Do you work with the Empowerment Star? We’re keen to hear your experience and insights to help us review this Star and improve it for everyone. Take the survey or join our focus groups to share your valuable feedback.
The Empowerment Star is our Outcomes Star for women who have experienced or been the victims of domestic violence. It is designed to be used within women’s refuges or outreach and social services and focuses on areas that are important in helping women who have experienced abuse at home to embark on a new life. We produced it in 2011 with collaboration from Eaves Housing and funding from London Councils.
Why we’re reviewing this Star
An important part of our work is keeping Stars up-to-date, easy to use and as impactful and efficient as possible.
Since the Empowerment Star was launched in 2011, there have been many changes in the sector. We have learned a lot more about the need to be trauma-informed, foster inclusivity and better meet the unique needs of practitioners and the women they support. So it’s important that we review the Empowerment Star in light of this and ensure it is the best it can be.
Creating and reviewing our Stars is a collaborative effort – we couldn’t do it without the input and expertise of clients, organisations, and practitioners who use the Star. With your experiences, ideas and feedback, we can make it as useful as possible for you and the people you support.
Share your feedback
If you are a practitioner or manager who uses the Empowerment Star and are willing to help us improve it, simply fill in this short survey and tell us what you think.
We’re also inviting you to join one of our focus groups on 22nd and 23rd November 2023 so we can hear feedback directly. Simply sign up for the date that suits you. The focus groups are on UK time, but if you use the Empowerment Star outside of the UK and would like to join, please tell us about yourself here.
We’re looking forward to hearing from you and improving this valuable tool together. If you’d like to find out more or want to email your feedback, contact us or email sara@triangleconsulting.co.uk directly.
When we launched the new and improved Outcomes Star Online platform in 2020, we were aware that what we were launching was a Minimum Viable Product.
We knew it was only the start of where we could use digital technology to help people get the most out of the Outcomes Star.
Following a year of migrating over 1000 organisations from the old platform to the new, we’ve been constantly moving forward with the platform, working closely with our technology partners QES, including:
Filling in gaps that we weren’t able to get to in the initial development (eg action plan PDF downloads)
Introducing features to support better management of data (eg configurable practitioner permissions and restricted access to records, and depersonalisation of dormant records)
Ensuring a strong foundation of compliance for information governance, cyber security and clinical safety (eg new IG statements for UK and Australia, and bringing in a Clinical Safety Officer to set up our Clinical Risk Management System).
We’ve also been working on 2 big projects – integration, and an overhaul of the ‘Live Completion’ feature. Here’s an update on those projects and some of the things we’ve learnt along the way.
Integration
We are clear that the role of Outcomes Star Online is not to be a fully customisable, comprehensive case management system or electronic patient record system. Although for some organisations it may be their central record system, our focus is purely on the Outcomes Star and supporting best practice use across our client organisations.
We have also learnt the hard way that although on the surface it seems simple to allow organisations to build their own digital versions of Stars, and in some cases works well, often it is very difficult to achieve a user experience that matches up to best practice and supports the values underpinning the Star.
Therefore, we knew when launching the new platform that we absolutely had to offer integration with other systems – but at the time, we didn’t really know how to do that. We didn’t know what kind of integration people wanted, or what technology the other systems needed to be ‘talked to’, or where to draw the lines around what should happen within Outcomes Star Online and what we should support in other systems. With over 1000 organisations using all sorts of software and managing that software in different ways, we had to decide where to start – with something that delivered a lot for one setting, or something that delivered something basic but for as many different circumstances as possible.
Following a period of research, design and development, we were delighted to launch our Partner API and our Integration Pilot in April 2023, delivering a ‘Phase 1’ of universally useful endpoints designed to reduce duplication of data entry for practitioners and support a ‘single point of truth’ in primary systems.
Alongside the more technical side of the API development, we also knew we wanted to continue to improve the user experience around completing Stars.
For the last year we’ve been doing some exciting user research and design with Usertopia to look at the ‘Live Star Completion’ feature the pages designed to be shared with someone being supported to complete a Star collaboratively without paper. Here you can see an image of one of our potential alternative designs in action.
