Cost-benefit analysis
The Centre for Justice Innovation undertook a new financial analysis of FDAC in 2024, following their analysis of the London FDAC in 2015. This analysis, developed according to the Green Book guidance issued by HM Treasury and funded by the Department for Education, demonstrates FDACs generate significant savings in comparison to standard care proceedings as well as being a better way to help children be cared for safely by their parents.
The analysis concludes that on average FDAC costs £18,000 per case and produces an average direct benefit saving per case of £74,068, the vast majority of which (£73,357) goes to local authorities in predominantly cashable savings. For every £1 spent on an FDAC team, £3.20 of net savings are returned to the tax payer.
Value for money of FDAC
FDAC generates savings for local authorities as well as health and criminal justice agencies, the Legal Aid Agency and wider society. Specifically, this latest analysis demonstrates that as well as being good for families and children, FDAC represents a strong ‘invest to save’ proposition. The analysis shows that even once set-up
costs are taken into account, an FDAC service reaches a break-even point for local authorities in its second year of operations.
