BBC “File on 4” response

On 11 November the BBC aired a File on 4 programme focused on the HMCTS reform programme and the civil national business centre based in Northampton.

PCS has from the inception of the reform programme warned against putting in place systems that are designed simply to remove staff, leaving our members to do “more with less” as we said at the time. That approach would lead inevitably to a service that left members feeling stressed and unsupported and result in a poorer service to the public and other court users.

PCS is not against the use of technology and digitalisation where they are needed and can be shown to make work easier and more productive for our members, delivering improved experiences and interactions for those using HMCTS’s services.

The radio programme focused on two main areas that are not directly related to each other, the first being the civil national business centre (CNBC) which is part of the national services region within HMCTS. It’s an office that processes around 250,000 different claims per month, so with this level of workload it is unsurprising that so much paper is received and generated, and it is a testament to our members’ ongoing hard work and dedication in processing it.

The CNBC is trialling a new scanning system called CAFS which sees all work posted in being scanned to create digital case files which can then be transferred to local courts and tribunals as required. The pilot is currently taking place in around 18 local courts.

While CAFS will help to deduce “lost” paperwork, as highlighted in the podcast it will still rely on the hard work of members to ensure the accuracy of the scanning and the creation of digital files.

With this in mind it would assist PCS in its consultations with HMCTS if members working on the CAFS pilots could email [email protected] with any issues that you experience with the system or other related areas?

The second element of the programme dealt with the core case data (CCD) and divorce portal areas of the IT software developed for reform. It is clear that there were and are significant bugs in the systems that HMCTS has not been open and honest about. This is particularly demonstrated by the issue of concurrency where documents can fail to load or update leaving parties and judges lacking the full information on cases and tribunal. It is made worse by the fact that these bugs lend themselves to allowing for data breaches and losses, a situation that can have devastating consequences for those involved.

The union is adamant that our members should not be held responsible for the failings and weaknesses of new IT systems and processes. They require the correct levels of staffing, resourcing, training and support being in place, for members who are on the frontline and facing criticisms that are not of their making or have any control over.

The “File on Four” programme raised legitimate concerns that HMCTS will need to respond to, something the BBC indicated they had been reluctant to do in the making of the programme. PCS is keen to see that our members are not scapegoated but given the right tools for the job so they can deliver a first class service to the public we serve.