things.                                                                           
The Legal Aid Agency should offer existing staff Permanent Contracts rather than Temporary Contracts. I feel that if all staff are
Permanent rather than Temporary this would help with the focus on Engagement and Staff Engagement. At the moment their
remains uncertainty around staff who are on Temporary Contracts.
Something else                                                                           
The line management culture needs to drastically change. At present management is run on the basis of favouritism, with little or
no consideration of fairness when recruiting or treatment of staff. There are also too many [manager(s)]s with ill defined or pointless
roles. This grade is very over staffed, and seems to exist to provide individuals with jobs.
                                                                          
The lines of communication at present are the best they have ever been so keep up the good work Communications                                                                           
The Location of the office.
Working
environment or
facilities
                                                                          
The managers could try, oh, I dont know, managing? There appears to be a great reluctance to 'manage and a huge emphasis on
'being our friends'; when I have commented this to a manager I got the response 'be careful what you wish for'.
Many of the questions in this survey have asked for feedback around the issue of whether the organisation are open to us giving
our opinions and ideas. We probably can't be faulted for that, as we are often encouraged to express ourselves. What has longsince
started to [name] on people is that this is a tick-box exercise and nothing will be done with our ideas, opinions, or feedback.
Our ability to manage change would be smoother and less painful if the organisation took notice of the opinions of the people in the
basement who know how things work and are likely to be effected, rather than the Exec Team sitting in the penthouse being paid to
theorise about what is going on or likely to happen. The Surge was a shambles on the ground - I'm not sure whether that was
reflected in the corporate video that was sent around as no one that I've spoken to had the software to be able to run the whole film
(mine got stuck at 1:49 mins) - and our somewhat cavalier approach to ensuring that we stayed in target has now started to cause
problems for clients.
We are not encouraged to think of our colleagues in other offices as "us" rather than "them" , so often our actions thwart each
other. Some offices run the (unofficial?) policy that they cannot e-mail individual caseworkers in another office. This is ludicrous,
time-wasting, counter-productive to the organisation running efficiently and re-enforces the notion that we are each other's rivals.
                                                                          
The obsession with saving money Some areas e.g.staffing are curtailed leaving some teams struggling while funds are always
available for 'projects'which may or may not add value to the business. Also I have a feeling of certain people having a meteoric
rise to fame which smacks of favouritism & face fit scenarios.
                                                                          
The option to work a weekend as part of a normal working week should be made available for those who struggle with child care
costs. Something else                                                                           
The pay should reflect the degree of responsibility given for the work undertaken. In the previous civil service departments I've
worked in over the last 32 years, I have never had as much responsibility for decision making in such a low grade. As an A1 (Band
E) in previous departments no decisions especially in respect of financial matters, are given to this grade.
                                                                          
The problems with IT and the problems it can cause when I work remotely are very frustrating, this creates a lot of wasted time and
inefficiency. This does need to be addressed. IT systems                                                                           
The promotion side of the agency is flawed, people that have worked for the agency for some time should not have to go through
the whole inter                                                                           process rather a portfolio system should be in place. The questions asked in the inter                                                                           are not flexible and
if a person is not good at inter                                                                          s or selling themselves the chance of being promoted is slim. It does not seem fair that some
people who may be good at giving the model answers will get a promotion but not be any good at the job, where as some people
are good at the job they do but not good at promotions, there is no discretion for the managers who know the individual to have a
say in the promotion of these individuals.
HR processes or
procedures                                                                           
the recruitment / promotion procedure should be handled externally otherwise these is no point applying in the office I work in.
Every time it is the friends or relations of management who get the job, leaving everyone else to make up the numbers.                                                                           
the same rules applied to everyone                                                                           
The time standards on some work types, in particular FAS is absolutely criminal. There is no way after doing all the checks
PROPERLY, and making all the checks and changes introduced after every consistency meeting, that 7 hours worth can be
achieved per day.
Less focus on quantity of work, and fees, and targets, and to focus on legal issues, i.e. not paying things out of scope (Where all
your money is being lost).
Introduce regular training and alternative routes, do not just shoehorn people down certain work routes.
Introduce actual career opportunities for caseworkers, there has only been 1 promotion in this office in the past 15 years. How on
earth is that progress? why would I be interested in staying when there is no progress/end game? (Even retail shops and bookies
have fast track management courses, there is nothing like that here).
Cut down on the temporary contracts and introduce Permanent ones. Why would temporary workers be passionate about the
company they work for and therefore care about the work they do, if their contracts run out every 6 months and they all think they
are leaving?
                                                                          
