Profession says CLC provides value for money, supports innovation

6 June, 2016

The Council for Licensed Conveyancers is publishing today, Monday 6^th June, the findings of its Stakeholder Perceptions Report 2016.  The report tracks changes in views about the specialist property law regulator since the last survey in 2014. The survey was carried out by independent research firm IFF.

CLC lawyers reported that the CLC’s performance has improved significantly on all measures over the past two years. Key findings include:

• three-quarters of CLC lawyers think that regulation by the CLC provides value for money and supports innovation and growth in their business
• two-thirds of all CLC lawyers and three-quarters of those regulated for three years or less agree that the CLC supports innovation and growth in the legal business it regulates
• three-quarters believe that being regulated by the CLC is either ‘extremely’ or ‘mostly’ beneficial to their business
• nine out of ten managers said that CLC staff are helpful and nine out of ten lawyers said that they are satisfied with the information and support that is provided by the CLC

In terms of performance in administration and regulation overwhelming majorities consider that the CLC performs ‘well’ in:

• issuing licences – 82% (up from 67% in 2014)
• regulation of Licensed Conveyancers – 78% (up from 69%)
• setting standards for professional practice – 75% overall and 84% of managers (up from 63% overall)
• setting standards for education and training – 74% (up from 63%)
• providing practical guidance to the regulated community – 65% (up from 41%)

Stakeholders in other parts of the legal sector, the media and government described the CLC as ‘trusted, approachable, forward looking, helpful, open, proactive and professional’. Most stakeholders feel the CLC compares favourably to other organisations in the legal community, with several citing a closer relationship and more personal touch.

Both the regulated community and stakeholders now look to the CLC to continue to do more to raise its profile in the sector and ensure that its positions on developments in the sector and in regulation are more widely understood.

This very positive report on the CLC’s performance comes immediately after a solid endorsement from oversight regulator the Legal Services Board in its report on the CLC’s regulatory standards.

Chief Executive of the CLC Sheila Kumar said: ‘The results of this survey are a testament to the entire team at the CLC, both members of Council and the staff. The staff group is largely new since the beginning of 2015 and over the past three years we have also made major investments in infrastructure and IT.

‘It is very gratifying that the lawyers we regulate appreciate the efforts that we are making to continue to improve the service that we provide. It is especially important to us that those we regulate agree that the CLC regime supports innovation and growth alongside protecting the consumer. I am very pleased that we are now consulting on 20% reductions to regulatory fees for CLC firms, which I hope will support further growth.

‘We are also pleased to have received such positive comments from the lending community as we are working hard with them to ensure that there is continued good understanding of the profession that we regulate.’

View the recording of our lunchtime webinar that took place on Tuesday, 21st June to find out more: Register Now

The full report, prepared by independent researchers IFF, is available here.

Our comment on the LSB’s recent report on the CLC’s regulatory standards is available here.