Fergus Smith | Chris Brann | Edina Carmi | Elizabeth Hunt | Laura Ritchie | Roy Stewart

Lead consultant

Fergus Smith BSc (Hons), MA, CQSW, DMS, DipM.

Operational and consultancy experience of local authorities and the independent sector which includes:

• Serious case reviews for ACPCs/LSCBs
• Child care audits for DfES purposes
• 'Best Value' and service reviews
• Interim management of fieldwork services
• Drafting Youth Justice and ACPC Annual and Children's Services Plans
• Audits of staff supervision, family support, child protection, residential and after care, unaccompanied asylum-seeking children's services
• Developing guidance for Youth Justice Board
• Conducting research for the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, Youth Justice Board and for local authorities
• Independent investigation of management concerns and service user complaints
• Co-authoring London, Sussex, Berkshire, Essex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, Southampton, Kent and Medway Child Protection procedures

Associate consultants

Chris Brann CQSW, NVQ Management.

Experience of local authorities and private and voluntary sectors which includes:

• Practice as a field and residential social worker and fostering and adoption officer
• Management of adoption and fostering teams
• Implementation and maintenance of looking after children systems
• Establishment and management of case planning and independent review services for looked after children
• Design and delivery of training in adoption, fostering, child care law and policy and the LAC system
• Policy and procedure writing
• Consultancy for the CAE Pocket Guide to the looking after children system and co-authorship of its Fostering Guide
• Complaints investigations
• Case and system audits
• Independent chairing of adoption panels
• Visiting lectureship in child protection

Edina Carmi BSc (Hons), Dip.App.Soc.Studies, CQSW, CSSM.

Operational management and consultancy experience in local authority, voluntary sector and social research which includes:

• Overview author and independent chair of serious case reviews
• Part of Scie team undertaking pilots of the systems method of serious case reviews
• Co-authoring child protection procedures throughout South East England
• Service audits and reviews including child protection, family support, residential and after care, children's homes, family & resource centres and staff supervision
• Independent investigations, including disciplinary investigations
• Staff training and facilitation
• Operational management of area social work teams, children's homes and fostering projects

Elizabeth Hunt BA (Hons), Dip.App.Soc.Sci., CQSW, MSc.

Experience in local authority, probation and the voluntary sector and in editing and government relations and can offer:

• Preparation of tender responses/project planning
• Research and development
• Independent chairing of children's reviews, adoption and fostering panels
• Review of management systems
• Independent investigation of service user complaints and disciplinary issues
• Practice audits

Laura Ritchie BA (Hons), CQSW, MSc.

Operational and consultancy experience in local authorities and independent sector social care organisations including:

• Residential, child in need and early years service management
• Service reviews, planning and development
• Inspection and quality assurance audits including Children's Home Regulation 33 visits
• Integrated process design including inter-agency information sharing and common assessment
• Service user participation and consultation
• Workforce development and training
• Independent chairing including secure panels
• Independent investigation of complaints and disciplinary matters

Roy Stewart BA (Hons), DipASS, CQSW, CMS, CPP

Social Work & Management Consultant with extensive experience as practitioner and manager in local authority and voluntary organisations in the following fields:

• Adoption
• Children with special needs
• Complaints investigation
• Foster care
• Independent chairing
• Project management
• Residential placement
• Training and facilitation

Co-author of Adoption Now (BAAF 2003, 2006).

Additional services

Fergus Smith, Laura Ritchie and Chris Brann are also directors of Croham Services for Children (SfC) which is based in Croydon and provides:

• Foster care within one of its twenty-plus approved foster homes

During the coming year SfC (already a preferred provider for a number of local authorities) will be developing further innovative services to meet needs expressed by local authorities, eg:

• Emergency placements
• 'Mother and baby' provision
• A venue for family group conferences
• Supervised contact facilities