The underhanded manner bringing out a job description which is the A3 job description after a few months of moving over to the
MOJ and now finding you've been promoted as you are now acting above the A2 grade however on the same money as old A3.                                                                           
The variety of work for the staff, career development opportunities.                                                                           
The way in which recruitment takes place and the system and scoring that is used in it. HR processes or
procedures                                                                           
The ways in which you can succeed                                                                           
The work flow, as work is being sent here there and everywhere. Caseworkers should have their own desks, and desk hopping
abolished. The new reforms should be clear and transparent We have had a poor increase on our income, yet process complex
work, had to adhere to LASPO reforms and transfer from LSC to the MOJ. There is constant problems with the computer system,
hopefully this will be resolved when IDP comes into force.
                                                                          
The working environment and IT systems could always be improved                                                                           
There are a high number of FTA's within the LAA. In order to get the best from staff job security should be a high priority, We have
been told that this is being looked at but have yet to hear anything. Whilst there is a lot of talk regarding training etc the only
training available to all staff is on-line based training which does not take into account different learning styles which personally for
me is not a good way to learn.
There is a lot of talk regarding the new PMR system which looks at work as well as behaviours and staff are being encouraged to
do extra duties to take them "up" in the behaviours category. Whilst some staff are happy to take part in extra duties, this does not
mean that staff who come in and do their job to a good standard should be penalised.
There appears to be very little opportunities to develop within the LAA. I would like to have more casework experience but unless I
want to get involved with the TIB or "Engagement" then there is very little opportunity.
Senior managers are visible and are keen to listen to feedback however there are little signs that anything is being done with the
comments/feedback which becomes frustrating for all staff.
                                                                          
There are pockets of areas where behaviours of some staff are not consistent with the wider LAA. These areas are being tackled
through excellent senior appointments but there also needs to be a cultural change which will take longer to embed. The Senior
Leadership Group have a big role to play in this and should include this as part of future agenda items
                                                                          
There has been great improvements,especially in senior staff being more approachable and trying to ensure we work hard and
enjoy doing so. This has greatly improved the working atmosphere.
There is still a need to ensure all senior staff are managed to ensure they model the expected behaviours.
                                                                          
There have been great improvements in many areas in the last year. There remain a few areas where things could be better, and I
appreciate that these have been identified and are being worked on. This is reassuring as it indicates that the organisation is
indeed listening to staff and seeking their                                                                           s for how and what can be done better and smarter. In Contract Management, MI is
still an issue, the new OBIEE is not yet fully functional as it is still being developed, this will be key to ongoing management of
providers and spotting where things might be going wrong. Although Blackberry phones are useful, the fact that there is no signal
for them whilst at my desk in the Birmingham office is pretty frustrating, as is the fact that this has been complained about on many
many occasions and has still not been resolved. Otherwise, there have been huge improvements. I now feel valued, listened to,
considered as a key contributor to the overall objectives of the organisation, and thus, (despite the fact that I am rather bored doing
the job and acknowledge that there are not really any development opportunities), I am quite happy.
                                                                          
There is a clear division between the more senior members and "junior" members of staff. This results in disrespect and unfair
treatment of lower members of staff. Something needs to be done about this discrimination.                                                                           
There is a huge culture of people who have been at the organisation for years and are very set in their ways. They look solely at
problems rather than causes of problems, ie why is everyone sick? Because they have been working flat out for 6 months to keep
green. Why is productivity going down compared to last 6 months? because people are working to rule due to the lack of support
when they were sick. People are genuinely fearful of certain managers due to this and rightly so.
                                                                          
There is a lack of opportunity to develop following the change to MoJ. Also the lower bands eg e and F (formerly A1) should be
recognised for exceptional performance rewards/bonus' as they are working just as hard as the higher bands.                                                                           
There is a lot of negativity within the Agency from staff that have been with the agency a while. This negativity seems to stem from
frustrations about pay and conditions and whilst I understand that I feel that something needs to be done to tackle the issue. Pay
and conditions are not going to get much better and it is about time that that lesson was learnt, they could always try spending 6
months on the dole like I did - it is not pleasant. There is a youthfulness and energy from the more recent members of staff which
meets with a brick wall when new initiatives are tried, particularly when those initiatives are aimed at attempting to engage with the
very people who refuse to do so. It sometimes feels like I am working with sulking toddlers.
                                                                          
There is a wide range of skills and abilities in the Band D grade following the merger of the A2/A3 grades, though work is still
broadly allocated along the old A2/A3 lines. Whilst I appreciate there is always going to be a range, more should be done to bridge
the gap and achieve parity of work in the band, particularly between those at the old A3 grade.
                                                                          
