Quality Mark

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About the Quality Mark

The Quality Mark is a family of quality assurance standards for legal services providers. There are four different Quality Marks, which are listed below.

Specialist Quality Mark (SQM)

The SQM is a quality assurance standard for legal services providers that:

supply complex legal help
offer a full range of legal services, including representation in court (where necessary and permitted) by formally trained professionals

Organisations that deliver legal aid must hold either the SQM or Lexcel (the Law Society’s practice management standard).

The SQM Delivery Partnership is responsible for auditing new SQM applicants, and will undertake any audits required to obtain future cotracts with the LSC or retain an existing one. The SQM Delivery Partnership will charge to undergo the audit process.

Further guidance on how to maintain your quality standard throughout the duration of your contract can be found in the 'Quality Standards Update' document in the Douments section on the right.

Family Mediation Quality Mark (MQM)

The MQM is a quality assurance standard for organisations providing family mediation services to members of the public.

Organisations that provide mediation services under legal aid are required to hold this standard.

General Quality Mark (GQM)

GQM holders provide generalist advice to members of the public.

The GQM has two levels:

General Help
General Help with Casework

The GQM is audited by The Assessment Network Ltd (TAN) on behalf of the Legal Services Commission. There is a charge to undergo the audit process.

To apply for the General Quality Mark or for details on charges contact TAN.

Quality Mark for the Bar (QMB)

The QMB is a standard for Chambers providing advocacy services.

We are focusing our resources on our contracted providers. Contact your regional office to check the local position regarding the QMB before beginning an application.

Further information and Updates

For more information on each of the Quality Marks please refer to the FAQs and Standards in the Documents section of this page. If you have any queries about the standards, or are a Quality Mark holder and require a Community Legal Service or Criminal Defence Service logo please email qualitymark@legalservices.gsi.gov.uk .

Updates regarding the Quality Mark standards will be communicated through the LSC Update or published in the Documents section of this page.

Holders of the SQM, MQM and GQM are listed here. Chambers holding the QMB are listed in the Directory of QM Chambers in the Documents on this page.

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Last updated: 08 February 2012