Monica Skelton, Team Leader, Durham (Boldon) Office

As a team leader I am responsible for the development of team members and the quality of our products, as well as meeting key performance indicators. To this end during 2006/7 I have improved the auditing process within my team in relation to areas such as customer correspondence, quality of casework and speed of service.

I value the importance of developing my staff and myself. Increasing our abilities and confidence will in turn have a positive effect on the quality of the work we produce. I have recently assigned a more senior 'buddy' to each team member, which has improved the technical knowledge within my team.

I attended team leader workshops where we devised a model highlighting the qualities (attitudes and behaviours) that a team leader needs to be successful. We also held some problem-solving exercises. I've carried forward the resulting best practice into my team - all enhancing the service we provide to our customers.