In response to the stakeholder survey results, David Neal, the Independent Chief Inspector, said:

I welcome the responses to this survey and thank all those who took the time to contribute.

I am encouraged to find that stakeholders find participation with the ICIBI worthwhile, and gratefully take on board the suggestions for improvement.

Several suggestions were made for topics for future inspections, all of which have been noted and will form part of my consideration for my 2022 inspection programme.

I will now conduct a survey on an annual basis, to further inform my approach, and encourage participants to be as candid as possible in their responses. I would also like to remind stakeholders that they are free to contact me at any time, either directly or through inspectors.

Survey Results

Stakeholders who have previously engaged with the ICIBI through our fora, interviews or by submitting evidence for an inspection were invited to participate in the survey by email, and through the ICIBI’s website and Twitter.

The survey asked questions relating to stakeholders’ experiences of engaging with the ICIBI. It also asked questions about how they use ICIBI reports, and their views on the value of the recommendations we make.

Sixty-eight stakeholders from the ICIBI database were contacted by email, drawing their attention to the survey.

The survey was completed by 28 stakeholders in total, although not all respondents answered every question.

26 respondents described themselves/ their organisation as follows:

Headline findings were as follows:

• Generally, stakeholders reported to finding engaging with the ICIBI worthwhile.
• Many stakeholders said they use ICIBI reports for advocacy and engagement with the Home Office. They value the access to information the ICIBI has, and the Home Office’s duty to respond. ICIBI findings which align with their concerns add weight to their advocacy.
• Stakeholders said they were broadly happy with the communication from inspectors, although it was suggested that there could be more follow up engagement, to update on progress of inspections.
• Stakeholders welcome advance notice of inspection findings, dates reports are sent to the Home Secretary and publication dates of reports.
• Seventeen out of 25 respondents said the Home Office responses to ICIBI recommendations were not adequate. There is frustration at how long reports take to be published, which can render recommendations out of date. There was appetite for the ICIBI to be more proactive in following up progress on recommendations.
• Specific concerns were raised about the Home Office not following up on actions to address recommendations made by the IAGCI which had been ‘accepted’.
• Ten out of 26 respondents “strongly agreed” or “agreed” that ICIBI reports adequately addressed equality and diversity issues. Fourteen said they “neither agreed nor disagreed”, and 2 either “disagreed” or “strongly disagreed”.
• Stakeholders were positive about the ICIBI stakeholder fora, describing them as a useful way to hear about and feed into the inspectorate’s priorities and reports. They were happy with the frequency of which they were convened. Several recommendations were made for additional participants.

As responses were anonymised, the ICIBI is not able to respond directly to those who contributed. However, they responses will inform future stakeholder engagement, and work is already underway to follow up on feedback received.

We have now published recordings from all sessions held at this year’s Annual Public User Event: Reforming court and tribunal services together. This year’s iteration – the fifth of its kind – was held digitally over 9 and 10 November, and covered the latest progress of the reform programme across criminal, civil, family and tribunals jurisdictions as well as our cross-cutting activity.

Over 760 people attended sessions across the two days, and were given the opportunity to hear from those leading reform at HMCTS, as well as provide input, feedback and views through question and answer discussions that featured throughout the event.

HMCTS Strategy & Change Director, Gemma Hewison, reflected:

“Once again, those working in the HMCTS reform programme and our dedicated, engaged public users have done themselves proud in coming together for another inspiring event. As the title suggests, the reform programme is about reforming services, not in isolation, but alongside those who use them. Whilst this engagement happens all year round, the annual November event is our opportunity to showcase and celebrate this work, and it’s fantastic to see it go from strength to strength each year.

My sincere thanks to everyone who joined, probed, questioned, shared and listened over the past two days. I’m already looking forward to welcoming you again next year.”

Presentations

Attendees were given the opportunity to choose from a range of sessions across the two days, depending on their area of interest or expertise. Recordings of these sessions are available in a playlist on YouTube:

Cross-jurisdictional

• publication and Information project: making it easier to find and view court and tribunal lists
• remote hearings: what next?
• Find a Court or Tribunal (FaCT): a new design to help find the right court or tribunal for you
• equal justice: collecting protected characteristics data
• from insight to action: designing out barriers to justice in reform services
• helping people to access and use HMCTS services online
• closing Q&A panel

Crime

• changes within Section 28 provision for victims and witnesses
• improving the crime service through technology
• improving the crime service through process redesign
• improving defendant engagement: encouraging take up of legal representation in custody using behavioural insight
• a new code of practice for victims of crime (Victims’ Code)

Civil

• Whiplash Reform Programme: the Official Injury Claim service
• what has the civil project delivered so far and what will the future look like?
• HMCTS small claims mediation service

Family

• probate: digital journey so far and next steps
• ending the ‘blame game’: the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act
• Domestic abuse and other protective orders

Tribunals

• Immigration and Asylum project: new online appeals service for appellants in person
• Royal Courts of Justice and Upper Tribunals project: digital technology
• SSCS Tribunals project: expansion of Submit your Appeal / Manage your Appeal for other DWP appeal types

Presentation slides

User inclusion question responses

At the 5th Annual Public User Engagement event, there was Q&A time at the end of each session. Across the sessions there were some questions around users’ inclusion, accessibility and support needs which were not always answered. These questions have been grouped into the themes and an update has been provided.

The Government Property Agency (GPA) hires Debra Soper as Chief Operating Officer in a recruitment drive as part of its strategy to place people at the centre of its property agenda of Her Majesty’s Government. Debra oversees the operational functions of the GPA which cover key areas such as data and technology, commercial, legal, HR, security, and marketing and communications.

The GPA is an executive agency of the Cabinet Office, responsible for delivering the Government’s property agenda across its office and warehouse portfolios. Formed in April 2018, the GPA has a crucial role in the Government’s Levelling Up, Net Zero and Civil Service Transformation initiatives.

Debra joins from the Cabinet Office where she was an Executive Director and Deputy Government Chief People Officer and Civil Service HR Chief Operations Officer. Debra has five years’ senior level experience in the Cabinet Office and prior to that held several private sector roles for companies such as Pearson plc, Aon Consulting, Accenture and BAE Systems.

Steven Boyd, CEO of the GPA, said:

Property is about people. We acquire and fit out buildings to deliver great places to work for our customers. And we are reshaping our workplace offering to focus on people rather than buildings. Debra’s appointment as Chief Operating Officer, with her background in people, is a key part of our growth strategy.

Debra will help us bring to bear the wide range of professionals that we need to deliver some crucial Government initiatives.

Debra Soper said:

The GPA has a huge mandate to deliver for Government. Every one of our 300 people, and those in our extensive supply chain, has a role to play. I am proud to be playing my own part in this and helping to take forward the Agency’s exciting agenda.

We are actively recruiting more than 100 roles across various disciplines, and we are looking for people with strong property and commercial skills who are prepared to innovate to deliver for our customers.

The GPA is currently working on delivering the Government’s Hubs Programme as part of the Levelling Up agenda and Workplace Transformation Project. It is also managing 800,000 sq m of the Government’s office and warehouse portfolios, and providing guidance on workplace services including design, technology, sustainability and customer experience.