SRA report

[Toughtimes25]

Work has been awful and I dropped the ball on one of my files. I haven't been coping with my workload and been trying my hardest to get things back on track. This led to an internal investigation and self reporting to the Solicitors Regulation Authority. I am now under investigation and been asked by the SRA for my comments on the allegations raised. Anyone with any experience in dealing with the SRA and what to expect?

I work there, just comply and give your comments. The SRA are not monsters they know you are human.

Sorry you are going through this though, it's obviously very stressful for you.

If it’s a genuine situation where you’ve dropped a bollock through stress just be honest and calm and thorough in your answers, but not emotional or emotive.

If you’ve been accidentally signing off on prison releases probably be more serious given the current climate

Sympathies.
my malicious tenant once accused me of stealing his gas canister so I had to self-report.
I spoke with a lovely lawyer-for-solicitors who said that failure to report is seen as more serious than most of the things we self-report for iyswim.

so honesty is the best policy I think. But truly I’d get a lawyer. It’s useless to be told not to be emotional - you are emotional. And that will affect how you come across.

Thanks for replies @Cerezo @Lionessadmirer and especially as you work there @lifeturnsonadime , very reassuring to read your message. I am finalising my response today. I am so worried about getting it wrong but I am taking ownership of the error, apologising and demonstrating I have learnt from this so it doesn't happen again.

There are many mitigating personal factors and poor management of the team in general which has led to this which I am referring to but also, honestly speaking, I just didn't do something because I was generally so overwhelmed so I accept the buck stops with me.

Be careful what you say - being slow/slack is one thing the SRA likely doesn’t care that much. If there’s any suggestion you’ve tried to cover up mistakes/ lied that’s when you have a problem

Hi op. Did you get an outcome? I have just been informed of investigation against me and I am petrified.

@ThisWarmGreyEagle Sorry just seen this message as NC for this post.

I have received an outcome The SRA closed their file with no further action and sent a letter of advice to me saying just make sure things are kept on track in future. There is no record against me.

It was such a relief as you can imagine.

My employer said they were considering making a report but did not confirm if I actually had so I had to email them to clarify when the report was actually made. Once you know this you can work out the response times the SLA need to adhere to. I rang Ethics to find this out - I think it is 14 weeks and then after that you are asked for your response.

I didn't see the email requesting my response until the day before it was due because I had been unwell. I emailed staightaway to acknowledge and explained the situation and the case worker suggested an extension without me asking for one. She was pretty reasonable and responded ahead of the allocated timescales so I wasn't hanging around or chasing them.

I understand just how stressful this is and my advice is to co-operate, be objective and tell your side of things as clearly as possible. Hope it all works out for you

Him