With a focus on accessibility, as well as on supporting best Star practice, we’ve uncovered some useful learnings, including:
Lack of wifi when out and about prevents people from using the feature, so an offline solution would be valuable
The lack of imagery and the volume of text on the screen all in one go makes it harder to digest
Rather than just completing a Star, people would like to be able to complete action plans collaboratively and look back over completed Stars to show the visual of change over time
We’re just starting to move from design into development, working closely with Usertopia and QES and planning to collaborate with our research community of Outcomes Star Online practitioners to test out our plans as we go. If you’re interested in finding out more or helping us with this important development, sign up here.
Onwards and upwards
As well as the big projects above we’re committed to continually improving the user experience and technology of Outcomes Star Online. If you have any feedback or requests, or any questions or issues with the platform, please contact us on support@staronline.org.uk.
We’ve been noticing an increase in enquiries about using the Star in children’s social care, which may reflect upcoming changes in the requirements for outcomes measurement and keywork in this sector.
The Department for Education’s recently consulted on a new children’s social care national framework and indicators dashboard, and we were pleased to contribute to this. We welcomed the move towards more person-centred and collaborative care planning and outcomes measurement – the aims set out in the framework being very well aligned with our own (see our Enabling help report). However, we fed back our hope that the final version will include a broader range of indicators and more practical guidance about how to achieve the aims, for example, collaborative assessments to build strong relationships.
The themes of hearing the voices of people being supported, tailoring support and building trusting relationships were also very prominent in the Department for Education ‘Guide to the Supported Accommodation Regulations including Quality Standards’ for looked after children and care leavers aged 16 and 17, which was published in March. Since all providers now have to register with Ofsted and indicate how they will comply with the regulations, we have been working on a guidance document to explain how the Outcomes Star can help with this and how specific versions map across to the principles and quality standards.
Download the How To here. Contact us for more information or to share any learnings about using the Star in these settings.
Joy MacKeith shares her thoughts after the inaugural Towards Relational Public Services (TRePubS) Conference
How do you deliver public services that are relational – services that recognise and respond to the unique needs and circumstances of each individual? That was the topic of the conference ‘Towards Relational Public Services’ that I have just had the pleasure to participate in.
Sam Game and I gave a workshop which explored how the Outcomes Star helps to make ‘Enabling Help’ a reality in practice. Working in a relational way is one of the six core principles of Enabling Help, Triangle’s blueprint for effective services.
Sam, who leads the implementation of the Parent and Baby Star in Health Visiting services in Warwickshire, described how using the Star has helped them work in a more relational, collaborative and strengths-based way. Parents have responded incredibly well. They are much clearer about the health visitor’s role and they love the way that Star helps them see what is going well as well as where they have needs. And it isn’t just the parents. It has also helped commissioners to understand and value the service.
Our workshop was one of more than 40 sessions which took place over two days at Newcastle Business School – part of Northumbria University.
For me the highlight was Mark Smith’s presentation on service transformation work in Gateshead. He described how they have implemented an approach to working with people with complex needs in which there are only two rules: ‘do no harm’ and ‘stay legal’. In this ‘liberated method’ case workers have a low caseload and there are no limits on how long they can work with someone or what kind of support can be provided. And case workers have budgets and the discretion to spend money to help solve pressing problems.
What I loved about this approach was that the bureaucracy was stripped out, giving workers the chance to do simple things that could make a big difference and avert much greater problems down the line.
Mark is part of a growing movement of managers, practitioners and academics who are challenging the orthodoxies of New Public Management (sometimes described as the 3 Ms – Markets, Metrics and Management). They are making the case that outcomes emerge from many interacting factors and therefore cannot be ‘delivered’ or dictated. In this complex environment, learning rather than prescription and control is the most effective management strategy. And it makes more sense for commissioners to take a relational approach and to hold service providers accountable for learning rather than targets. This new approach is called Human Learning Systems.
Toby Lowe, Visiting Professor of Public Management and the Centre for Public Impact closed the conference with a call to action – for all of us who want to see services that are more relational, responsive and effective to come together and work with a coalition of the willing to create a paradigm shift in public management. It is an exciting vision, and one that I think the Outcomes Star, a tool with flexible, relational working at its core, can play a role in realising.
