Peer Review
On this page:
- What is peer review?
- How does it work?
- About the criteria
- What is the output of Peer Review?
- Peer review scores
- How is peer review independent?
- For more information
- Peer Review Results
What is Peer Review?
Peer review is a quality assessment tool. It directly measures the quality of advice and legal work carried out by legal aid providers.
The independent peer review we use is developed and managed by the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies. This organisation is independent of the LSC.
How does it work?
Peer reviewers are experienced legal aid practitioners. They assess a stratified random sample of a provider’s case files using a standard criteria and ratings system. They determine the quality of advice and legal work provided to clients in a particular category of law.
Following this assessment the reviewer makes an overall judgement about the provider’s quality of advice and legal work.
Read more about how peer review works.
About the criteria
The criteria highlight the quality of the:
- information gained from the client and other sources
- advice given based on that information
- steps taken following that advice.
See Documents for the crime and civil peer review criteria.
What is the output of Peer Review?
Following the review of a sample of files, the peer reviewer writes a detailed Peer Review Report. The report consists of their findings along with both positive areas and areas for improvement, and the overall quality rating.
The overall quality of advice provided is assessed using a 1–5 rating.
The ratings are as follows:
Excellence (1)
Competence Plus (2)
Threshold Competence (3)
Below Competence (4)
Failure in Performance (5)
Peer review scores
In the Documents panel in the top right hand corner of the screen you will find links to a number of documents showing peer review scores.
- The document named 'Peer review confirmed face to face results' relates to all face-to-face peer reviews since April 2005 that have been confirmed. It shows the number of providers that have achieved each score in each category of law.
- The document entitled 'Peer review initial face to face results' relates to all face-to-face peer reviews since April 2005 that have been rated as Below Competence (4) or Failure in Performance (5) in their first review and require a second review to confirm their rating. It shows the number of providers that require a second review in each category of law.
- The table named 'Peer review success rates at reps' relates to all face-to-face peer reviews since April 2005 that have made representations and shows their movement.
- The table named 'Peer review results for CLA 07/08 contracts' relates to peer reviews conducted on Community Legal Advice providers. It shows the number of CLA providers that have achieved each score in each category of law.
Peer Review Results
In the Documents panel in the top right hand corner of the screen you will find links to a number of documents showing the Peer Review Results.
How is peer review independent?
The peer review framework and methodology was developed and is managed by the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies.
Peer reviewers are recruited and trained by the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and work independently from us.
Peer reviewers decide what rating to award based on the quality of advice and legal work.
The LSC will not influence or alter the rating awarded.
For more information
Full details of the process are under Documents in the paper Independent Peer Review of Legal Advice and Legal Work.
Please email any questions/queries to the peer review team.
Visit the Improving your quality page to read and download our improving quality guides.
Last updated: 25 July 2007