In order to foster a better understanding between ourselves and our clients as to the work that we both do, Whiteheads offers a "work shadowing" service which gives our clients the opportunity to spend time with us in our offices.

Our focus is both on developing practical skills in addition to having more formal training. The sorts of activities that recent visitors have been involved in include:

• Practice in preparing court documents
• Preparing witness statements
• Attending Court with one of our solicitors
• Updates on ASB Injunctions and other remedies
• Reviewing completed cases and 'mapping' the process

This use of the "learning by doing" methodology has been very successful and offers considerable benefit in building personal relationships and putting clients in a better position to support their own teams, improve the standard of work and therefore provide a better service to customers.

A further benefit of work shadowing is that clients can meet and get to know the whole team from Reception staff to Directors not just the lawyers that are working with them on cases.

One client who recently spent time with us commented that:

"Everyone was really welcoming and friendly. The sessions back at the office were very useful and it was just what we needed as newcomers to this area".