Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 28
28
Acknowledged
Pathfinder scheme rollout requires significant funding reallocation for increased social worker and Cafcass involvement.
Conclusion
The new model reduces the number of court hearings and redistributes costs across the system.69 Evaluations from the two early pilots found that costs for local authorities more than doubled as social workers were involved in more cases, while the judicial cost halved due to a reduced number of hearings.70 Cafcass told us that its involvement in private law cases can be expected to increase from around 30% of cases to 80% under the Pathfinder model. It said that achieving this across the country would require around 200 more family court advisers. Wider roll out may therefore depend on reallocation of funding to support the necessary investment in Cafcass and local authority social workers.71
Government Response Summary
Acknowledges the cost redistribution of the new model and the need for reallocation of funding to support Cafcass and local authority social workers.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The new model reduces the number of court hearings and redistributes costs across the system. Evaluations from the two early pilots found that costs for local authorities more than doubled as social workers were involved in more cases, while the judicial cost halved due to a reduced number of hearings. Cafcass told us that its involvement in private law cases can be expected to increase from around 30% of cases to 80% under the Pathfinder model. It said that achieving this across the country