Introducing Williams Ross Consultants

The Family Law & Social Care Professionals

Williams Ross Consultants provide a full range of child & family-focused or general agency consultancy services to the statutory, voluntary and independent social care sectors.

Williams Ross Consultants have an established reputation for quality services to all sectors of the social care field.

• voluntary sector

• local authority

• independent social care providers

• Midlands based and UK-wide service

• Services also offered in Europe and further afield as required

• We also offer consultation to other businesses in the social care field.

We pride ourselves on our skills in conflict/problem resolution and finding solutions to customer needs.

Commissions have included inspection (LA & NCSC), complaint & disciplinary investigations, auditing of services in general & in compliance with national minimum standards, panel chairing (complaints review, fostering, adoption and child protection), general consultancy, interim management, training/mentoring/tutoring (including Open University)and acting as expert witnesses in the UK and Europe.

The Experience of Williams Ross Consultants

Professional (Expert) Evidence

We undertake professional (expert) evidence to the Courts in Family Law matters. We have extensive experience in this field as either individually contracted Children’s Guardians via the Courts (jointly instructed by the parties), as local authority experts or private commissions. We always require solicitor or Court Instructions on such matters. We have acted in case matters UK/Europe wide for a large number of commissioning Courts or legal professionals/government agencies.

Service Analysis and Audit, together with budget analysis of cost and service centres, in comparison with overall Strategic Plans – providing analysis at operational service delivery, cost centre level and critical appraisal of strategy – with a solution focused as distinct from an academic approach.

Quality Assurance by auditing of services against established national standards, formal regulations, statutory requirements and service defined protocols. Acting as Children's Guardians, commissioned local authority or central Government inspectors of care services in the child care field.

Problem and Conflict Resolution by way of staff disciplinary, service user complaint and service delivery failure investigations – with a solution/mediation focused approach, designed to move matters forward whilst upholding the standard of best practice and outcomes.

Service Development and Promoting Positive Outcomes by all of the above but also in helping Services to develop their skills/expertise, and analyse diversification opportunities that will serve their customers and promote better/measurable and effective outcomes.

Interim Management, Chairing of Complex Meetings/Panels and other operational service support/direct work. Extensive experience in interim management at team and service manager level

The objectives of the company, its management and associates is to deliver quality consultancy that has an effective and positive outcome for both service operatives and service users. The principles by which it operates has regard to transparency in work and relations (openness, honesty, professionalism and clear objectives), a commitment to moving forward (the win-win principle as distinct from win-lose),  the commitment to equality and human rights (improving life chances/quality for all) and to provide positive forward looking outcomes.

Assessment & Consultancy Services

WilliamsRoss Consultants are committed to helping children maintain contact with all the key adult figures in their life in secure/safe environments.

The Children Act promotes the presumption of contact between children and their parents. The Human Rights Act promotes the right to family life.  Children need to be able to make secure attachments, have stability and gain every opportunity to thrive. We assess the viability of contact and undertake kinship  and parenting assessments.

Breakdown in relationships will bring uncertainty for all concerned, but it is possible—with our help—for children and adults to resolve conflicts and find workable solutions.

Families are often unable to find agreement on how best to meet the needs of the child, or are in dispute about issues of Residence and Contact, or local authorities may have concerns about parents.

The needs of the child is the fundamental principle of The Children Act. Although there is a presumption of Contact, Sibling Placements, Placements within the Family, the wishes of parents or others—such as grandparents—are not always consistent with the needs of the child, although are often so

Aside from the Children Act, the Courts also have to consider the implications of the Human Rights Act, and therefore a careful balance has to be struck so as to gain the best solution for all.

Serving the Courts

We can assist families, agencies and the Courts in finding the best achievable outcome for children. Numerous expert witness commissions obtained by joint, single agency or by private commission.

Our services are aimed at family lawyers requiring expert evidence in complex family law matters, or agencies requiring up to date experience in child care/management and quality assurance testing.