Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 2
2
Accepted
Set out improved approach for staff and stakeholder engagement and transparency
Recommendation
HMCTS’s failure to engage sufficiently with staff and stakeholders throughout the common platform rollout has increased the burden on courts and staff already under significant pressure. When we last reported on the programme, HMCTS assured us that it intended to do more to ensure staff and stakeholders felt listened to. We are therefore disappointed to hear that these groups still feel that the quality of engagement has been insufficient – particularly during the rollout of common platform. HMCTS initially rolled out what it considered to be a minimum viable version of common platform to criminal courts. But this version was not sufficiently developed, and staff have had to deal with multiple technical and design issues, including system outages. HMCTS acknowledges that this has created challenges for its staff, who have also been working hard to deal with the extensive case backlogs worsened by the pandemic. However, users of common platform say that they have often not felt heard. This is reflected in HMCTS’s poor staff satisfaction scores and user perceptions of common platform. HMCTS established a new feedback mechanism to in October 2022 and recognises that it needs to do more to improve its approach to engagement going forwards. Recommendation 2: HMCTS should set out in its Treasury Minute response how it will improve its approach to engagement and transparency to ensure that staff and stakeholder concerns are responded to adequately. This should include how it will monitor the effectiveness of its new feedback mechanism.
Government Response Summary
The government agrees and states it has already implemented the recommendation by overhauling its staff feedback process, introducing specific digital forms, dedicated sponsors, transparent data, regular updates, and increasing staff and stakeholder involvement in prioritising and resolving issues. It also detailed support frameworks for new functionality.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation Recommendation implemented The decision to adjust the timetable for delivering new Common Platform functionality came directly from listening to and responding to feedback. The Crime Programme overhauled its staff feedback process to introduce: • a new digital form with clear service level agreements; • senior management team sponsors for each HMCTS region; • feedback data and outcomes made available to all staff; • monthly feedback webinars and weekly updates to report on action taken; and • greater staff involvement in directly prioritising and resolving issues. The programme will continue working with user focus-groups for efficient prioritisation of fixes and real-time feedback on changes, while maintaining regular engagement with trade unions to discuss plans and gather suggestions for improvement. The programme continues to facilitate regular forums and engagement opportunities with partners including the judiciary, police, Legal Aid Agency, Probation and Prison Service, and the Crown Prosecution Service. Defence practitioners can now attend two drop-in sessions every week to get answers to issues, alongside regular additional sessions to give feedback on functionality. In the Civil Family and Tribunals (CFT) Programme, a new post go-live implementation support framework is used to ensure staff and judicial office holders are being supported, particularly in the immediate days and weeks following the release of new functionality. This includes the collation of feedback via multiple channels and post go-live webinars to hear more about the functionality and new ways of working, with question-and-answer sessions enabling those responsible to respond to feedback and queries.