CAE began in 1991 as Children Act Enterprises, when Fergus Smith published, in consultation with Professor Tina Lyon,
A Personal Guide to the Children Act 1989.

The first publication sold in excess of 80,000 copies and has been followed by what is now an extensive series of guides about legislation and government guidance affecting children and their families and vulnerable adults.

For over ten years now, CAE has offered consultancy provided by Fergus Smith or a small and deliberately limited number, of associate consultants. Those individuals working singly, in pairs, or as a team 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.

Projects have included:

• Development of child protection/safeguarding procedures pan London Berkshire, Southend, Essex & Thurrock, Hertfordshire & Kent
• Several 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
• Completion of over thirty serious case review overview reports (including the well-publicised baby Peter case), including two Ofsted-awarded 'outstanding' evaluations in London with others having gained 'good' or 'adequate' ratings
• Re-analysing and reporting upon or chairing serious case reviews completed by other individuals/agencies and deemed 'inadequate' (to date to Ofsted's satisfaction)
• Independently-authored individual management reviews
• Development and, if required, production of Children in Need and other procedure manuals
• Interim management of services to cover sickness
• Confidential investigations of alleged professional misconduct
• Training/lecturing for undergraduates and practising professionals on a variety of subjects
• Publication of Personal Guides to the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (the 'Vetting & Barring Scheme') and the Mental Capacity Act 2005

Current and future work includes:

• Some highly sensitive direct work with survivors of historical abuse
• Development of an overview report for a serious case review about a young man who took his own life
• Chairing of a serious case review investigating practice as far back as 1990
• Development and production of a Child Protection Handbook for circulation across agencies in Haringey
• Participation with Professor Eileen Munro and Dr Sheila Fish in the 'systems approach' to serious case reviews being developed and promoted by the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE)
• Presentation at a safeguarding vulnerable adults conference, of a session entitled 'Baby Peter - the insiders' perspective'
• A new Guide to Fostering to reflect the new regulatory regime and revised national minimum standards