Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 11
11
Accepted
Undeveloped common platform burdened courts, causing rollout pauses and affecting justice outcomes.
Conclusion
Problems have also been caused by court staff having had to use a version of common platform that was not sufficiently developed, which has affected justice outcomes and burdened courts. For example, between August 2021 and March 2022, HMCTS had to pause the rollout to address performance issues including system outages, which affected the live running and stability of the service. Users told the National Audit Office that issues with the system can lead to delayed court processes when it is slow or not responding.19 However, HMCTS told us that problems with the speed and stability of common platform existed in the early stages of the rollout and were no longer an issue of “primary concern”.20 14 Committee of Public Accounts, Transforming Courts and Tribunals: progress review, Second Report of Session 2019, HC 27, 5 November 2019 15 HM Treasury, Treasury Minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the One Hundred and Twelfth to One Hundred and Nineteenth reports from Session 2017–19 and the First and Second reports from Session 2019, CP 201, January 2020 16 CPR0002, Written evidence submitted by The Bar Council, 30 March 2023, para1 17 CPR0002, Written evidence submitted by The Bar Council, 30 March 2023, paras 1, 3, 7, 13 18 Qq 74–79 19 C&AG’s Report, paras 2.9–2.10, 2.18, Figure 7, Figure 8 20 Q 28 12 Progress on the courts and tribunals reform programme
Government Response Summary
The government states it has improved the Common Platform by overhauling its staff feedback process, introducing new digital forms, senior management sponsors, webinars, and increased staff involvement, alongside ongoing engagement with user groups and partners.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
2.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation Recommendation implemented 2.2 The decision to adjust the timetable for delivering new Common Platform functionality came directly from listening to and responding to feedback. 2.3 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. 2.4 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. 2.5 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. 2.6 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.