There is an increase on staff turnover which reduces the feeling of cohesiveness and consistency within the LAA. The values
appear to be more quantity driven as opposed to quality.                                                                           
There is far too much emphasis on engagement. I feel that people are rewarded for not actually doing work. People spend hours
each day sorting out meetings about engagement and forcing others to come up with ideas, and will then received reward and
recognition vouchers for this. The people that complete the complex work and answer queries etc receive no recognition
whatsoever. I feel that this is unfair as processing complex work and acting as a focal point to assist with queries should be more
recognised than spending time telling people to engage more.
Out of the team meetings we have daily, I would say that approximately 15-20 minutes is spent each day talking about engagement.
                                                                          
There is no informal way of making Senior Managers aware of Line Manager behaviours. At visits everything appears well, but the
reality of the last 12 months is very different The moods and switch between control to disinterest is very difficult to adapt to. You
never know if you are going to evoke a positive or negative reaction and sometimes that depends on the day. I would never raise
anything formally as we are a small team and it would make things unbearable, but I do wish Senior Managers witnessed some
behaviours.
                                                                          
There is not much that can be changed as it is the work itself that is not stimulating.                                                                           
There is so much focus on engagement and keeping the grades at frontline (i.e. caseworkers) happy for fear of the union
involvement, bad staff survey results, not creating a family style environment etc that I see managers and senior managers
pandering to too many frivolous demands from caseworkers, hence encouraging an attitude of entitlement instead of one of
ownership and responsibility
In one Executive visit session, I heard a caseworker say they had been at the agency for years and had never been asked what
skills they brought with them and were just given the training for the job they were hired and that was it. They felt they should have
been asked and that was not right. The Senior Manager responded that yes they should have been asked.
But why does any adult need to be asked? Why is your development someone elses responsibility and not yours? I haven’t really
felt developed proactively by my manager and so answered the questions as such.
However I do not feel that it is my managers’ responsibility I know I can ask someone if I want to. Why didn’t Senior Management
push back and set that caseworker right there and then
Therefore I think the questions that should be asked whether in a survey or in other forums “Have you asked for development?
“What was the result?” “Were you encouraged or discouraged”
It should only be someone elses responsibility they have actively hindered you from developing when you wanted to.
Have you felt bullied or discriminated against? I agree there are genuine cases of this that occur. However I also know a
caseworker who felt picked on by a Quality Checker because she was getting errors and took it so personally that at a later stage
encouraged an opportunity to “get her back”. There was nothing wrong with the delivery of the feedback the Quality Checker gave
but guaranteed if this survey asked that question at the time or the matter had never come to light and been able to have been
resolved, the caseworker would have held it as a grudge and said that she had felt bullied.
Sometimes people’s personalities are such that everything is taken personally and the surveys do not take this into account.
Middle managers are the ones who are liaise and act as the buffers between senior management and caseworkers layers,
especially during times of change and cascading harsh messages. They have to absorb a lot of frustration and negativity, directed
at them on a daily basis. This has been a significantly tough year within Case Management with LAR, moving into MOJ and IDP.
However in order to create the atmosphere of an open and approachable environment, I see that caseworkers are often
encouraged to go directly to senior management with issues and not being directed back to their manager or supervisors, to try and
resolve first. And I have seen middle managers decisions being overturned, if the caseworker speaks to the right senior manager.
In local surveys and engagement committees, middle managers are not given the same chance to voice their opinion in fact
manager’s opinion is overshadowed and favoured for that of the caseworkers.
I have experienced this, dealt with it and moved on. However I felt it was important to highlight this as an issue. Middle managers
need to be supported openly, as they do what the business what the business has hired them to do. They are in a tough position
every day, at every briefing supporting the business.
                                                                          
There need to be more bands to successes in line with pay. At present I am judged in the same band for competency and salary
as new staff, poorly performing staff or under performing staff as there is no band between good and poor performance that the
other staff could be dropped into. I understand that Management do not want to reduce these staff to the lowest band and not
increase pay, but it is unfair that staff performing to a high level cannot be banded as such.
                                                                          
There needs to be a greater recognition by some teams that we are 'all in it together' and that poor customer service (including
failure to respond to providers in a reasonable time frame) impacts on colleagues working to improve provider behaviour. If we hold
providers to a high standard of accountability and expect them to meet tight deadlines, we have to hold ourselves accountable to
the same high standard.
On a personal note, I'd like a permanent desk of my own. The need to juggle diary appointments so that I am not arriving at the
office at an awkward time plus the fact that I cannot easily work from home owing to personal circumstances adds a minor irritant to
everyday life.
                                                                          