Joy MacKeith, Co-creator of Outcomes Star
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Watch Joy’s conversation with Toby Lowe about the synergies between Enabling Help and Human Learning Systems
Triangle is proud to announce that we have become employee-owned, with the shares held in Trust to advance our mission and for the benefit of all current and future employees.
Since its founding in 2003, Triangle has grown rapidly, and its Outcomes Stars have become industry-leading keywork and outcome measurement tools with an estimated six million Stars completed to date.
The Outcomes Stars help local authorities, the NHS, and charities help people reach their highest potential and evidence the difference they are making.
Co-founders Joy MacKeith and Sara Burns chose an Employee Ownership Trust to preserve the company’s mission, culture and independence.
Newly appointed Non-Exec Chair to the board of directors, Annika Small OBE, said “I have long admired the Outcomes Star for the agency and tools it gives people to improve their lives and communities. I am delighted to join Triangle at this pivotal moment as it becomes an employee-owned organisation. I look forward to placing our incredible team in the lead of shaping strategy, maintaining a happy and healthy culture, and supporting key workers with exceptional tools that help transform lives.“
“We are deeply proud to have made this historic transition to put the future of Triangle into the hands of those who have helped us build a highly respected and successful global organisation. There is still much to do to fully embed a person-centred and enabling approach into public service delivery. I am excited about the future, and the contribution Triangle can make to achieving that goal.”
“When we found out about employee ownership, it seemed the perfect way to retain our strong values and collaborative culture and ensure the autonomy of Triangle as we planned our exit after 20 years. We have heard so many lovely stories over the years of how people benefit from the Outcomes Stars, and I am delighted that Triangle can continue to develop Stars into the future.”
The co-founders will continue supporting Triangle’s Star development and thought leadership .
About Annika Small OBE: Annika has had a long accomplished career in public service, including being the founder of CAST, former Chief Executive of Nominet Trust and Futurelab, Chair of Chichester University and a Trustee of the Design Council.
The Outcomes Star measurement system has generated a considerable amount of interest within the sector. We view it as an example of positive practice in relation to tracking individual development and progress against multiple vulnerabilities.
From a commissioner perspective I see clear benefits to using the Star and how this can improve the information we receive from providers. This includes outcomes data for individual service users, an overall picture of positive change in outcomes for all service users as well as information about which outcomes are more difficult to shift and gaps - which can inform service development.
Not only is this a useful tool for self-assessment and identification of needs; its use over time can demonstrate to commissioners that they are getting the right outcomes from the services they fund.
I think the Outcomes Star is a really excellent tool. It helps people to think holistically about the people they are working with and supports a focus on progress as well as maintenance. It has a lot to contribute across a range of different sectors.
In my experience, the biggest challenge in doing an SROI is having good outcomes data. The Outcomes Star is probably the most developed, robust and easy-to-use tool for collecting distance travelled data
Triangle developed the first Family Star in 2010, in collaboration with Camden Council in London as part of their innovative focus on outcome measurement. It was the 4th Outcomes Star Triangle developed and brought its own engaging challenges. In particular, the Family Star was to be completed with a parent, but the beneficiary was their child or children.
Whilst keeping a clear focus on the intended outcome – that children could thrive – the Star needed to recognise that, where parents face challenges in their lives, those needed to be addressed for their own well-being as well as to benefit their children.
Parents with lived experience helped to shape the Family Stars, based on the process of change they had gone through with support from the service.
Soon after the original Family Star was published, the government in England and Wales announced significant new investment in supporting vulnerable families – initially called the Troubled Families Initiative. This initiative included a focus on understanding and measuring outcomes for families, and the Star was perfect as a tool for doing that – or almost. To align even better with the framework, it needed more focus on parents, particularly on the parent’s own well-being and on helping parents into work, where appropriate.
In response, Triangle collaborated with Leicestershire County Council to create the Family Star Plus in 2012. This has since become one of the most widely used of the family of Outcomes Stars, particularly by local authorities in England.
Triangle then worked with collaborators in Scotland to produce materials which mapped the Family Star to SHANARRI, the Scottish Government outcomes framework for children and families.
Since these early Family Stars, Triangle has developed many more versions for children and families. My Star for children is widely used to give the voice of the child alongside the Family Star Plus or Family Star. There is also the lighter touch Family Star Early Years and then the Family Star (relationships), for use where the main focus is on the relationship between parents, including with mediation and looking after the child’s well-being in family breakdown. Triangle also developed more Stars for children and young people – preview versions of all of these and more are available to download from the website.
