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Preparing for CQS accreditation or maintaining compliance with the scheme’s requirements can require a significant amount of time, documentation and internal coordination.
Legal Eye provides practical CQS support for SRA-regulated residential conveyancing firms. Our services include an independent CQS gap analysis and two levels of application support for firms preparing to apply for accreditation.
Whether your firm needs an objective assessment of its current arrangements or assistance preparing and reviewing its application, our experienced legal-sector compliance advisers can provide support tailored to your requirements.
What is the Conveyancing Quality Scheme?
The Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) is the Law Society’s recognised quality standard for SRA-regulated firms providing residential conveyancing services. It sets standards relating to competence, risk management and client service.
CQS accreditation can help firms demonstrate the quality of their residential conveyancing services to clients, lenders and other stakeholders. Accredited firms must continue to meet the scheme’s requirements, including the CQS Core Practice Management Standards.
The Law Society confirms that CQS is specifically for SRA-regulated residential conveyancing firms and covers competence, risk management and client service.
How Legal Eye can support your firm
Legal Eye offers two complementary forms of CQS support:
CQS Gap Analysis: an independent assessment of your firm’s arrangements against the CQS Core Practice Management Standards.
CQS Accreditation Application Support: practical assistance preparing, reviewing and strengthening your firm’s application and supporting documentation.
CQS Gap Analysis
Legal Eye’s CQS Gap Analysis provides an independent review of your firm’s arrangements against the CQS Core Practice Management Standards.
The review can be completed remotely or on site, depending on your firm’s requirements and the arrangements agreed with Legal Eye. It provides an objective assessment of your current position and identifies areas that may require corrective action.
What the CQS Gap Analysis reviews
The review may include the following areas of the CQS Core Practice Management Standards:
- Structure and strategy
- Financial management
- Information management
- People management
- Risk management
- Client care
- File and case management
- Implementation of CQS requirements
- A selection of files across different work types
- Interviews with members of staff at different levels of seniority
What your firm receives
Following the Gap Analysis, your firm will receive a comprehensive review report identifying areas of compliance, any gaps found and the corrective actions recommended.
Legal Eye can then discuss the practical support available to help your firm address the findings and strengthen its arrangements.
What is not included?
Firms preparing to apply for CQS accreditation can choose between two levels of application support, depending on their internal experience, available resources and the amount of assistance required.
Option 1: Comprehensive application assistance
This option provides extensive support with preparing the application and the documentation required to support it. Following the CQS Gap Analysis, Legal Eye can:
- Supply the documented procedures required to support the application
- Help tailor the procedures to reflect the firm’s working practices
- Update relevant policies, including AML, risk management and client care policies, using information provided by the firm
- Update one residential purchase client-care letter and one residential sale client-care letter
- Provide a compliant terms-of-business document
Review the firm’s website and recommend any required compliance improvements - Provide a precedent Business Continuity Plan and Annual Risk Review for the firm to complete
- Assist with compliance-related questions raised by the Law Society following submission
Your firm will need to provide the information and feedback required to ensure that the documents accurately reflect its services, structure and working practices.
Option 2: Application review support
This option is suitable for firms with experienced internal teams that have prepared most of the application and would like an independent review before submission. Legal Eye can:
- Review the completed CQS application form
- Provide a list of the supporting documents required for review
- Review the supplied documents for compliance and report its findings
- Review the firm’s existing client-care letter and terms of business
- Update the client-care letter where required
- Provide a new terms-of-business document where required
Legal Eye can support your firm with preparing and reviewing its application, but the decision to award CQS accreditation remains with the Law Society.
Support from experienced compliance advisers
Support is provided by members of Legal Eye’s wider team of experienced legal-sector risk and compliance professionals. Our advisers understand the documentation, systems and practical preparation involved in demonstrating compliance with the CQS Core Practice Management Standards.
We provide clear, proportionate guidance to help firms understand identified gaps, prioritise corrective actions and prepare their application documentation.
Your firm may also benefit from our Lexcel accreditation support, AML document review service or editable compliance policy templates.
Discuss Your CQS Support Requirements
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CQS accreditation?
The Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) is the Law Society’s recognised quality standard for SRA-regulated firms providing residential conveyancing services. It sets standards relating to competence, risk management and client service.
Which firms are eligible for CQS?
CQS is available to SRA-regulated law firms that provide residential conveyancing services. Firms must meet the Law Society’s eligibility requirements and demonstrate compliance with the scheme’s standards.
What is the difference between a CQS Gap Analysis and application support?
A CQS Gap Analysis independently assesses your firm’s existing arrangements against the CQS Core Practice Management Standards and identifies any areas requiring improvement.
CQS Accreditation Application Support helps your firm prepare, review and strengthen its application and supporting documentation before submission to the Law Society.
Can the CQS Gap Analysis be completed remotely?
Yes. The CQS Gap Analysis can be completed remotely or on site, depending on your firm’s requirements and the arrangements agreed with Legal Eye.
What does the CQS Gap Analysis review?
The Gap Analysis reviews your firm’s arrangements against the CQS Core Practice Management Standards. This may include structure and strategy, financial management, information management, people management, risk management, client care, file and case management, and the implementation of CQS requirements.
The review may also include a selection of files across different work types and interviews with members of staff at different levels of seniority.
What will our firm receive following the review?
Your firm will receive a comprehensive review report identifying areas of compliance, any gaps found and the corrective actions recommended.
Legal Eye can also discuss the practical support available to help your firm address the findings and strengthen its arrangements.
Are the SRA Accounts Rules included?
No. The CQS Gap Analysis is limited to compliance with the CQS Core Practice Management Standards. A review of the SRA Accounts Rules and a Technical Legal Review are not included within the service.
Can Legal Eye help us address corrective actions?
Yes. Following the Gap Analysis, Legal Eye can discuss the support available to help your firm address identified gaps and implement the recommended corrective actions. Any additional work required can be agreed separately with your firm.
What is included in each application-support option?
Option 1: Comprehensive application assistance provides extensive support with preparing the application and the documentation required to support it. This can include supplying and tailoring procedures, updating relevant policies, reviewing client-care documentation and the firm’s website, and assisting with compliance-related questions raised by the Law Society.
Option 2: Application review support is intended for firms that have prepared most of their application internally. Legal Eye reviews the completed application and supporting documents, reports its findings and reviews specified client-care and terms-of-business documentation.
Does Legal Eye guarantee that accreditation will be awarded?
No. Legal Eye can help your firm prepare and review its application, identify potential gaps and strengthen its supporting documentation. However, the final decision to award CQS accreditation remains with the Law Society.
