Rotting seagulls and unreliable technology show urgent need for Court investment

THE shambolic state of Court buildings across England and Wales; including:- asbestos, mould, inadequate air conditioning, dilapidated toilets, rotting seagulls and cells regularly flooding with excrement; has been laid bare in a new report launched 25 September.

The Law Society of England and Wales surveyed solicitors on whether the Court infrastructure is fit for purpose. The results show where time and money must be invested to maintain a functioning public Court system.

63% of respondents reported experiencing delays in cases being heard in the past 12 months due to the state of the Courts. Cases were adjourned, delayed, moved online or transferred to different venues. Clients and victims were left in limbo and denied access to justice with many at risk of losing jobs, facing insecure housing situations and wasting both time and money. A vital public service is being left to stagnate, compounding the harm caused by these delays.

1 in 5 respondents said the technology in the Courts was:- 'not at all' fit for purpose, a 7% increase compared to our 2022 State of the Courts survey.

Reported issues included poor quality remote hearings, software problems and a lack of working plug sockets in both conference rooms and the Courts.

Solicitors with a disability were significantly more likely to find the physical state of the Courts:- 'not at all fit' for purpose (45%) compared to those with no disability (25%). This is due to limited accessibility in Court buildings such as an absence of ramps and working lifts.

Law Society President Richard Atkinson commented:- "The poor state of Court buildings across England and Wales is both a contributor to the huge backlog of Court cases and an illustration of the woeful lack of investment in our justice system. Government underfunding is denying us, our children and our businesses a vital public service. The backlog in our Crown Courts stands at more than 76,957 cases, while two-thirds of care cases in family Courts take longer than the 26-week time limit. There are currently 35,475 open family Court cases, according to recent statistics. Behind each of these statistics are tens of thousands of adults and children who could be freed from limbo and move forward with their lives if they could have their day in Court. The report also identifies examples of good practice, which show the positive results that can be achieved when necessary investment is made. This could be an easy win for the Government, which has rightly recognised the need for capital and sustained investment in the Courts, but must go further. By targeting investment effectively and applying technology, we can ensure that everyone has access to justice, without unacceptable delays, in Courts that are truly fit for purpose."

You can read The Law Society's:- '2022 State of the Courts survey' by clicking on their website...

From fair employment to digital inclusion and volunteering

MAYOR Steve Rotheram today welcomed a new report on the Combined Authority's work to spread social value across the Liverpool City Region, describing the approach as building:- "a better, fairer future for everyone in our Region."

The Social Value Annual Report found that, over 2024, embedding social value delivered benefits including:- free travel for more than 800 care leavers, 110,000 workers benefiting from the Fair Employment Charter, and 38,000 local people accessing learning opportunities. And at least £17m in social value was delivered through procurement, partnerships and programme design.

Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram said:- "We're using our spending power to make life fairer, greener, and better for the people who live here. That's what social value is all about: making sure that every pound we spend delivers something extra for our communities; whether that's supporting a local business instead of 1 based hundreds of miles away, giving someone their 1st chance at work, or making our Region more inclusive and accessible for everyone. This report shows what that looks like in practice. Behind every number, there's a story; of someone gaining new skills and finding confidence, of a community space being brought back into use, or of a supplier doing more than just meeting the contract and going the extra mile to make a difference."

Key achievements highlighted in the report include:-

• Delivering £17m in social value through procurement, partnerships and programme design.
  

• Enabling nearly 38,000 local people to access learning.
  

• Signing up more than 160 employers to the Fair Employment Charter, with nearly 110,000 people benefiting from decent employment practices.
  

• Providing free travel to more than 800 care leavers to support independence, employment and social participation.
  

• Boosting digital inclusion by working with partners to provide more than 5,000 people with:- free devices, data, and digital skills training.
  

• Contributing more than 800 hours of volunteering, supporting environmental clean ups, food banks and grassroots projects.
  

• Training more than 240 employees and suppliers in social value planning, delivery and evaluation.
  

• Establishing a 55 member Social Value Practitioners Network, meeting monthly to build shared capability and peer learning in the Region.

The report also includes:- case studies highlighting the range of activities that are embedding social value in every area of the Combined Authority's work.

More than 160 companies have now signed up to Mayor Rotheram's Fair Employment Charter, covering nearly 110,000 workers. Through the charter, local employers are committing to secure, fairly paid and inclusive work, creating better jobs and fairer outcomes across sectors.

Early data shows measurable improvements in:- recruitment, pay, retention and morale. For employees the charter leads to formal contracts, progression opportunities and reduced in-work poverty. For employers, benefits include lower turnover, higher productivity, and enhanced reputation.

Through its Aspire Discover Training Programme the Combined Authority is currently providing 6 trainees from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic backgrounds with the opportunity to take their 1st steps into public service through a 12 month structured training experience.

The programme is designed to build confidence, provide networking opportunities, and remove barriers to accessing meaningful career pathways into public service. It is the 1st positive action initiative of its kind within the Combined Authority and has attracted interest from partner organisations across the Region.

Working with transport operators and care leavers, the Combined Authority has introduced free travel for more than 800 care-leavers, enabling them to access learning and work opportunities, and removing barriers to their success. And as part of work to remove the Kingsway tunnel gantry, contractors A E Yates delivered significant social value by donating the £3,000 value of the recycled steel to Foxfield SEND School in Wirral.

The team also organised a digger experience and sensory construction activities tailored to the needs of the School's pupils. This offered early exposure to careers in construction, delivered in a way that was inclusive, adapted and inspiring. Pupils explored real equipment, wore PPE and engaged in imaginative play, introducing them to engineering, building and teamwork.

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