Triangle is committed to keeping the suite of Outcomes Stars up to date – we invest part of the Star Licence fee in this – and have a robust process for reviewing existing Stars and creating new editions. We used this to review the Family Stars in 2021-2022, as described in our previous blog and detailed in a development summary that will be published with the new editions in April. The result is new editions that are more person centred, accessible and trauma informed.
If you are a current user of the Family Star or Family Star Plus (practitioner or manager), please register to attend the launch webinar event. If you can’t participate on the day, please register anyway, as we will share the recording and all new resources with you. you.
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New resources meet dual face-to-face and virtual training needs
The Covid-19 pandemic propelled organisations delivering training to shift training delivery online immediately. In the early days, it was a hectic scramble to make the most of technology for teaching and to produce virtual training resources quickly.
Two years on, we are delighted to announce the launch of our new eighth-edition Outcomes Star Core Star training course with improved exercises and a training manual suitable for use in both face-to-face and virtual learning settings.
After creating a new set of training resources for the virtual training environment we quickly developed a vision to combine the two and used the opportunity to update and revise the Core Star training resources.
We can now provide learners with the same high-quality, engaging, and consistent training experience in both environments and trainers with a single source of resources.
How we created the resources
In the summer of 2021, to start this initiative and achieve our aims, we brought together our in-house training team, associate trainers, and licensed training community to harness our collective knowledge about training in the Stars.
Over 18 months, we carried out 1-2-1 interviews, focus groups, and workshops with our community of trainers to completely revise and update the resources.
Key members of our in-house training team upskilled and undertook industry-leading LPI online training course designer and facilitation qualifications to meet the challenges of achieving the same high level of engagement virtually as in the classroom.
We drew on best practices for successful virtual learning and incorporated the latest thinking on trauma-informed language and accessibility needs. We also infused our thought leadership views on into the new resources.
“I am excited to be able to offer this new training package for the benefit of our learners and to support our community of Licensed Trainers to deliver great training in their organisations. We have all learnt so much, and I feel that the package has really benefited from our new skills and experience. I want to thank everyone involved in its development, particularly Laura Baker, who led the project – the training specialists, our implementation team and licensed trainers, designers, associates and other partners”.
With the needs of our learners and their managers at the heart of our work, we considered what they needed to know to enable them to use and implement the Star well within their service. We tested new resources with our in-house training and implementation teams and our associate training professionals, all experts on the Outcomes Star.
We collected, organised, and modified the information and delivery methods. We then tested the new resources with new learners to see what worked and didn’t, ensuring they were equally effective in both learning environments.
What’s new?
The first thing Licensed Trainers (LTs) will notice is how different they look visually. The second thing LTs will notice is the increased number of slides. We can reassure LTs by saying more information is displayed visually to make it easier for learners and accommodate different learning styles.
We’ve also introduced new graphics, icons, multimedia, and links to support and embed learning. We have included a new trauma-informed practice session, visuals of the different Journeys of Change, and the materials learners need to use in practice.
There is a greater emphasis on pre-and post-session objectives and new engaging activities to reinforce learning in each session. The slide deck and training manual are also coloured-coded to match each other.
New course structure
Now delivered in two half days or one full day
Reduced sessions from 5 to 4
Greater emphasis on pre-and post-session objectives
New learning methods and terminology
New graphics, icons, multimedia, and links
“The new course reflects the changes we’ve made in helping to ensure the Star is used consistently well by practitioners and in being more trauma-informed. The materials are more engaging, taking into account the different learning styles of our learners. I am so looking forward to delivering it!”.
Sarah Brimelow, Associate Trainer for Triangle, views on the new resources:
Mick Caroll, Associate Triangle Trainer said:
“I was part of the St Mungo’s team that first worked with Triangle Consulting to develop the Outcomes Star in 2003. I have used it in many other organisations in the years since. Seeing its growth and development in that time has been inspiring.
These new training support materials are the culmination of that: clear and simple, and very powerful. They contain the distilled knowledge and insights of frontline social care, academic and policy practitioners, as well as seasoned trainers. And it shows.
