Written question WQ83288
- Asked by
- Altaf HussainConservative
- To be answered by
- Minister for Health and Social Services
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 6 days
Question
Will the Minister provide an update on progress in setting up the Family Drug and Alcohol Court which is scheduled to open later this year, as referred to in the Centre for Justice Innovation briefing paper?
Answer
Answered by Deputy Minister for Social Services
Significant work has been undertaken to develop a Family Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC) pilot in Wales. Funding was allocated to the Centre for Justice Innovation (CJI), which provided operational support to set up similar courts in England.
CJI developed a pilot model for Wales in collaboration with stakeholders. Following a competitive expression of interest process, the South East Wales Local Family Justice Board was awarded the pilot with a programme budget of £450,000, covering the duration of the programme up to July 2023.
Since then, CJI has worked closely with partners including health boards, directors of children’s services, the lead judge for the FDAC pilot, local authorities, Cafcass Cymru and the substance misuse commissioning lead at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board to develop a project plan.
It has also worked with the treatment service commissioner, court staff and parent and child solicitor and barrister representatives to explore how families referred to the FDAC can benefit from access to services available in the different local authority areas and the procedures needed to enable this to happen.
There has also been significant engagement with the courts and the lead judge has worked with court staff to identify a consistent day for the FDAC to be held. A designated court room, waiting area, and room for the team to undertake drug testing has been secured as well. The lead judge for the pilot and court staff has been linked with judges and staff in established FDAC areas in England to share learning.
In addition, CJI have engaged with the substance misuse lead at the Office of the Police Crime Commissioner to explore how they may be able to support the pilot and wider roll out of FDACs in Wales in the future.
We have agreed funding of £50,000 for the Children’s Social Care Research and Development Centre (CASCADE) at Cardiff University to evaluate the pilot and potentially support the extension of the FDAC model to other areas in Wales.
The FDAC pilot is due to start in the autumn.