Resources
Consultant guidance
How good consultancy work runs, from first call to handover. Accredited members can download the full templates behind each of these steps.
Scope before you quote
- Establish what has already gone wrong and who is asking for help
- Separate what the client wants from what the service needs
- Agree what is out of scope, in writing
- Be honest where the work needs a different specialist
Put it in writing
An engagement letter should state deliverables, days, fees, expenses, cancellation terms, confidentiality, data handling and your safeguarding duty to escalate serious concerns regardless of the client's wishes.
Report so it can be acted on
- Lead with immediate risks, not with process observations
- Evidence every finding — record, observation or conversation
- Give each action an owner and a date
- Keep the language usable by the people who must deliver it
Hand back properly
The test of a good engagement is whether improvement survives your departure. Build the audit rhythm, train the manager to run it, and agree a review point after you leave.