As the Coronavirus situation continues to evolve, we remain open and committed to giving you the advice and service you need. We want to update you on the steps we are taking to make sure we can continue to do this.
01/09/2020
In order for us to preserve our high service standards while maintaining a COVID-secure workplace, we have implemented a rota system meaning the majority of our staff will be alternating between home and office working. We also have in place a core permanent office-based support team to ensure the efficient running of our offices. Whether working from home or the office, all of our teams are fully operational. You can contact us through the switchboard, using our direct dial numbers, or by email.
01/07/2020
On Monday 29 June the government announced stricter localised lockdown restrictions in Leicester and its surrounding area. To help stop the spread of coronavirus in Leicester, BHW has implemented strict COVID-secure procedures throughout the pandemic to keep its staff safe and to protect our clients. BHW is continuing to operate a homeworking regime across all of our departments while maintaining a skeleton office-based team.
All of our departments are fully operational and continue to meet our clients requirements and maintain our high service level standards. While we are not holding face-to-face meetings, we are able to assist clients remotely and progress their matters.
Our conveyancing department will continue to exchange and complete on property transactions provided that clients give us email confirmation that they are happy to proceed in light of the COVID restrictions. You should of course check with your removals company or that any other necessary arrangements will be available before giving us this confirmation.
Thank you for your co-operation.
13/05/2020
Following the government announcement that the restrictions on moving home have been lifted, our conveyancing department is now able to progress all transactions towards exchange and completion.
All property transactions must still comply with government guidelines which provide detail on progressing the individual elements of the home buying and selling process. The latest guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/government-advice-on-home-moving-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.
In the meantime, please be aware that in line with current government guidance, we are maintaining our homeworking regime across all of our departments. While we are operating a skeleton administration team at our offices, they are not able to answer large volumes of calls so please email first rather than phoning and we will be happy to call you back.
Thank you for your co-operation and understanding.
24/03/2020
Following last night’s Government announcement, we would like to confirm that the measures set out yesterday (below) are still fully operational. We are still open for business, our homeworking plan is in place and our skeleton administration team will still attend at our Grove Court office to provide emergency cover.
The restrictions imposed yesterday mean that if you have already exchanged contracts on your transaction, you must ensure that any funds are sent to us at least one day before the Completion Date and check that any removal or other necessary services will still be available. We will be calling those clients where contracts have exchanged to check this with them.
We will continue to exchange matters provided that clients give us email confirmation that they are happy to proceed in light of the COVID restrictions. You should of course check with your removals company or that any other necessary arrangements will be available before giving us this confirmation.
Our skeleton administration team are now unlikely to be able to answer main line calls. Unless it is absolutely necessary, please email us rather than phoning. If you want someone to phone back, that’s fine, just ask in your email. If you have to phone the person responsible for your matter, please only do so on their direct line and do not use the main office number – DD numbers are included in all our email signatures.
Thank you for your continued co-operation.
23/03/2020
In light of recent events and the Government’s announcements on Friday, we have now decided to impose a homeworking regime across all departments from today (23rd March). While we will (as long as we are permitted) operate a skeleton administration team at our offices, they are not able to answer large volumes of calls so please email your team with any questions you have or information you need to give them, rather than phoning. If you want someone to phone back, that’s fine, just ask in your email. If you do need to phone the person responsible for your matter, please only do so on their direct line and avoid using the main office number – DD numbers are included in all our email signatures.
All staff have remote access to our network and systems and their direct phone numbers have already been diverted to their mobile phones. Business continues and we are doing everything we can to maintain our service levels.
Please scan and email any documents to us, or if necessary send them by post rather than dropping them in at our offices.
If you need to send completion funds, please do so as soon as you receive your completion statement from us and remember you may need to visit your bank in person.
Thank you for your co-operation and understanding which will, together with the measures we have adopted, help us complete your matter with as little disruption as possible.
20/03/2020
We have now devised a comprehensive COVID-19 contingency plan which will allow us to continue to operate effectively, even if a limited lock-down is imposed. For this reason, our conveyancing department will continue to exchange matters provided that clients give email confirmation that they are happy to proceed in light of the outbreak. This is of course subject to developments outside our control.
We will continue to operate from our offices as long as we can, but protecting staff is always paramount. For this reason, any members of staff at increased risk have been asked to work from home. From next week (w/c 23.03.20), we will rotate homeworking between members of our commercial teams. Because conveyancing involves more systematised team work, the integration of the accounts team and the cooperation of third parties and lenders, rather than rotate homeworking for these teams we will look to utilise the space made available by the commercial rotation to reduce the work-space density for them.
If (probably when) we impose homeworking for the whole firm, we are well prepared:
- every member of staff has remote VPN access to our network;
- team messaging and internal meetings are already carried out over Zoom in preparation for home working;
- our case management system allows for the remote allocation of tasks by team leaders to their team;
- clients can use our case management portal to upload documents;
- SIP trunk management allows all our direct lines to be diverted to mobile phones;
- our quote and client inception platform is cloud hosted and is remotely accessible by our First Contact Team; and
- all our reporting and supervisory functions are systems based and remotely accessible.
There will clearly be challenges along the way but we are determined to do what we can to support our clients, referrers and other professionals during this unprecedented uncertainty.
Best regards
Nick
Nick Bridle
Managing Partner
17/03/2020
In line with the current World Health Organisation and Government guidelines, our plans to protect our employees and clients mean that some staff absences are inevitable.
To reduce the impact of service interruption we have put in place a policy of inter-departmental flexible working procedures that prioritise the completion of all matters where contracts have already been exchanged. We have also introduced additional over-time, long-working and restricted holiday policies to cover absences of isolating or isolated staff.
There are also steps that we would like to ask our clients and contacts to take to help us avoid the spread of Coronavirus and minimise disruption caused by it:
- Unless urgent, please send any documents to us by post rather than dropping them in at our offices. If you do need to drop documents off in person, please let your legal team know the date and time you will be coming and post them through our letterbox.
- If you need to send completion funds, please do so as soon as you receive your completion statement from us.
- If you have a face to face meeting scheduled with one of our team, they will ask you to conduct this remotely via Skype, Zoom or by telephone.
- If you do need to come to our offices, we will need you to comply with the current Government guidelines on Coronavirus.
Thank you for your co-operation and understanding which will, together with the measures we have adopted, help us complete your matter with as little disruption as possible.