Crown Prosecution Service, London Business Plan

Transcription

1 Crown Prosecution Service, London Business Plan

2 Introduction from the Chief Crown Prosecutor This document sets out the key business activities that CPS London will deliver over the next 12 months to drive forward improvements to the Capital s prosecution service. In 2014/15 we will focus on: improving the quality of our casework improving the quality of our service to victims and witnesses ensuring our people have the right skills and tools to do their jobs effectively maximising efficiency. We start 2014/15 on solid footing, having made good progress over the past 12 months. More of our trials are effective, our conviction rate has improved and with our Early Guilty Plea rate also improving we are ensuring that our resources are being properly directed towards contested cases. Digital working is embedded in the London Magistrates courts and, in tandem with improvements to our wider processes, is ensuring more focussed and efficient case preparation. In 2014/15 we will embed digital processes in the Crown Court. We will capitalise on our strong and productive working relationship with CJS partners and continue to work closely with them to deliver a digital CJS and will also continue our work with the police on driving up file quality. The March 2014 Inspectorate report on CPS London has recognised some big strides forward. However, the Inspectors were clear that our casework is still not at the level it needs to be. Casework is our core work and this plan lays out clear activities to ensure that 2014/15 sees performance improve, underpinned by a new action plan to ensure new Casework Quality Standards are embedded, implementing Standard Operating Practices and a strong focus on weeding out weak cases early to promote greater efficiency. I want my time as CPS London CCP to be defined by a step change in the way we support victims and witnesses. Key to this is ensuring that we communicate more effectively with victims and witnesses about the progress of cases and ensure they experience fewer delays in the justice process. Our people are of course crucial in delivering these improvements. We have a committed and driven workforce in London and they deserve the best tools to enable them to do their jobs and access to training and development opportunities. We have outlined measures that will support them better in the delivery of our business. 2014/15 is a pivotal year for CPS London and I am confident that with the support of our staff we will continue to make significant strides forward. Baljit Ubhey OBE 1

3 CPS London Resource Allocation Salaries: 50,363,123 General Administration Expenditure: 4,400,000 Prosecution Costs: 28,000,000 Total: 82,736,123 2

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5 What we achieved in 2013/14 highlights Casework People We improved our conviction rates in both the Crown Court and Magistrates Courts, including the Early Guilty Plea rate in the Crown Court We embedded digital processes in the Magistrates Court teams and, listening to our staff, looked for further opportunities to improve processes and efficiency, enabling them to work more effectively We implemented Standard Operating Practices (SOPs) in the London Magistrates Court Unit We completed Case Management Panels (CMPs) across a range of cases enabling learning and sharing best practice across a broad spectrum of our work We reviewed local CMPs to broaden further the type of cases we review and ensure they are fit for purpose in managing our most serious and sensitive cases We reviewed processes in the Crown Court and started a process of improvement linked to digitisation We improved our effective trial rates in the Magistrates Courts (46.4%-50.8%) and the Crown Court (57.3%-62.2%) data to end Dec We improved our staff engagement score by 10% to 50% in this year s staff survey, through actions detailed in our People Plan, which delivered more focussed work to recognise the contribution of our staff and work to increase engagement in the delivery of core CPS priorities We ran a legal development programme for our prosecutors, which ensured their continuing professional development Our managers took part in a Management Development Programme, refreshing their management skills We commenced an Aspiring Legal Managers programme to ensure future Legal Managers have the capability to drive casework improvements We delivered a wellbeing programme which was open to all staff We supported operations centre managers to obtain professional qualifications in order to provide specialist advice to the business. 4

6 What we plan to achieve in 2014/15 Priority Our key activities When delivered Casework quality (some of these actions reflect HMCPSI recommendactions from the 2014 report) 1. Implement and embed the new national Casework Quality Standards (CQS) A new Casework Quality Assurance and Compliance Team will establish the casework baseline and will measure progress against the baseline, providing feedback to ensure ongoing improvements. We will set up a separate Casework Quality Action Plan, which will be supported through a governance structure reporting directly to the London Board and performance will be independently scrutinised. We will hold workshops with Legal Managers and wider staff groups on the new Standards to ensure they fully understand the new CQS expectations and how compliance with them will be measured. We will develop a consistent format for instructions (briefs) to Advocates at court. Quarter (Q) 1 & ongoing 2. Work with the Metropolitan Police Service and City of London Police Service to ensure we produce a quality file on time We will ensure that key evidential material required is identified during the initial case review along with issues and activities (such as applications for special measures) needed to support the prosecution and request that material at the earliest opportunity, working with the police so that these requests are dealt with expeditiously with less escalations. We will ensure that we comply with the CPS/MPS escalation procedure. We will serve a quality evidential bundle only once we have sufficient relevant material from the police and where material is not received seek an extension from the Court in suitable cases. 3. Implement a focused, efficient casework assurance programme We will implement a new system for Area case management panels for volume cases involving legal managers scrutinising live cases with the staff dealing with those cases to ensure quality of decision making Ongoing actions Q 1 5

