Having completed my initial reading of these new consultations/pronouncements I don’t feel as if I have been given a clear vision of how things are moving forward.
The overall picture of “quality” presented, is one of warmed over remnants from recent years seemingly scraped together to try and present a coherent whole. It does not succeed. The impression created is of an organisation treading water.
BVT is not much better and suffers from being a “broad brush” framework document which tends towards banal generalities rather than the detail most practitioners are waiting for. Positively it seems to be suggesting a measured timetable with staggered implementation (though that is less positive for Manchester and Avon/Somerset who are first in the queue).
Most bizarrely however is the second of the three strategic options suggested by the Commission. 1 is the status quo and 3 is BVT. By way of of a clue 2 is the most ludicrous and impractical proposal for whole CDS change I have ever heard, even in jest. See if you can guess before clicking on the “continue reading” link below for the answer.
A full implementation of the Public Defenders Service!
Beggars belief does it not?
