Between January and March this year, the duration of care proceedings reached 43 weeks, the highest average since mid-2012, latest Ministry of Justice (MoJ) figures reveal.
Just 22 per cent of proceedings were completed within the government’s 26-week target in the first three months of the year, 14 percentage points less than during the same period in 2020.
The delay in cases being completed comes following a backlog due to courts being closed during national lockdowns coupled with the challenges of remote hearings and Covid-19 restrictions, experts have said.
Sara Tough, chair of the ADCS families, communities and young people policy committee, said the figures highlight “how the impact of Covid-19 continues to be felt”.
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