7 Casework quality and handling. We will complete quality monitoring on files subject to an Area Case Management Panel to assess file quality and compliance with Casework Quality Standards. We will continue to hold reinvigorated case management panels in all appropriate sensitive or complex cases ensuring a thorough and detailed review of our highest profile cases. We will embed and enforce compliance with national Custody Time Limit processes. We will obtain and act on feedback from the London Scrutiny and Involvement panel to ensure lessons are learnt and ongoing casework improvement takes place. 4. Embed an effective system for managing performance We will review our current performance reporting regime, amending the regime if necessary, and ensure compliance with it in order to ensure a focus on continuous improvement. We will ensure all our managers focus on delivery of measurable meaningful improvements in relation to areas of our performance that focus on casework quality. 5. Deliver our advocacy to high quality standards We will implement the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates in accordance with national requirements in order to ensure that our advocates are regulated. We will develop an Advocacy Strategy that delivers the highest quality standards, develops our advocates and delivers value for money. We will embed a system of assessment for our advocates. Ongoing actions Ongoing actions Ongoing actions 6

8 Victims and witnesses 1. Identify victim and witness needs at the earliest opportunity and communicate with victims and witnesses in a timely and effective manner We will deal with victims and witnesses empathetically and their needs will be reviewed throughout the duration of the case. We will ensure the need for special measures is identified during the charging consultation and initial case review and applications are made at the first hearing. We will identify those victims with enhanced entitlements to ensure enhanced support at the earliest opportunity. We will ensure that file endorsements include the outcome of special measures applications made at the court hearing and develop a process which ensures those outcomes are communicated to victims and witnesses in a timely manner via the Witness Care Unit (WCU). We will measure compliance with this. We will develop a process to ensure that the outcome of special measures applications made administratively are tracked and communicated to victims and witnesses in a timely manner. We will measure compliance with this process. We will measure compliance with the bail application/variation process to ensure that applications are dealt with appropriately and that the outcome is communicated to the victim in a timely and effective way via the WCU. 2. Implement the Area Victim Liaison Unit (VLU) Plan We will continue the implementation of VLUs in London, ensuring the VLU dealing with Crown Court and CCU cases is live and fully functional by the end of the first quarter. We will assess the progress of VLUs to ensure that they are delivering benefits through staged reviews at the end of each quarter and will fully review the Area VLU programme at the end of the financial year. Ongoing actions Q1 Quarterly 7

9 Victims and witnesses 3. Effectively communicate with victims and witnesses at court We will reinforce through refresher training the role of all paralegal officers and prosecutors in communicating with victims and witnesses at court. We will ensure that our instructions to external advocates are clear in terms of their responsibility to communicate with victims and witnesses and will monitor compliance. We will provide training for new prosecutors and paralegal staff, ensuring they have the skills and understand their responsibility to communicate with victims and witnesses at court. We will assess the quality and frequency of our communication with victims and witnesses at court every quarter through an appropriate compliance regime and by seeking feedback from the Witness Service, taking remedial action where necessary. 4. Ensure compliance with the amended Victim s Code of Practice We will ensure a victim personal statement is taken if a victim wishes to say how a crime has affected them personally. We will obtain victim personal statements from the police and ensure they are provided to the Court in order for consideration to be given to them when sentencing. We will ensure that appropriate arrangements are made for victims to read their statements in Court if they wish to do so. Q2 Ongoing Q2 Ongoing Ongoing actions 8

10 People / Skills and tools for the Job 1. Establish individual learning accounts for all staff We will establish Learning Teams across the Area. We will run workshops with staff to identify team and individual learning needs and develop learning plans. We will implement Team and Individual Learning Plans. Q1 & Q2 2. Identify learning and development needs for our staff through Personal Development Plans and Core Quality Standards Monitoring We will continue to deliver a bespoke Legal Development Programme that meets the learning and development needs of our legal staff, and evaluate the effectiveness of the programme. We will continue to deliver an Aspiring Legal Managers programme We will create a programme to provide development opportunities for administrators and paralegal staff wishing to aspire to the next level and evaluate this programme We will deliver a bespoke programme for Victim Liaison Unit staff. Q1 (evaluate Q2) Q1-2 Q2 (evaluate Q4) 3. Ensure feedback is given regularly across all grades and in all directions in London in order to develop a high performing Area We will develop a London philosophy for feedback. We will run activities for staff and managers, particularly during People Month, to gain a better understanding of what feedback looks like in London and what the blockages are to giving feedback. We will work with managers and staff on how to give and seek feedback. We will encourage feedback from stakeholders. Q1 and ongoing 9

11 4. Ensure that all teams understand and are committed to Team CPS London goals We will ensure that each team clearly understands their contribution to CPS London goals We will run activities for teams to identify compelling team goals which encourage mutual accountability and support CPS London goals. Q2 and ongoing Maximising efficiency 1. Implement and embed the Crown Court Standard Operating Practices (SOPs) We will participate in the development and testing of phase 1 of the SOP and implement Phase 1. We will participate in the development and testing of Phase 2 of the SOP and implement Phase 2. Q1 and Q2 Q3 and Q4 2. Implement digital Crown Court processes in accordance with the Area Digital Working Implementation Plan We will implement stage 3 of the Crown Court digital implementation plan, evaluating its progress and staff engagement. We will implement stage 4 of the Crown Court digital implementation plan evaluating its progress and staff engagement. We will evaluate the effectiveness of Crown Court digital processes. We will continue to seek the engagement of more members of the defence community in digital working, supporting the national agenda in this respect. 3. National Resource and Efficiency Measures (REMs) We will continue to participate in the national Resource and Efficiency measures pilot. We will review the effectiveness of the REM pilot in partnership with national CPS, and assess the results and impact on our resource deployment. We will implement and monitor the agreed national REMs. Q2 Q2 Ongoing Q1 Q2 Q3 10

12 4. Work with the police on the Digital First programme We will assist the police in the development of an electronic case file, ensuring that Casework Quality Standards are built into the product. Ongoing 11