Triangle used pencils and rulers to draw the first stars and Windows 3.1 for the slides. These materials result from a constant reinvestment of passion for human development. They put 21st-century tools in the hands of trainers for learners to inherit all that brilliance for the people they support. I’m very proud to have been there at the start and to have been able to witness this wonderful process”.
How can I access the latest resources?
Training package [PowerPoint slide deck & training manual] will be available from Star Online from March 2023
Triangle will send hard copies of the new Training Manual to all LTs after they have attended a CPD session.
When can I start using the new resources?
We are holding several launch events to introduce the new Star Core package and training manual over the next six months, you only need to attend one of these.
LTs will be able to start using the new resources after this training.
Licenced Trainers (not Aus/NZ) will receive an email listing all the upcoming launch events and CPD sessions with registration links. We look forward to you joining us!
The top of the Journey of Change is now ‘managing well’
8 is more clearly the end point for families with extra needs
The Star areas names are more client-centred e.g. How I feel, My children’s learning and Our family routine
Wording changes avoid any suggestion of blame or triggers for people, while keeping the essential clarity needed between stages
What people say about the new edition?
“We all feel that it is a significant improvement”.
“More family-focused and trauma-informed”.
“The language is more client-focused and strengths-based”.
“The wording is more friendly and positive”.
“This version will get better buy-in with the families we work with”.
“The visual scaling for parents uses appropriate language, and is concise and easy to understand”.
What next?
You will notice some changes to the wording when completing stars on Star Online or using the PDF documents
If you use the Family Stars in your own software, we will provide what you need to updateto the new edition
Update any internal documents with the new names of the outcome areas and Journey of change stages
The data is comparable with the current editions – we will advise on small differences – so there will be no interruption in your reporting
There is no need for additional training, though do consider a refreshing, to make sure you get the most from the Star.
Fit with the Supporting Families Outcomes Framework 2022-25
Since the start of the Supporting Families Programme, many local authorities have been using the Family Star Plus to evidence their outcomes. This new edition coincided with the publication of the and we took this new framework into account when creating this new edition.
We are finalising a mapping document to show how the Family Star Plus (2ndEdition) is uniquely placed to evidence many of the family needs identified in the programme guidance. This will be published in Feb 2023.
Why did we do this review?
As a social enterprise, Triangle commits to investing part of the Star licence in keeping the suite of Stars under review and up to date. We keep abreast of changes in sectors and keep learning alongside our collaborators. We have a rolling program of reviews and new editions and are prioritising earlier, widely used versions, such as the Family Stars.
Join our webinar for more information
Sara, Star Development Director, will be hosting a webinar on Zoom on Tuesday 25 April at 10am (UK time.) Register HERE– register even if you can’t attend and we will send you the recording.
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My Star aligns with Scottish Government’s ‘Getting it right for every child’ approach
In November 2022, Triangle published new GIRFEC mapping guidance for licensed Outcomes Star users of My Star (Scotland).
The My Star (Scotland) guidance for workers covers how to use Star data to report against the eight indicators of well-being (often referred to as SHANARRI). It can be found within the Star Online system via the following link to the resources section: Resources – Triangle (staronline.org.uk) and clicking into the ‘Additional Star Resources – Scotland’. There you will find the following documents:
My Star Guidance for Workers (Scotland)
My Star Chart (Scotland)
My Star Flashcards (Scotland)
Within this section, similar guidance is also available for the Family Star (Scotland) and the Family Star (Early Years) (Scotland).
History
Wellbeing sits at the heart of the Scottish GIRFEC approach to provide tailored support and help for children, young people and their parents.
To help ensure everyone (children, young people, parents, and the services that support them) has a common understanding of what wellbeing and the GIRFEC principles mean, practitioners and organisations are asked to consider each of the eight SHANARRI well-being wheel indicators when working together to address individual issues.
The approach considers children’s well-being to be rights-based, strengths-based, holistic and adaptable enough to take into account the stage of development and the complexity of each child or young person’s individual life circumstances. It provides a consistent framework and shared language for promoting, supporting and safeguarding the well-being of children and young people.
