POL00043640
POL00043640
Working Group for the Initial Complaint Review and Mediation Scheme
Key points and actions from teleconference 1pm 17 October 2013
Present:
Alan Bates (JFSA)
Kay Linnel (JFSA)
lan Henderson (Second Sight)
Ron Warmington (Second Sight)
Rodric Williams (Post Office)
Andy Parsons (Bond Dickinson)
Angela Van Den Bogerd (Post Office)
Andy Holt (Post Office)
Belinda Crowe (Post Office)
Chris Aujard (Post Office)
1. Cases under investigation: Paragraph 2 of minutes of 10 October was not agreed.
The matter of how to deal with cases that are still the subject of a Post Office
investigation has not been agreed. Action Andy P: to present reasons for this
approach at the next meeting. Action Ron: to draft a holding letter for case M025
and circulate so the Post Office can agree and send this.
2. Mediation Case decisions: Actions on individual cases agreed as recorded on the
spreadsheet (attached file ref 20131021 Mediation Cases.xls’). Agreed that the
heading SPMR be changed to ‘Applicant’. Action: Andy Holt
3. Appointment of Independent Chair: Arrangements in hand. Letter of appointment
as agreed with Working Group. Hopefully will be confirmed within the next few days.
4. Next Working Group meeting: Following emails around the attendees today, the
meeting will now be held on Friday.
5. Funding Approval for Panel Advisors: Some advisors have not had notice that
funding has been approved and therefore have not started work. It would not be
appropriate for advisors to assume approval but Post Office will investigate whether
there are any delays and report back. Action: Angela VDB.
6. Guidance for advisors: Second sight would prefer electronic delivery of
documents. Working Group agreed that this be written into the guidance notes in the
Mediation Pack. Action: Ron W.
7. Issues in returning case question within 4 weeks. Howe and Co expressed a
concern they might not be able to hit the 4 week deadline. WG agreed SS could
allow an extension of 10 days max. where there were reasonable grounds but
reiterated the importance of the original timelines of the scheme.
8. Full case submissions: Second sight explained that one full case had been
received but it did not have adequate information so was returned to the
subpostmaster requesting additional information.
9. Next Meeting: the case review meeting will be on Friday 25" October at 11am.