Clarity. Fairness. Stronger Services for Children, Young People and Families

About us

Resolution Ready is a small, experienced team specialising in children’s services. We support councils, charities and community organisations to build fairer, more accountable systems for children and families. Our work is grounded in rights-based, trauma-informed practice and shaped by real experience. We believe people work best when they feel heard, understand what’s happening, and know what to do next.

What we do

We help services improve how they handle complaints, carry out reviews, strengthen quality assurance, and support staff. We also offer creative facilitation through Thinking Differently, using tools like LEGO® Serious Play® to help teams reflect, plan and improve. Everything we do is about building the clarity, confidence and structure people need to respond well and move forward.

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Children Act Complaints Specialists

We focus on statutory Children Act complaints, bringing deep expertise in the specific legal framework, operational pressures and improvement approaches that work in English local government settings.
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Creative Thinking with LEGO® Serious Play®

Our Thinking Differently sessions use LEGO® Serious Play® to support clearer thinking, better conversations and more inclusive decision-making. Whether you’re planning a team day, reviewing strategy or exploring complex issues, these structured facilitation sessions help teams reflect, connect and build ideas that matter.

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Training, Quality Assurance and Consultancy

We help services build confidence, improve consistency and strengthen decision-making. From practical training and team development to live QA, case reviews and policy support, our consultancy offer is grounded in real experience and shaped by what works in children’s services and community settings.

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Our Theory of Change

If we start by listening to people’s experiences,

and we give space to reflect on what’s happening and what needs to change,

and we bring practical tools and clear structure to support better responses,

then people can act with confidence, services become more consistent, and outcomes for children and families improve.

 

We’ve relied on James’ input and advice for our most sensitive and high-risk complaints. Having expert advice on hand at short notice has helped us get it right first time and avoid escalation. Calm, focused support at just the right time.

Complaints and Representation Manager

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Comprehensive Training for Every Stage of the Children Act Complaint Process

We offer three levels of training designed for the realities of local authority work. Snapshot Sessions provide focused 2-hour briefings perfect for team meetings, updates and introductory training. Workshop Sessions deliver 4-hour skill-building experiences for investigating officers and managers. Our Signature Sessions offer full-day intensive development for senior staff, complaint leads and panel members. All sessions include practical tools, templates and real-world examples from over 20 years of Children Act complaints experience.

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Quality Assurance and Consultancy That Prevents Escalation

Councils with low stage one resolution rates see escalation in up to 40% of cases, compared to just 5-15% in authorities with better initial handling. Our consultancy services include mini QA health checks, complaint response feedback, end-to-end reviews and critical friend support. We help identify patterns, strengthen systems and provide independent insight where it's most needed, working flexibly at a scale that suits your team.

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Led by James Anderson CMgr FCMI, Founding Director of Resolution Ready

James Anderson is a children’s services consultant with over 20 years’ experience across safeguarding, complaints, early help, and service improvement. He leads Resolution Ready and works nationally as an investigating officer, independent person and panel chair under the statutory complaints process.

 

James has delivered over 50 investigations under the Children Act and currently works with councils including South Gloucestershire, East Riding and Bradford.

He is a certified LEGO® Serious Play® facilitator (Reg. No. 1408) and has held non-executive roles in housing and community support. James is a Chartered Manager and Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, and a member of the Association of Child Protection Professionals.

Having an external view helped us step back and see the bigger picture. The feedback was practical and clear, with a focus on what really mattered. It’s been an invaluable part of improving our complaint responses.

Service Manager, Safeguarding and QA

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Creative Facilitation and Team Development Support

We design thoughtful facilitation sessions using visual tools, mapped thinking and LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® techniques. Whether you need a team away day, strategic planning session or reflective space after difficult periods, we create structured environments that support honest conversation and practical action planning. Our facilitation works particularly well for multi-agency partnerships and cross-service initiatives.

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Flexible Support for Charities and Community Organisations

We provide accessible, affordable support for voluntary sector organisations working with children and families. This includes complaints procedure development, safeguarding policy reviews, staff training and participation tools. We understand resource constraints and offer flexible pricing, reduced rates and pro bono support where this makes a meaningful difference to community services.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Our Children Act Complaints Support

What specific training do you offer for Children Act complaints
We provide three levels of training from 2-hour Snapshot Sessions to full-day Signature Sessions. Our core programme covers stage one response skills, stage two investigation techniques, panel preparation and learning from complaints. All training includes editable templates, planning tools and practical examples specific to English local authority requirements.
How much can proper training reduce our complaint escalation rates?
Our research shows councils with structured training achieve 80-95% resolution at stage one, compared to around 60% for those without formal support. Authorities with better initial handling see escalation rates of just 5-15% versus up to 40% in councils with weaker stage one responses. This represents significant cost savings in staff time and resources.
Do you offer ongoing support beyond one-off training sessions?
Yes, we provide flexible consultancy including critical friend support, live case advice and mini QA health checks. We can work on an hourly basis or as part of longer-term improvement programmes. We also run the free Resolution Ready Connect network with monthly drop-in sessions and early access to new resources.
What makes your approach different from generic complaints training?
We focus exclusively on Children Act complaints and related improvement work for English local authorities. Our training uses real case examples, includes ready-to-use tools and is delivered by practitioners with extensive experience of statutory investigations and panels. We understand both the legal framework and operational pressures specific to children's services.
Can you help with our most complex or sensitive complaints?
Absolutely. We provide critical friend consultancy for high-risk cases, helping you structure responses, sense-check findings and provide independent oversight. We're experienced in handling complaints with significant public interest, complex family dynamics or potential reputational impact.
Do you work with smaller organisations and charities?
Yes, we provide tailored support for voluntary sector organisations including policy development, staff training and safeguarding procedure reviews. We offer flexible pricing and reduced rates for community organisations, with some pro bono support available where this would make a meaningful difference.
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