there needs to be consistency in the way employees are treated by their managers. This can only lead to higher productivity
amongst employees. There also needs to be more openness; less countless amounts of managers' meetings behind closed doors.                                                                           
There needs to be greater understanding that the decisions at the top of the structure have a huge impact on those lower down and
while this is often unavoidable, recognition of this fact should be more evident.                                                                           
There needs to be more help with assisting career development and progression My work                                                                           
There should be less focus on trying to engage employees with 'engagement activities' and other such tasks and allow us to carry
out our roles with little disruption. There is too much focus on engagement with managers that is distracting employees from our
day jobs which ends up having a more detrimental effect and creates more stress and less engagement. Create an environment
where people feel comfortable enough to open up when they are stressed or do not feel engaged instead of forcing it. This, if
anything, will create the opposite effect in that individuals will be apprehensive to open up as it differs from what is expected of
them. Even surveys such as this one can cause distress as people do not feel like they can open up as the surveys do not feel
voluntary despite being stated as being so and ask too many personal questions. This makes individuals uncomfortable with their
anonymity. Also, the engagement representatives in offices (something that I do agree with in theory should be a proper, diverse
cross-section of the office and have the interests of their colleagues as their priority, instead of their own development, and take
the time to get to know their colleagues on a more personal level if they expect to engage with them.
                                                                          
They need to evaluate certain roles more effectively - it seems to me that far too many people go unrewarded - including pay for
their achievements including the enormous sums they save the tax payer.
No effective pay rise clearly shows that (irrespective of austerity) that being a public servant is not a role which can be effectively
rewarded
                                                                          
They need to think before they act. The same thing keeps happening where we get an e-mail saying we need to do something. It
clearly hasn't been thought through as its just a knee jerk reaction to a problem. We then go out and at times cause chaos only to
be told of a different approach a few days/weeks down the line. I have learnt never do what is asked on the first e-mail as you can
guarantee it will change completely in a few days.
                                                                          
They should make their decision quicker as to what they are going to do with those employees who are on temporary contract. Something else                                                                           
They sometimes make changes drastically without looking at the bigger picture and impact it will have, then only to decide the
decision wasn't right and change it again. I think finding the opinions more regularly of the people the changes will affect, will help
them decide beforehand instead of listening when it goes wrong and its too late
Managing change                                                                           
This is an extremely difficult question as on the whole I feel the organisation is extremely poorly managed.
The laissez-fair attitude to poor quality casework is intolerable, and the number of people who are incapable of performing their job
is something that would not be tolerated in the private sector.
These people are not appropriately challenged on their performance, and to add insult those who perform well are treated the same
as those who perform incredibly badly
This has been standard practice for so long now, that many of these poor performers have found their way into Senior Caseworker
and even Management-level grades (since previous performance is not even considered in the recruitment process, which is
frankly outrageous). The fact that poor performance is tolerated at every level of the organisation properly explains why we are in
the state we are in, and why things are unlikely to change while these people remain in post.
Tackle poor performance. If it doesn't improve get rid of those who are failing and replace them by people who are competent.
Reward consistently good performance. It's the only way to improve
                                                                          
This is hard to answer as I know some people who love their jobs and love working for the LAA. There needs to be help to ensure
that people who are line managers are the most appropriate to do the job and are given regular training in empathy and coaching,
an annual update might be good. It is not an easy decision to raise a grievance but everyone knows who the bad managers are
and this should be tackled
                                                                          
Tighter control in all areas of criminal funding, especially free-standing advice and assistance on appeals and re                                                                          s matters
through regulations, cost-effectiveness against Exclusive Schedule Arrangements and analysis of success against funding granted
etc
                                                                          
Time standards on Correspondence.
Format of Exec visits - history of MOJ power point irrelevant and time wasting.                                                                           
To allow all staff more time to be involved with areas outside the own role, eg, shadowing at courts or to be involved with provider
visits. To gain valuable experience you can use in your future career whether it be with the LAA or the wider Civil Service.                                                                           
To be clear about what is happening and when the chester office will be closing and what opportunities if any will be available to
staff who are currently on fixed term contracts                                                                           
To be clearer sooner when it comes to informing rolling contract staff on when/if contracts will be renewed and to have local
management coached how to deal with staff issues and discipline more effectively.                                                                           
To be consulted about any big changes that are going to affect me directly.
CCMS - The constant delay in this being implemented and the lateness of being told about this has become really frustrating.
Certain things need to be done and managed before this goes live and the continuing changing date but lateness of telling us will
affect what we can do.
Reduced resource with an increase work load.
                                                                          
To be listened to before action at a local level are taken - to be allowed to play a role on my team that allows me to take the lead
and not to be forced fed what to say or do - to be managed constructively and told when I have gone wrong and guided how to put
it right - to receive the appropriate training to do my job and feel confident when making decision without having to worry that my
manager may not agree with it - for my manager to do what he says he will do and not tell me what he thinks - for him to seek
clarity from a higher level without feeling it a failure on his behalf as he does not want to be seen as a weakness and to challenge
behaviours in the office -
                                                                          
