For over twenty years, CAE has offered consultancy provided by Fergus Smith or a small and deliberately limited number of associate consultants.

We have completed dozens of complex and/or sensitive projects for Children's Social Care agencies and Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs), predominantly in London and South/East England, the Midlands, West and North West of England.

Projects have included:

• Development of child protection/safeguarding procedures for London Berkshire, Southend, Essex & Thurrock, Hertfordshire, Kent, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight
• Audits on thresholds and quality of service provision in front line social care services, eg referral and assessment as well as back-up services, eg family support and fostering
• Over one hundred serious case reviews, including two awarded 'outstanding' evaluations by Ofsted
• Re-analysing and reporting upon or chairing serious case reviews completed by other individuals/agencies
• Independently-authored individual management reviews
• Development and production of Children in Need and other procedure manuals
• Interim management of services
• Confidential investigations of alleged professional misconduct
• Training/lecturing for undergraduates and practising professionals on a variety of subjects, eg Care Planning Regulations commissioned by the Department for Education

Current and future work includes:

• Writing guides on fostering for publication by 'Coram BAAF Academy'
• Local Learning Reviews for Partnership and Remaining Safeguarding Children Boards