Antony Evans, Head of Civil Billing
“I don’t believe in coincidences, and I have no doubt that the investment we have made in strengths leadership have had a massive impact on all that we do.”
Over the past 12 months, the Civil Billing team has experienced a period of exceptional performance, underscored by outstanding results in both employee engagement and operational delivery. At the heart of this success lies a deliberate and sustained investment in a strengths-based leadership approach. An investment that is paying off in measurable ways.
The clearest indicator of progress can be seen in the recent People Survey results for 2024. With a remarkable 90% response rate from the 210 team members invited, the data offers an authentic view of how people feel about their work environment. The engagement index rose to an impressive 78%, a two-point increase on the previous year. Notably, this is one of the best operational results across the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) and contributed to the LAA being among the highest in the Civil Service.
“The last 12 months has by any measure been the most successful for my team.”
Beyond engagement, specific satisfactory survey categories reflect an equally positive picture:
- My Manager: 95%
- Organisation and Objectives: 95%
- My Team: 95%
- Resources and Workload: 94%
- Leadership and Managing Change: 82%
Such figures are a testament to the leadership culture being fostered at all levels. The team’s leadership is not just delivering on soft measures—it’s also driving hard performance outcomes.
Despite operating in a challenging environment marked by policy shifts, technology constraints, and recruitment hurdles, the team has met all operational Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Related key achievements include:
- Processing over £1 billion in Civil Legal Aid payments annually, with 99% made within 20 days (exceeding the 95% target).
- Achieving an error rate of just 0.6%, the best in the team’s history, well below the 1% threshold.
- Reducing claim rejection rates to 11% (target <15%), another record performance.
- Meeting targets for appeal resolution within 20 days.
These achievements are no coincidence. They reflect the growing maturity of a team that has embraced strengths-based leadership as a core principle. Managers and supervisors have leaned into the change, modelling strong, values-led leadership and creating a culture where people are engaged, accountable, and empowered.
The challenge now is to sustain this momentum. But with the strength of leadership already embedded and a committed team behind it, the Civil Billing team is well-positioned to build on this year’s success.
“I have been proud of the way all my managers and supervisors have embraced what we are trying to do.”