To be listened to. Listen to the staff who actually process the work, rather then managers impose things on us that do not process
the work. To treat all staff equally and not have favourites, and not to give some members of staff special treatment. To keep things
confident, to ask a member of staff before personally information is shared/announced to the rest of the team. To listen to your
ideas and take them on board.
                                                                          
To be more business orientated and less woolly in it's policies                                                                           
To be more understanding and supportive towards individuals who have difficulties                                                                           
To be open and transparent regarding job losses, I do not want to lose my job but would like to be prepared if it was likely to happen                                                                           
To be treated fairly and to be involved with everything is going on within the company regardless of what area you work in                                                                           
To be treated less like a production line and more like people                                                                           
To become more realistic with it objectives and time frames. The LAA is often ambitious with regard to its large-scale changes and
this often leads to unrealistic targets and goals. The LAA needs to learn that planning of a large project often takes longer than the
build and implementation. It needs to understand the process of design and how unrealistic demands will pressurise a workforce
into providing a "suitable for purpose" result instead of a "gold standard" result.
They should also invest in internal training of staff to undertake roles that are farmed out to agencies and freelance workers; and,
ensure that when this is undertaken the people involved actually want to be involved. By buying in to the education and
development of a member of staff you will get a better performance and lower costs in the long term.
                                                                          
To carry on the same as there have been many improvements regarding engagement in this office over the last 12 months                                                                           
To challenge certain behaviours and act in more transparent and open manner. Fairness and consideration to all not just select
favourites. To look after the welfare of ALL staff regardless of grade, gender, education and colour. Remembering to reward long
serving permeant members of staff as a pose to only 'bigging up' temps who tend to be graduates. Fair and consistent
management of all.
                                                                          
to continue to build on collaborative working - there are still some parts of the business that I do not feel have embraced this. To
continue to provide training that really helps us do our jobs - our 5 days learning is a lost opportunity if we dont really have training
that is appropriate and helpful.
                                                                          
To continue to challenge processes that are ineffective / inadequate / no longer fit for purpose.
To continue to invest in ensuring that staff have the right tools to do the job (be it MI, systems, knowledge or personal skills).
To provide more support for our 'middle managers / team leaders' in all areas of the business, to enable them to motivate and
improve their team's performance.
To continue to recognise and 'be proud' when staff have done a good job.
                                                                          
To continue to encourage staff engagement.                                                                           
To continue to strive to improve the quality of our MI and IT infrastructure which is, comparatively outdated and slow. This would
help me to do an even better job.                                                                           
To create an environment where skills and abilities are developed and people can professionally move on within the LAA or outside.                                                                           
To deal with harassment and bullying in a proper manner. This hasn't happened in my own team for some time but I am aware it is
still prevalent in other teams at a high level.                                                                           
To drop outsourcing of its IT infrastructure. There is currently far too many layers of bureaucracy. Getting a simply IT task done
now takes many weeks/months . It’s very frustrating and a complete waste of taxpayers money                                                                           
To effectively match people based off their qualifications and past experiences into areas of the business that suit them. Far too
many people with a legal background are doing processing rather than legal/policy work.                                                                           
To employ managers who are respected and actually care about the team they look after - rather than those who are good in
portraying themselves as "[name]" person.
Line management /
management
where I work
                                                                          
to encourage people to communicate each other and to be more friendly My work                                                                           
To encourage people to listen and respect each other.                                                                           
To feel more involved in what is going on in our department                                                                           
To give more support to line managers when dealing with staff who are insubordinate and have poor performance without having to
think about repercussions.
To provide more coaching for lower bands rather than just for bands A and B.
To make mentoring and coaching more accessible as I have struggles to find both a mentor and a coach.
                                                                          
To have a better understanding of how large workloads with tight time scales can impact on work quality.                                                                           
To have more opportunities for me to develop my career. Give more emphasis to meeting the targets with efficiency and quality,
rather than doing engagement activities No theme                                                                           
To improve upon consistency within offices and across teams. Build upon progress made over the last twelve months. I am proud
to be part of a great team!                                                                           
To make it even more transparent and to give us more than cost of living increases as we have over the past number of years for
committed and well done service to the organization. additionally, Managers should ensure that a process is followed which is
transparent when complaints are made about suppliers, or staff.
                                                                          
To make staff understand the purpose and objectives of the Agency.
Make it clear who the Agency's "customers" are. i.e the recipient of Legal Aid and not a provider of it.
Also consider not calling them customers. A "customer" a person who purchases goods or services from another and I'm not sure
if a recipient of legal aid can be classified as a customer of Legal Aid.
                                                                          
