What is the Targeted Outreach programme?Targeted Outreach Pilot Programme, 2020- 2022
The pilot programme of Targeted Outreach was designed to support our statutory duty to encourage diversity in the range of persons available for selection. The focus was on the progression and recommendation of our four key target groups (women, ethnic minority people, disabled people, and solicitor candidates) across five senior salaried court and tribunal roles (High Court Judge, Deputy High Court Judge, Recorder, Circuit Judge and Upper Tribunals) and their main fee-paid pipeline.
The programme assisted candidates that were ready to make an application to their chosen judicial role and to complement the suite of existing judicial support schemes from Judicial Diversity Forum (JDF) partners in line with their readiness to become a judge.
As part of the pilot programme, we developed data tracking and analysis tools, to follow judicial applications made by Targeted Outreach candidates and where possible, quantify the impact. Our analysis has shown that the Targeted Outreach pilot programme has been impactful, with early signs of success for candidates in our target groups. Since its launch in September 2020, 15% of candidates were successful in reaching appointment with the help and support of the Targeted Outreach programme. This has positively contributed towards the JAC’s diversity aims, which supports the commitment of future resources to the programme. Additional findings have shown that:
- Female ethnic minority solicitors on the Targeted Outreach programme (3 of 4 target groups) were appointed at rates approximately three times higher than the comparator group of candidates with those characteristics over the last three years
- Female white solicitors on the Targeted Outreach programme were also appointed at rates twice as high than the comparator group of candidates with those characteristics over the last three years
The team also commissioned surveys to candidates in 2020/21 and 2021/22, to gather qualitative data on how candidates have found the experience. To date, 98% of candidates rated their experience as positive on the Targeted Outreach pilot programme, with 96% expressing that the advice received made candidates feel more confident/ informed about making an application. Overall, 88% of candidates believe that the Targeted Outreach support has or will contribute to success in a judicial application.
At the end of the pilot, we considered the lessons learned so we could strengthen and improve the programme going forward. The Targeted Outreach team consulted widely with key stakeholders before the plan was proposed to the Commission Board, in conjunction with the senior judiciary.
The focus remains on supporting diverse talent and potential for those senior salaried and fee-paid roles; recognising that progression may include varied pathways through the Courts and Tribunals Judiciary.
Approach to remote working
In light of the circumstances of COVID-19 and to efficiently facilitate consultations with former Commissioners and judicial guides, we provide both virtual and face-to-face meetings.
Integrity and data protection
The continued integrity of the independent, fair, open and merit-based process on which the JAC works will be assured by a strictly enforced ‘information barrier’ between the activities of the Targeted Outreach team, and the ongoing selection process and decisions of the Commission’s Selection and Character Committee. Applicants who are offered a place on the programme should ensure that this confidential information is not disclosed to the JAC when applying for selection exercise vacancies.
Information about potential candidates engaged in the programme will not generally be available to anyone outside of the team. The only exception to this is where a candidate agrees to be put in touch with a judicial guide as part of the judicial guide scheme, in which case relevant information about the candidate will be shared with the judge. The team are accountable to the JAC Chief Executive and Commission Board through regular reporting with anonymised and aggregated information on their activities and impact. Necessary data handling protocols and technical restrictions on data access have been introduced.
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