Advisory session
Service

Advice and Guidance

Independent expert support for sensitive or complex consultations — delivery support, risk assessment, board facilitation, and executive briefings.

tCI's Advice and Guidance service acts as a critical friend on consultations that carry legal, political, or reputational risk but do not require a full Quality Assurance engagement.

Independent advice and guidance

Not every situation needs a full Quality Assurance engagement, but many still carry legal, political, or reputational risk. Our role is to act as a critical friend — giving clear, practical advice that strengthens your plans and gives the team confidence to proceed.

We work with consultation leads, programme managers, and governance teams to review proposals, test assumptions, and surface risks early. Whether you need a second opinion on draft materials, clarity on legal duties, or support handling stakeholder challenge, our tailored guidance helps you move with confidence.

What we bring

  • Independent advice grounded in consultation law, governance, and policy standards.
  • Direct experience advising NHS bodies, local authorities, and infrastructure promoters.
  • Constructive feedback shaped to the context, risks, and priorities of your consultation.
  • Clear guidance for teams working through scrutiny, challenge, and contested decision-making.

Our advisory services

Delivery support

Extra capacity and expertise to plan and deliver consultations that are lawful, credible, and trusted by the people they affect. Use this when you need extra capacity, the team is new to consultation, or a statutory consultation is running to a tight timeline.

Risk assessment

Independent reviews using tCI’s five-point risk methodology to spot legal, political, or reputational risk early — so you can act before challenge arises. Use this when you are unsure whether your approach meets the legal duties on you, or when boards, scrutiny bodies, or regulators have asked for reassurance.

Board facilitation

Impartial facilitation for public and stakeholder dialogue, structured to keep discussions balanced, transparent, and constructive. Use this when tensions are high and independent oversight will build trust in the process.

Executive briefings

Concise sessions for senior leaders on consultation law, duties, and risks, helping boards make confident, defensible decisions. Use this when you are preparing leadership for scrutiny, challenge, or media interest.

Why tCI

  • Independent expertise. Advice grounded in consultation law, governance, and recognised practice.
  • Sector experience. Direct support across health, local government, and infrastructure.
  • Practical focus. Clear, tailored guidance that addresses the risks in front of you.
  • A trusted second opinion. A critical friend approach that builds confidence with boards, regulators, and stakeholders.
Why tCI

Built to be the body that public consultations get tested against.

We exist to raise the standard of consultation practice. We do not deliver consultations on behalf of our clients. That separation is what makes a tCI Statement of Assurance mean something.

Senior practitioners

Faculty members have all held frontline consultation roles in NHS Trusts and ICBs, councils, transport authorities, fire and rescue, infrastructure, or central government before joining tCI.

Mapped to the Gunning Principles

Reviews and training are explicitly aligned to the Gunning Principles, the relevant statutory duties, and the tCI Consultation Charter.

High Court recognition

tCI's Quality Assurance process has been recognised by the High Court. Our training is required for accreditation in some NHS job descriptions.

Defensible decisions

Statements of Assurance are written so they hold up to scrutiny, judicial review, and media interest. Decision-makers get evidence they can stand behind.

Other ways we work with public bodies.

Independent assurance, accredited training, and advisory support.

All services
Training session in progress

Learning Hub

Accredited training pathways for consultation and engagement professionals — e-learning, in-house programmes, workshops, and the Professional Certificate.

Quality Assurance review

Quality Assurance

Independent reviews that help public bodies meet legal duties and deliver consultations that hold up to scrutiny.