To offer permanent vacancies to staff and disclose all information they would want to know.
If senior management have a long term plan of transferring all Crime work over to Nottingham then I suggest you inform staff of this
plan instead of slowly transferring work flows every 2 months with the excuse of "reducing our workload". This is the main reason
why some people may have an "us" and "them" approach to work, as people are being kept in the dark about long term plans.
The same can be said about permanent contracts, I fail to believe that after 2.5 years of working as a temp that senior management
still dont know if they can provide a permanent job. From an outside point of                                                                            it would appear that staff are not being told
deliberately because senior management are aware of the job losses involved if they are informed.
Over a third of the staff in the LAA are temps, although your survey concentrates on how well and how much you perform in your
job I believe your missing the top priority of staff and that is job security, anything else just isn't a concern until we know we have a
secure future here.
                                                                          
To please offer more permanent positions for people who want to stay with the LAA.                                                                           
to provide a decent salary for the work that is done to provide systems that work to ease pressure on caseworkers,                                                                           
To provide greater certainty as to how the organisation will look in the short and long term. I understand why it can't but it would be
nice to have a clear vision for the future (with a few details)                                                                           
To provide greater clarity about what the future mid to long term prospects are for the continuing presence of a civil case
management team in London Petty France. My work                                                                           
To provide more praise for work done on a regular basis rather than in annual re                                                                          s                                                                           
To recognise and utilise existing skills and knowledge and reward accordingly.                                                                           
To revert back to treating people as people and not just a number on a spreadsheet or an FTE. There needs to be a move away
from management by spreadsheet and a cultural change so that when we look at making the LAA a better place to work we
actually mean it and have some long terms strategies in place as to how this will be achieved rather than doing a knee jerk reaction
to the survey and picking out the 3 worst areas or things we can change quickly.
                                                                          
To re                                                                           the closure of the Chester office as the valuable knowledge and the fabulous working relationship we all have will be
partially lost.                                                                           
To speak to employee who do the work before making changes and take their experience and knowledge into account.                                                                           
To walk before they can run, too much change happens at once and puts staff/managers under extreme pressure, deal with each
change individually in order to make the change a smooth transition                                                                           
Too be less bureaucratic. Sometimes the relationship between staff and managers is almost like that of student and teacher. For
example, when we have a PDR meeting there are specific and detailed orms to fill in, etc. The meeting between manager and team
member should be less formal, with the manager simply asking if anything there are any general issues or concerns regarding work
and making a note of these and carrying them forward if appropriate. Also, decisions/changes regarding work processes should be
made in consultation with those that process the work and not made for them.
                                                                          
Training could be made easier with written instructions                                                                           
training for managers on bringing the best out of employees
to have a culture of not making people feel guilty for working part time
a pay rise
                                                                          
Transparency within management.                                                                           
Travel Allowance Pay and benefits                                                                           
Treat all its staff equally at least.                                                                           
Treat all people with respect. Continue the focus on tackling bullying, discrimination and harassment and learning and development.                                                                           
Treat employees fairly I want to be assessed fairly based on my performance and behaviours rather than whether I go to the pub or
not.
All members of the team to be treated fairly For example our team is made up of two teams yet the rules applied are not applied in
a uniform way. For example, one team has to complete time sheets whereas the other is exempt.
                                                                          
Treat everyone fairly and actually listen to issues raised by staff even if they are not what management wants to hear                                                                           
Treat fairly Something else                                                                           
Treat their employees on a par with those of the same qualification within the rest of the Civil Service                                                                           
Treat/grade me fairly and in line with others with a comparable role to me in the MOJ/wider government; and resolve this issue in
an appropriate time frame. So far the dragging out of, and unwillingness to address an, unfair procedure (and decisions flowing
from that) have made the working life of myself and my colleagues a misery for circa 18 months.
Value/respect me and the work I do.
                                                                          
Treating temporary staff better. It's not acceptable to leave staff who have been here 2+ years hanging on temporary contracts, nor
is it acceptable to 'dangle the carrot' in front of them by offering a select number of permanent contracts under the default MoJ
conditions (37 hours a week, reduced holidays, no flexible time) and expecting caseworkers to apply for their own jobs. These are
the terms I'm aware of staff in other offices being told about. They should be treated the same as existing permanent staff; we were
given better, transitional arrangements upon transfer to the MoJ after the Unions became involved, so why haven't the temporary
staff been given the same opportunity? There are lots of skilled temps, who would be a big loss to CCM if they left.
Managing poor performance more effectively. What is the point of managers 'being aware' of a problem individual and burying their
head in the sand refusing to act on it?
                                                                          
