Risk management

Looking after staff

All staff - whatever their job description - are an integral part of any firm, and the work they do reflects on how a practice is perceived by the outside world.

So how do you go about ensuring that all staff members are up to speed with ongoing developments, and how do you know what they are supposed to be doing to ensure that your practice's reputation is kept intact?

- First and foremost, are all new staff properly supervised? It is important, especially from a risk management point of view, that new staff or those who are learning a new area of the job, have adequate supervision.

The excuse that an assistant overlooked a detail which may have benefited your client will hold little sway.

- Keep your staff's knowledge and training up to date.

You need to devise a structured competence and training programme.

A proper training and appraisal programme will highlight areas of weakness which can then easily be addressed before mistakes have time to occur.

It is also an important risk management tool in the sense that properly trained staff will be able to work as a team in the style to which your practice is accustomed.

- Look into mentoring.

If you have employees who are learning the ropes, do they have someone they can speak to should a problem arise? It is better practice to develop a culture within your firm whereby staff are not afraid to ask questions, as opposed to muddling through and making mistakes.

- If you have new starters, make sure they know where everything is, their full job description and everything it entails, and who they report or refer to.

Also, ensure they are aware of and understand all risk management procedures you have in place, and that they know how to behave should a complaint or claim be made against them.

- If you have a member of staff leaving, it is important to know what their current case load is and what they have done with their old work before they leave.

If they have computer-based records make sure you know where they have stored them plus any passwords they have used to protect records.

Also, make sure you know about any previous claims and those which have been logged against the practice since their departure.

Proper claims management still needs to be practised even if the partner or lawyer has moved on.

The old adage that a firm is only as good as its staff is very true.

It is important that staff feel competent and that they are being properly looked after.

There is nothing worse for an employee than feeling neglected or unsure of what they are supposed to be doing.

Competent, well-supervised staff will work more efficiently and with less mistakes than those left to their own devices.

This column was prepared by the Alexander Forbes Professions risk management team