Source · Select Committees · Justice Committee
Recommendation 15
15
Deferred
Unbearable HMCTS staffing crisis impedes County Court support and efficient access to justice.
Conclusion
The Committee would like to pay tribute to the dedication and hard work of frontline staff in the County Court. However, the current staffing crisis in HMCTS is untenable, impeding its ability to support County Court users and ensuring efficient access to justice. (Conclusion, Paragraph 74)
Government response summary AI-generated
The government stated that a system for requesting reasonable adjustments is already in place for court users, but did not address the concern about the staffing crisis in HMCTS.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government · verbatim extract
Deferred
Accept in part. HMCTS is progressing several interconnected strands of work relevant to this recommendation. We plan to review and restate the County Court operating model, clarifying the division of responsibilities between HMCTS’ national services and local courts. This includes reflecting future ways of working in operational processes and roles and providing clarity on what public services will be delivered where and what the judiciary can expect by way of local administrative support. This will include consideration of the knowledge, skills and capabilities needed of those working in the civil jurisdiction, with the aim of creating a more efficient and consistent operating environment that enables judicial effectiveness and improves outcomes for court users. In parallel, HMCTS will revisit the resource model for the County Court, which will aim to more closely align available resources with workload demand and with ways of working following the conclusion of the Reform programme. As part of this, we are investing in our staff by expanding the mediation service, creating new skills and opportunities that support more effective dispute resolution and enhance service delivery. As an Executive Agency of the Ministry of Justice, HMCTS has the same terms and conditions as Ministry of Justice staff. The MoJ 2025 Pay Offer provides uplifts to all pay range minima and maxima, enabling the majority of employees (98%) to receive an award equivalent to 3.75% or more of their salary; targeting the offer at Admin Assistant to Admin Officer grades to ensure a higher than headline award for staff in these grades and improving the position of the lowest paid of between 4% and 6.1%. This award continues to improve the competitiveness of the department’s pay ranges with other government departments. The 2025 Pay Offer recognised the unique challenges associated with Bailiff and Bailiff Manager roles, with an allowance increase that doubled to £2,000 for Bailiffs and an increase to £1,000 for Bailiff Managers.
Read the full response on Parliament ↗