Unfortunately, it doesn't matter what changes I would like to see within the Agency to make it a better place to work as
Management would NEVER implement them anyway. It's always been "do as I say, not as I do".                                                                           
Use statistics as indicators and not the be-all and end-all when looking at team performances. Although stats are the easiest way to
track a team's work levels, looking at the actions and work commitments of those teams should also be important.                                                                           
Utilising the changes brought about by IDP, it would be great if we were able to expand the Contract Managers role to implement
better controls on the fund, and to retrain caseworkers to effectively contribute to CM standards, wherever a surplus of workforce is
identified.
Although SMT and ET have been much better at passing information along, I personally feel helpless in the face of what appears to
be [job title] changes coming up. I am kept well informed about change, but not how I can help. Also, there are issues that come up
in group meetings where we can ask questions, many people feel uncomfortable to speak up at these meetings, or in my case
often come up with questions that we feel would make us look silly or ask for a clarification of point.
I have thought that the work that I do is simple tasks that could be carried out via automation. Although this will be addressed with
IDP, this contributes to a sense of our roles being sisyphean. I think a good thing to implement would be a "Talent Agency" that
gave managers training and skills to identify exceptional colleagues and set them on a more productive path. I think this would be
especially valuable to short term staff like myself, who haven't yet defined themselves within the structure of the Agency, yet are
potentially valuable losses when casework declines following implementation of IDP.
                                                                          
We all need to be treated the same friendships between line managers and caseworkers should sometimes be put on the back
burner while at work.
The LAA need to single out the people that are not performing well and try and advise them where they are going wrong and ask if
they need extra help. A little help goes a long way
                                                                          
We are living in tight economical times but this also quashes initiative - it would be good to see that it is ok to spend a little money
on staff activities - visits to other offices, occasional overnight stays, team building exercises - these are the things which galvanise
people and help them feel part of a wider team.
                                                                          
We are on the right track and the ET is being more visible within the organisation which is a great improvement on last year. MC
Monday's emails help me to understand what is happening and I feel everyone within the ET are more approachable than a year
ago. I have personally had 121 with MC and mailed him on subjects I feel is in the best interest of the organisation and he has
been willing to listen and taken action or passed on my concerns to someone else to take forward. I have received regular updates
on my concerns and what action has been taken I can honestly say that since [NAME] was [SENIOR MANAGER(S)], MC has been
the best [SENIOR MANAGER(S)] with have had and taking the LAA forward in a Constructive manager and I can see our end
goals.
                                                                          
We are told the LAA is fair, but how is it fair for those with a disability to automatically get an inter                                                                          ? People who are not
productive are carried by the rest of my team. Rules are ignored on a daily basis. The LAA is all macro and no micro, stronger
management is needed at an office level to reward those doing well and develop those falling below expected standards.
                                                                          
We could badly do without the spin. Calling scope/fee reductions reforms is EXTREMELY ANNOYING INDEED .
Call them savings not cuts by all means - I am fine with that, the State is perfectly entitled to make unpopular changes . A reform is
something like giving women voting rights , not paying lawyers less or nil for doing something .
                                                                          
We need a more consistent approach between offices My work                                                                           
WE NEED A PERIOD OF STABILITY RATHER THAN MORE CHANGE. CHANGE IS NOT ALWAYS FOR THE
BEST.EMPLOYEES NEED TO KNOW WHERE THE LAA ARE GOING AND THAT THEIR JOBS ARE SAFE.NO EMPLOYEE
SHOULD BE ON FIXED TERM CONTRACTS
                                                                          
We need to get better at planning and allowing sufficient time to do the job properly. Also need to be more joined up, often find that
I'm being asked for the same information from different people such as what guidance needs to be amended for changes being
implemented. I often feel that I cannot plan my time because the info I need is not available and I am told that it's not a priority then
when it is back on the agenda I dont then have the time to work on it because other pressures have been introduced In general
there is so little time to do everything that is on our plate that in my new role for the last 12 months I do not feel I do anything
particularly well or can have any chance of saying that I've exceeded because it is a case of doing what I can which is something I
dont feel comfortable with There are also so many issues with recruitment that I've spent a lot of time picking up the work of the
others - people have left and not been replaced for many months or have been off sick etc. This past few weeks for instance I've
had to pick up the tasks of the level below and the level above because of sickness and still get my own work done In particular,
guidance is very badly organised and out of date but there is so little time for me or the subject matter experts to work on updating
it because of the pressure to stay in target with applications and the fact that we are are never fully staffed for very long.
Although a lot has been done to get us talking to different people and understanding how we fit in with the whole office (it was a
really good idea for the teams to get together to present a joint presentation to the exec team this time) there is still a disconnect
between people in each team and between the 2 floors of our office. I generally dont recognise a lot of people on the second floor
and there is not much effort to introduce new people.
                                                                          
We need to maintain our powers of self determination; that is to say we should not abandon our work methods (e.g provision of
Guidance) simply because we now form part of the Moj. To do so will create inconsistency and increase the risk to our financial
stewardship strategy.
                                                                          
