London care proceedings pilot claims dramatic reduction in case duration

A pilot launched by three London councils has more than halved the duration of care proceedings cases – including adoption – to below the Government’s planned limit of 26 weeks, it has been claimed.

Westminster City Council, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) and Hammersmith & Fulham Council (H&F) said they expected the scheme to save more than £1m a year.

The results of the pilot have been submitted to ministers with a recommendation that it be rolled out more widely across London. Lessons and advice are now being shared with 19 other interested boroughs.

The pilot was launched on 1 April 2012 and “early indications” suggest a reduction in the duration of care proceedings cases from a previous average of 50-60 weeks to just 20.3 weeks.

In a statement, the three councils said: “While this figure is expected to rise slightly as more complex cases come to an end, the initial results show a marked improvement in completion times for cases.”

The pilot also involves the Inner London Family Proceedings Court (ILFPC), the Principal Registry and Cafcass.

Key elements of the scheme include:

  • the inclusion of all care proceedings in respect of children who have suffered significant harm, including adoption;
  • the appointment in all cases of a Cafcass guardian before the first court hearing. “This early allocation of guardians has proven a successful element of the pilot so far.”
  • specially designated days at the ILFPC for tri-borough cases being heard under the pilot;
  • wherever possible, the same judge throughout a case to ensure continuity and further speed up proceedings; and
  • a dedicated case manager who also oversees and co-ordinates all care cases going through the pilot, “maintaining quality and focus for each case and ensuring it is on track to meet the six-month timeframe”. The manager also conducts case reviews after each case is concluded, to incorporate lessons into future best practice and continue improving the system.

The three local authorities said the pilot had received “very positive” feedback from judges at the ILFPC. This included suggestions that social workers appeared to have more confidence in their assessments and, where there was sufficient evidence, were more robust in their recommendations.

The councils added: “There is, however, still room for improvement. The courts have commented that some social worker assessments still need better analysis and a clearer outline of the work that has taken place with the family before proceedings begin. Some social workers also need to improve the way they describe the impact of delays on individual children, and to generally tighten up written assessments.”

A ‘six months on’ progress report showed that out of the 43 cases that had started since the pilot launched:

  • Six of the more straightforward cases had already completed and a further 11 cases were imminent or had final hearing dates set.
  • So far, the average completion period for cases was 20.3 weeks, and they had involved an average of 4.4 hearings each. The average across the three boroughs before the care proceedings pilot began was 50-60 weeks.
  • A further eight cases looked likely to complete within 26 weeks (the target timeframe) or only slightly over that time.
  • A further 10 cases were at the early stages or had only recently started, and it was too soon to make predictions on their likely completion dates.
  • Of the remaining eight cases, one was expected to complete in 40 weeks, one in 35+ weeks and another in 30 weeks. “The other five are proving less predictable and are more complex cases that may take longer.”

Andrew Christie, tri-borough director of children’s services for Westminster, RBKC and H&F, said: “It is still early days for the care proceedings pilot, but initial results show it is already having a dramatic effect in speeding up children’s care cases and forging a more common-sense approach between our three councils, Cafcass and the family courts.

“We’re optimistic that this pilot will prove it is possible to hit the government’s six-month target in the majority of cases, and we’re very happy to share the findings we have made so far with other interested councils across the country.”

Christie added: “It’s also important to keep sight of the bigger picture. By hitting the six-month timeframe in as many cases as possible, we are achieving greater permanency and emotional stability for vulnerable children in our care, as well as saving almost £2m a year from the public purse.”

John Baker, Justices’ Clerk for family courts in the wider London area, said his first impression of the tri-borough pilot project was a very positive one.

He added: “It is clear that a lot of time and effort has gone into ensuring that cases are progressed in a way that balances the need to minimise unproductive delay whilst at the same time exploring all the available care options for children.

“It is still early days in terms of detailed evaluation but signs are promising and what I have already witnessed is clear evidence of collaborative working and good practice.”

The care proceedings pilot is now part of a ‘Whole Place’ Community Budget which was awarded to Westminster, RBKC and H&F councils in December 2011 by the Department for Communities and Local Government as one of four national ‘Whole Place’ pilots.

The pilot has been supported by a £150,000 grant from Capital Ambition. The three councils each invested £30,000 into the project.