SL & SL Crabtree
After becoming aware that Andrew Foster had set up his own consultancy company I was eager to ask him to come along for a chat about what he was now doing, it was a very informal chat about what he hoped to achieve and how he could help our services achieve what we wanted. I was very impressed with what he had to say and the fact that during this conversation I didn’t feel under any pressure by Andrew to immediately make a decision.
We decided on an initial 2 day inspection in all 3 services, which were rated Good previously, we felt we were in a comfortable position for out next CQC inspection. Andrew was able to go into all the services and put the staff at ease, inspect every part of the service, with honesty and good humour, giving feedback as he went along.
When his action plan came it was clear and concise, the staff understood what was being said and appreciated it had been a very speedy turnaround within 24 hours. The staff were able to recall the discussions with Andrew on the day and immediately set work on putting the improvements in place. Andrew picked up on areas that could be improved that we would never have seen ourselves.
Andrew has continued to work with the services giving advise and help, to enable us to achieve our goals. I would happily recommend Andrew to any home who would like consultancy help.
Alexandra Court, Leeds
I requested Andrew’s help to improve upon Alexandra Court’s Good CQC rating and his advice on how to achieve this has been invaluable.
Over two days, he inspected every part of our business and constantly fed back to my team and I about what he thought was good practice and what he felt needed to be improved.
When it comes to consultancy within the care sector, there are plenty of consultants that talk a good game, but Andrew has the credentials, personality and honesty to deliver on what he proposes. He made the inspection fun and challenging whilst ensuring he didn’t make any residents or staff feel uncomfortable or as though they were being watched.
He delivered the final report within 24 hours of completing the Inspection which allowed me to immediately set to work on addressing the issues raised whilst they were still fresh in my mind from our discussions.
I would happily recommend Andrew to any care home looking to improve their CQC ratings.
Chris Pearson, Founder & Director of CQC Regulated Services
CJP Outreach Services Ltd
I would like to take the opportunity to write this testimony on Andrew Foster of Northern Care Consultancy Limited.
I have previously worked with Andrew whilst he was the CQC (Care Quality Commission) Adult Services Inspector for my organisation. I know first-hand how assiduous, knowledgeable and helpful Andrew is.
My organisation is a niche, smaller operator in the social care sector, which in itself poses a challenge! We provide highly specialised, individual services to people with some of the most complex care needs in our society.
We contracted Andrew and his organisation to undertake a comprehensive review of all aspects of our operation, from the angles of best practice and regulatory compliance.
Andrew undertook a comprehensive review, providing a thorough and detailed report covering all aspects of our organisation from a regulation and inspection point of view. This report was invaluable to ensure that we were absolutely ready for our next inspection as we were determined to achieve that rare and elusive “Outstanding” rating. We incorporated the report’s recommendations in to our own ongoing service development plan.
We have just had our unannounced inspection, which, I am delighted to report that we were judged as Outstanding.
I would strongly recommend Andrew and Northern Care Consultancy Limited to any provider that is serious about providing genuine quality services.