SHANARRI Indicators
Safe
Healthy
Achieving
Nurtured
Active
Respected
Responsible
Included
My Star (Scotland) was developed in 2015. At that time the GIRFEC framework and the associated SHANARRI indicators were in their infancy. Consequently, although many of the outcome areas of My Star directly related to the eight SHANARRI well-being indicators, these were not automatically included or referred to within the My Star (Scotland) resources.
In 2022, during Outcomes Star training sessions facilitated by Licensed Trainers with North Lanarkshire Council, involving staff from education, children & family services, feedback suggested benefit in creating bespoke guidance which, whilst not changing the content or data obtained from using My Star, directly linked the outcome areas of My Star with the eight SHANARRI well-being indicators.
Staff from these services aim to support children and their families to thrive within their families, school and the local community. It was felt there would be distinct benefits for staff having clear correlation guidance between the child or young person’s circumstances, the interventions supporting them and how this meets the GIRFEC framework.
The development of the mapping guidance was a collaborative process involving managers and staff from North Lanarkshire Council and Triangle.
After several months of work, My Star/ SHANARRI mapping guidance was agreed, and the supporting materials were produced. These resources were then circulated to all organisations in Scotland using the My Star for further feedback and comment.
Following a subsequent feedback review, the resources were finalised and published in November 2022.
If you are a Star Online user, these documents can be associated with your service by your Account Lead, who will give you access to the materials required. Alternatively, if you are not a Star Online user, your Account Lead will have individual access to the system and can save these documents to your own internal systems for distribution and use.
It is hoped that the guidance and associated materials will be of benefit to all organisations in Scotland using My Star and will assist both at an operational level in providing support to the child, young person and their families, but also at a service level, whereby services are easily able to link their delivery of services to the well-being indicators outlined by the Scottish Government.
Background information
My Star for children was originally developed in 2013 in collaboration with Family Action, Action for Children, Westminster Council and Coram. In 2015, Triangle developed My Star (Scotland) in collaboration with Fife Council and input from Dumfries and Galloway Council.
Further information
If you would like further information about My Star or the Outcomes Star, please email us at info@triangleconsulting.co.uk
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I’m Jim Borland, the Implementation Lead for Triangle in Scotland. My role is to support a range of different organisations across the country to use the Outcomes Star in a way that best helps them to support their various clients.
I am also an ex-Police Officer, and following my retirement from the force, I worked for several years in a national charity. Much of the work there was focused on rehabilitating offenders and supporting people within or on the cusp of the Criminal Justice system. As such, I have a genuine interest in things relating to the Criminal Justice system and was keen to attend the Scottish Association for the Study of Offending (SASO) conference on November 11th 2022, which focussed on access to j, in particular, the obstacles to obtaining justice from both sides of the Criminal Justice system in Scotland, for victim and perpetrator alike.
I looked forward to hearing about the current challenges and learning more about the range of successful recent initiatives and plans to support everyone within society to get access to justice when they need it.
As a result of the recent pandemic, this was the first face-to-face conference in recent years, bringing together a variety of interested individuals and front-line organisations working in the justice arena. The keynote speakers were all high-ranking professionals within their disciplines discussing their personal experiences of the justice system in Scotland. The conference also allowed them to propose some ‘blue sky’ ideas to help ensure access to justice will be available to everyone who needs it in the coming years.
The conference highlighted and celebrated the invaluable work undertaken by front-line services and staff. It was also an excellent opportunity for delegates to connect, network, learn from each other, and share experiences.
Whilst some initial design work had already commenced, Sheriff Principal Aisha Anwar spoke about the various technological advancements developed due to the pandemic, including the use of ‘virtual’ courtrooms and evidence provided remotely via digital platforms. She also highlighted several new procedural improvements, including ‘electronic’ warrants and fast-tracking domestic abuse cases, designed to streamline the sometimes lengthy legal processes. These developments are intended to ensure that the justice system is demonstrably ‘fair’ to all and provide appropriate and timely access to justice for both an accused person and the victims of crime.
The next speaker was Andrea Coomer, the Chief Executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform. Throughout a very passionate presentation, she highlighted the apparent lack of diversity in the Judiciary system, particularly in England and Wales, and consequently, the noticeable lack of trust by a majority of the general public, particularly with young people and people from ethnic minorities. She provided several examples of young people being unable to access justice. She posed questions about the suitability of court proceedings when the reality was that the person might be suffering from mental health issues, be a victim of abuse themselves or be disadvantaged in accessing legal representation due to their personal circumstances. Her plea was that ‘legacy’ legal systems need to change as we move towards the future.
