LTB 0119/15 Legal Services - Unionline (Key Stage Reporting)

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LTB 0119/15 Legal Services - Unionline (Key Stage Reporting)



No. 119/2015

Ref TR/CL

Date: 25th February 2015

To All Branches (excluding Northern Ireland, Channel Islands and IOM)

Dear Colleagues

Legal Services - Unionline (Key Stage Reporting)

Unionline has now been in operation since June 2014 and a great deal of work has been undertaken in order to ensure a smooth integration of the new provision. I have attended the majority of Regional Committees at which I have provided details as to why and how Unionline was created. The vast majority of Branches would have seen no change to their previous legal services provision but as with any new project there has been a number of teething problems.

The main area of concern has been our ability to provide Branches with updates and progress reports relating to our members' claims. When we created Unionline, we introduced for the first time a case management system called Proclaim which is a system that is used extensively within the legal profession which allows our staff at Unionline, our panel solicitors and the staff within the Legal Services Department access to one central database, which enables us to monitor the progress of each and every one of our members' claims.

This was a change from the previous system whereby all of our panel firms worked off their own case management systems. It has taken some time for all parties concerned to adapt to the new Proclaim case management system which has led to inconsistencies in the reporting process to Branches.

We are now in a position where we have now built into the Proclaim system a process whereby Branches will be automatically emailed details, as and when, any work is carried out on a members' claim. We have called this Key Stage Reporting and Branches will receive information when the following events occur



When a claim is reported
When a claim is vetted
When GP notes/medical reports are requested
Dates of any medical examination
Meetings with Counsel
Dates of Trial
Details of settlement
Case closed


Our members' claims are handled by our panel solicitors and our in house staff at Unionline. These reports will be provided by the appropriate personnel. The reports will be sent to the email addresses provided by the Branches which we hold on record within the Legal Services Department. However, if Key Stage Reports are being received at different email addresses within the Branch, I would be grateful if Branches could inform us of the appropriate email address accordingly. The reason I raise this issue is that some Branches require all correspondence to be sent to the Branch Secretary's email address, where others require the case updates to be sent to the Legal Services representative within the Branch.

Branches can request updates directly from their panel firm or via Unionline on 0300 333 0303 or via email on enquiries@unionline.co.uk if they are handling the claim in house and additionally updates can be received via the Legal Services Department on any issue.

The system is now up and running and I envisage you will see an improvement in the reporting service.

Building on the key stage reporting system, we are also in the process of building into the Proclaim system the ability to provide Branches with a case status report on all of its live cases which will be issued monthly via the Legal Services Department.

Further information will be provided, as and when, the system is due to go live.

Can I take the opportunity to thank those Branches who have experienced difficulties for their patience and can I reiterate to all Branches that we recognise the need for Branch officials to be actively involved in assisting the Legal Department in the provision of Legal Services to our members and there is no intention to deviate from that position.

If you have any queries regarding the above, please contact Tony Rupa, Head of Legal Services, Communication Workers Union, 150 The Broadway, Wimbledon, London, SW19 1RX. Telephone 0208 971 7444 or via email trupa@cwu.org

Yours sincerely



Tony Rupa

Head of Legal Services