End of an era and beginning of a new one for Convey365
The Conveyancing Association Conference and Dinner held this month in Wales marked the end of a successful six year stewardship of Convey365 Secretariat services for the Conveyancing Association (CA) and the beginning of a new era for Convey365.
Convey Group Managing Director Lloyd Davies has announced that Convey365 will now concentrate on launching its ground-breaking IT case management system to the conveyancing industry in 2022.
Lloyd Davies, second from left, receives £1000 donation for Mindstep Foundation as he steps down from Conveyancing Association
Speaking about the exciting development as he officially stepped down from his voluntary role as Operations Director at the Conveyancing Association after six years, Lloyd said:
“Convey365IT will be bringing to market our state-of-the-art case management system in the New Year. We have been developing our bespoke conveyancing case management and accounts system for many years and it has been deployed and working highly effectively at Convey Law now for nearly three years.
“The system is quite brilliant, and the management tools are excellent for managing a conveyancing business. Our client onboarding and case tracking portal has proved excellent and has significantly reduced transaction timelines for our clients. Managing risk is a key issue for all Conveyancers and our client ID functionality is linked directly to the Passport Office to ensure 100% verification.
“One of our most recent developments is our source of funds workflow, with open banking and in-built risk features to ensure full AML compliance. We are constantly building and enhancing our IT platforms with our expert and specialist team of developers.”
Lloyd said Convey was driven to market the system to the entire industry because it was so innovative, adding:
“The IT systems are so good we felt compelled to bring it to market so that others could enjoy them! I know from first-hand experience that our systems will make conveyancing quicker, easier and safer for all who would like to use them.
“The Convey365IT system has a sales facility for onboarding new clients and we have integrated with most leading introducer panels to avoid any double keying for Conveyancers.
“Our sales IT system has helped us to secure the most online instructions direct from clients over the best part of a decade.
“We are looking to develop a conveyancing legal panel over the course of next year, allowing us to work closely with our colleagues in the industry and provide well paid legal referrals in return for first class conveyancing services. We are also talking to a number of legal panel introducers about using our sales and client onboarding system for their businesses and clients.”
Lloyd also announced a new industry-wide charity initiative for the conveyancing industry and the planned opening of a new office for Convey Law as he heralded a bright future for his conveyancing group in 2022.
In a year which saw the group pick up a host of prestigious industry awards including a British Conveyancing Award, three ESTAS Awards and an award from the Welsh Government for Best Medium Employer, Lloyd reflected on the ongoing success of Convey Law, The Conveyancing Academy and The Conveyancing Foundation.
Lloyd said ‘hundreds of Trainee Conveyancers’ were now enrolled at The Conveyancing Academy, adding:
“The Conveyancing Academy continues to go from strength to strength, with hundreds enrolled on our revolutionary Practising Conveyancer Legal Diploma course. The Legal Diploma trains complete novices to competent conveyancers with their own caseloads within 6 – 12 months and paves the way for further qualification.
“At Convey Law, we are recruiting five Trainee Conveyancers a month and utilising the Legal Diploma course to help fulfil our training regime within our in-house Training Academy.
“It is working well, and it has allowed us to increase from 90 to 150 members of staff and to double the number of our Conveyancers in the least 18 months. The course is 95 – 100% government funded in England and Wales, and we have over 160 legal practices using the Conveyancing Academy to help train their Conveyancers and this number is increasing daily.”
Lloyd also said he was proud of the way the Conveyancing Foundation had served the conveyancing industry and hoped to expand its work in 2022, announcing:
“We hope to engage the conveyancing industry in a nationwide charity fundraiser in the new year – engaging us all in “Conveyancing for Charity” and looking after those less fortunate than ourselves.
“We have always keen on giving back to the conveyancing community that has been so good to us, as well as supporting those in need of our help. The Conveyancing Foundation launched the “Be Kind We Care” initiative this year in response to growing concerns about how Conveyancers were coping with increased caseloads and home working as well as how they were being treated by clients and fellow professionals.
