Quality Assurance review
Service

Quality Assurance

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

tCI's Quality Assurance reviews test consultation governance, materials, and analysis against the Gunning Principles and the relevant statutory duties. Boards, scrutiny bodies, and stakeholders get the evidence they need that a consultation is fair, lawful, and defensible.

Quality Assurance for public consultations

Public consultations can be delayed, discredited, or legally challenged when the process is flawed. Independent assurance gives boards, scrutiny bodies, and stakeholders the evidence they need that a consultation is fair, lawful, and defensible.

Our assurance reviews test governance, materials, and engagement plans against recognised standards — including the Gunning Principles and the relevant statutory duties. We identify risk early and set out clear, actionable recommendations so decisions can proceed with confidence.

What we bring to a review

  • Specialist knowledge of consultation law, policy, and current best practice.
  • Direct experience across health, local government, and infrastructure.
  • Practical guidance tailored to the consultation in front of us, not generic checklists.
  • Up-to-date understanding of consultation case law and how the courts are likely to read your decisions.

Our Quality Assurance services

Certificate of Consultation Readiness

A review of pre-consultation activities and processes that confirms whether you have met the tCI standard to proceed to consultation.

Early Assurance

Tests options, governance, and engagement plans before consultation begins. Early Assurance reduces legal risk and strengthens confidence on complex or politically sensitive decisions where the cost of a re-run is high.

Consultation Charter Workshop

A working session for a small group running through the principles of the tCI Consultation Charter and how they apply to a live programme of work.

QA Lite Review

A streamlined independent review for service changes or decisions that do not require full public consultation but still carry legal, political, or reputational risk. Same standards, narrower scope.

How an assurance review works

A tCI assurance engagement is structured stage by stage. We work with you from early scoping and governance checks through document reviews, mid-point testing, and final sign-off. Reviews are mapped to the Gunning Principles, the relevant statutory duties, and the tCI Consultation Charter so the same lens is applied throughout the lifecycle of the consultation.

The result is a consistent line of evidence that reduces legal and reputational risk, supports scrutiny, and gives decision-makers confidence that the process behind a decision is as defensible as the decision itself.

Why tCI

  • Independent and trusted. Recognised for setting the standard in public consultation assurance in the UK.
  • Specialist expertise. Grounded in consultation law, governance, and current best practice.
  • Track record. Supporting NHS bodies, councils, and infrastructure promoters on high-risk decisions.
  • Defensible outcomes. Assurance that holds up to legal, political, and public scrutiny.
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
Advisory session

Advice and Guidance

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

Training session in progress

Learning Hub

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