The next speaker was Andrea Coomer, the Chief Executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform. Throughout a very passionate presentation, she highlighted the apparent lack of diversity in the Judiciary system, particularly in England and Wales, and consequently, the noticeable lack of trust by a majority of the general public, particularly with young people and people from ethnic minorities. She provided several examples of young people being unable to access justice. She posed questions about the suitability of court proceedings when the reality was that the person might be suffering from mental health issues, be a victim of abuse themselves or be disadvantaged in accessing legal representation due to their personal circumstances. Her plea was that ‘legacy’ legal systems need to change as we move towards the future.
The last keynote speaker, Ronaldo Renucci KC, the Vice Dean of the Faculty of Advocates in Scotland, spoke at length about the practical issues faced by defence solicitors, including a declining number of solicitors, a lack of new defence solicitors coming into the field, the capping of legal aid, the increasing amount of work for existing defence solicitors, the rising number of new clients and increased case preparation requirements. These issues are even more significant for cases involving sex crimes, which are very distressing for all persons involved (prosecution and defence alike). He emphasised the right for everyone to have the ability to access justice, and that included obtaining appropriate legal representation. However, this is becoming difficult due to the limiting factors raised, and he put forward several ideas about improving the current situation.
The afternoon session was an interactive session where groups of delegates reviewed scenario’s where access to justice was complicated due to a vast range of legal and organisational processes. Throughout these scenario discussions, it was highlighted that there was still much work to be done to ensure access to justice reaches everyone who needs it – accused persons, victims, and the public in general.
Whilst the use of the Outcomes Star might not at first glance appear to directly link to getting ‘access to justice’, it is relevant when organisations support individuals throughout their journey within the Criminal Justice system.
Clearly, everyone has different support needs from the system, and using the Justice Star could assist with that.
The Justice Star recognises that each person requires an individually tailored plan to support them throughout their journey towards and through the Criminal Justice system. This could include after being charged, post-conviction, in prison and re-entering the community upon leaving prison. These tailored plans would involve having effective supportive networks, supportive relationships and a sense of community which is vital for well-being but also for diverting the individual away from previous criminal activity and out of the Justice system itself.
In addition to the Justice Star, The Empowerment Star assists survivors of domestic abuse in getting their life back on track and dealing with the trauma of what’s happened to them.
The person-centred approach used by the Outcomes Star was very much at the heart of the Panel discussions, where representatives from the Scottish Human Rights Commission, Victim Support Scotland, Scottish Prison Service and Local Authority Social Work, highlighted the need for better action planning and more creative solutions, to achieve more sustainable results irrespective of the person being the offender or victim.
At Triangle, we often discuss the importance of enabling and empowering people by being person-centred, strengths-based and using trauma-informed language. However, as highlighted by most of the speakers, several external factors linked to the Criminal Justice system will directly impact what is achievable by a person or supporting organisation. The most obvious was available finance. It was commented upon frequently that a lack of funding directly affected the quality of service and support that could be provided, significantly impacting the levels of access to justice a person could achieve. In some cases, it was more of a ‘post-code lottery’ as to whether necessary support to access and achieve justice was available.
It was evident, however, that additional money alone won’t fix the problems. The culture of the current Criminal Justice system, being based on traditional processes, procedures and even standards of dress, doesn’t make it user-friendly or even recognisable to people accessing it. It’s like a strange new world they don’t recognise or understand. Therefore, whilst there is a degree of familiarity with using traditional ways, there is also a need to move forward with the times, and several presentations indeed demonstrated a move in that direction.
The conference provided several examples of innovative service delivery developed to meet the demands of a changing society, mainly due to the recent pandemic. These new ways of working will continue to put the individual at the centre of any new processes. As the Outcomes Star has been demonstrated to be an effective tool in determining needs, highlighting gaps in service provision, and providing data analysis to support change, I hope Triangle may be involved in future discussions around this change process.
Overall, plenty for me to ponder relative to the Criminal Justice system in Scotland. I look forward to continuing some of these discussions with existing or new Scottish clients in the future.