“We worked with LawCare, the Mindstep Foundation and Agents Together to provide guidance, advice and best practice and with our amazing sponsors and supporters raised over £18,000 for these fantastic charities this year. We will continue working with key industry stakeholders on this critically important wellbeing initiative next year.”
Lloyd also remarked on the incredible success of the Foundation in raising over £820,000 in the last decade and welcomed new companies to its Charity Lotto:
“We relaunched the Conveyancing Foundation Charity Lotto this year – previously called The Free Legal Fee Competition. Two new legal practices in PM Law and Sam Hawking Solicitors will be using the Lotto to fundraise for their chosen charities in the new year – welcome guys and very well done.
“Setting up the Lotto is very straightforward and helps Conveyancers to raise thousands of pounds for their chosen charities each month.”
Finally, Lloyd announced that the success of the Training Academy Pathway had seen Convey Law go from strength to strength with a new office planned for 2022, explaining:
“Thanks to our Training Academy Pathway, our core business Convey Law is growing at a rate of knots – we will be opening another office next year – despite half of our staff working from home for most of the week!! It promises to be a busy year, with conveyancing instructions most likely to remain strong once again in 2022.”
Lloyd’s comments came as Convey365 Operations Director Jess Smith and Executive Manager Nicola Lancaster brought the curtain down on a prolific period for the Conveyancing Association with a spectacular conference and Casino Royale themed dinner at the International Convention Centre and Celtic Manor Resort in Newport on December 2.
Former Secretariat and Conveyancing Foundation representative Georgia Davies compered the evening, with the Convey team collecting raffle donations for the conveyancing industry “Be Kind We Care” initiative.
Lloyd said:
“The black tie gala dinner was a great success with CA members and guests trying their luck in the casino and dancing the night away with the Vegas James Bond dancing troupe and live band!
“Members raised over £6000 for LawCare and the Mindstep Foundation charities with wonderful prizes donated by very generous CA Affiliate Members and Sponsors.”
At the dinner, Lloyd was presented with a donation for £1000 for the Mindstep Foundation mental health charity, of which he is a trustee, from Affiliate Members Duel and Howden Insurance with words of thanks to mark his leadership within the industry and the CA.
Lloyd commented:
“I know that we have left the CA in a good place and achieved what we set out to achieve – the CA is the leading trade organisation in the conveyancing industry! It been an absolute pleasure to have served the organisation and the fun and camaraderie has been brilliant.
“Convey Law will remain CA members and the CA has and continues to be wonderfully supportive of the Conveyancing Academy and the Conveyancing Foundation.
“The Convey group have a number of key initiatives that will require our full focus over the coming years and so we felt it was time to let others take up the reigns at the association.”
The Convey365 Secretariat has overseen an impressive five CA conferences and over 20 CA events and dinners at over 15 different locations over the last 6 years.
Operations Director Jess Smith commented:
“We have always tried to keep the CA members engaged with meetings and tried to ensure that the locations of meetings are at venues that are an experience in themselves.
“We have held events at the Tower of London, the Houses of Parliament, Lord’s Cricket ground as well as at Stamford Bridge and the Etihad football stadiums and at numerous other fabulous locations.
“It hasn’t been easy by any means as every event is like organising a wedding at an unknown location, every time!! Members have thoroughly enjoyed themselves, with every event involving drinks and dinner to allow everyone to get to know each other better.
“Membership numbers have increased from 45 to 80 and our Affiliate Members have been brilliant in helping us to develop the CA family network.
“It has been an absolute pleasure working with everyone at the CA and we are confident that we have left the policies and procedures in place to ensure continued success and we wish the new Secretariat all the very best for the future. Thank you to everyone at the CA for their friendship and fun over so many years. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to have served the Association.”
Kindly shared by Convey Law
Main photo courtesy of Pixabay