We should allow freedom to partake in any training above your job description so that we may train for potential promotion
prospects. Training is seemingly only allowed for the role you are currently in. If you have been doing the job for a while and have
extensive knowledge to do it well, I feel the current policy tends to limit personal growth.
                                                                          
when [job title] changes occur, such as LASPO/LAT/CCMS, make sure that all relevant people are involved. I have lost track of the
amount of times changes do not go smoothly because key teams who will be part of implementing the change were not involved
early enough in the process to make a difference.
                                                                          
When changes take place I don't feel there is sufficient hands on training to give me the knowledge I would like to be confident in
doing my job. Also, I would like to see more knowledge shared across departments i.e. not just understanding one part of the
process i.e. just means or just merits, even the basics like which forms are used for which type of work.
                                                                          
When decisions are made by senior management on new processes that affect casework processes, it would be good to see that
there has been strong involvement from caseworkers at the ground level - often, it seems that new practices or policy shifts are put
in place that seem good in theory but have had no input from someone who has done casework recently as practical application
can be difficult and add to already strained workloads.
With regards to developing the LAA and making it a better place to work, I come from a background that has strong social support
networks in place (Home Office, LGOs, etc.). Trying to locate similar networks in the MoJ is proving an almost impossible task.
While groups exist in name on the intranet, it's as if there is some degree of tokenism - there is no practical support being offered
by peers and so these groups are ineffective and virtually inactive. It could be a good idea for the MoJ to become involved in more
high-profile national events to show that they are an inclusive employer - as an example, the Home Office has been identified by
Stonewall as an Equality & Diversity Employer of the Year on a number of occasions through its commitment to championing E&D
issues at high profile events such as Pride and the African Oyé.
Lastly, there needs to be a better balance regarding information that is received by caseworkers on a regular basis. As part of the
last survey, it was identified that caseworkers felt distanced due to a lack of information flowing through the offices. The resulting
action has meant that we are now provided with regular updates and bulletins. However, I think there is now too much - we get
duplicate information on a daily basis and whatever is sent in e-mail is then discussed at meetings, presentations, team gatherings,
then e-mailed back out for further clarification. With so many variations, it is also really easy for conflicting information to get
disseminated alongside information that is irrelevant. While regular information is greatly appreciated, there needs to be a standard
system and a central point through which these are issued and re                                                                          ed.
                                                                          
When first started working for LAA (LSC as was) we had scheduled paid breaks, water coolers around the office, breakfast club.
There was also many more promotional opportunities. I considered the LSC a great to place work, I consider the LAA an an
adequate place to work as all the "perks" of the job have been removed. A lot more pressure has been placed on staff which
makes the environment a lot more tense.
                                                                          
When it introduces a new management policy it should realise the implications fully and be fully aware when the policy also applies
to management itself ie it should not pick and choose when how it should apply                                                                           
Whilst I understand that we are currently in a recession and there aren't a lot of opportunities available for colleagues to progress, I
feel that we could be encouraged more to use the development tools available to us so that when a suitable vacancy arises, I
would feel confident enough to go for the position
Also, we are being chased by senior management to ensure that our work is processed within target and to provide an accurate
update of what work is on caseworker's desk and what is on our shelves waiting to be processed.
The office that I work in ALWAYS provides senior management with an ACCURATE update of what work is in and out of target.
However, I know that other offices who process the same work as us will deliberately fail to disclose what work they have in order
to make themselves look good and I know that senior management turn a blind eye to this!
What would make the LAA a better place to work is if the Executive Team got their Senior Management Team to get a grip on what
is happening so that an accurate reflection of what work is in and out of target is declared so that honest and decent offices, like
the one I work in, are not made to feel like they are doing the worst.
                                                                          
Will have a better idea once all the changes are in force.                                                                           
With all the changes that have taken part over the past 12-18 months I do not think enough consideration has been given to the
more mature employees who are not computer literate and find it difficult to grasp. Things are rushed through which to the younger
person is acceptable but not always the elder generation.
Something else                                                                           
With so many cuts, it would be nice if the Legal Aid Agency could provide a party fund to motivate staff.
Working
environment or
facilities
                                                                          
With the overarching direction the Agency is going in due to Government reforms I don't believe that over the next couple of years
the Agency could be a great place to work.                                                                           
Within my department, communication.                                                                           
Work tasks being divided equally across team members of same pay & grade.                                                                           
Working on Christmas Eve & New Years Eve. Always a bone of contention with all staff.
I would like to see them as holiday taken out of annual leave. My office has not had a telephone call over the last 3 years except for
a manager checking near 5pm that you are still in the office.
if not as holiday then working to 1pm only and allowed the 7 hours for volunteering to come in on these days. It is always a stressful
time with some people ending up been pushed into working which causes unrest and many solicitors finish between 12.00- 1.00pm
                                                                          

