Children and Adult Social Care Consultancy

Better care starts with clear, experienced guidance.

Improving Ofsted and CQC outcomes, and strengthening safeguarding, across children’s and adult social care services.

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Independent scrutiny
Person-centred practice
Commissioner confidence
Sustainable improvement

What we do

Support that meets you where you are.

Regulation 44 Visits

Independent, rigorous visits that help leaders understand practice, evidence quality and act with confidence.

Regulation 45 Reviews

Clear, analytical support for meaningful quality-of-care reviews and evidence-led improvement planning.

Leadership & Management

Practical mentoring and challenge for registered managers, responsible individuals and senior teams across children’s and adult social care.

Service Development

From Ofsted and CQC registration readiness to sustainable improvement, shaped around the needs of each service.

Safeguarding Consultancy

Calm, experienced guidance through complex safeguarding matters involving children or adults, organisational learning and safer practice.

Core expertise

Informed judgement. Practical change.

Regulatory & Quality Compliance

Quality Standards, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015, CQC frameworks, Regulation 44 monitoring and Regulation 45 Quality of Care reviews.

Crisis Resolution & Service Turnaround

Stabilising services in difficulty, creating structured action plans and maintaining continuous Ofsted and CQC inspection readiness.

Workforce Leadership & Development

Staff mentoring, succession planning, internal career pathways, culture development and eliminating reliance on agency staff.

Therapeutic Approaches

PACE, trauma-informed care and attachment-focused practice that keep each child or adult’s lived experience central.

Operational & Financial Governance

Budgetary oversight, effective allocation of commissioned care hours, policy development and sustainable service delivery.

Qualifications & certifications

Credibility built through practice

Level 5 Leadership

Children, young people and adult social care

Safeguarding

Advanced practice across children’s and adult services

Regulatory Practice

Ofsted and CQC sector knowledge

Continuous Learning

Reflective professional development

Accredited NUCO Trainer

First Aid

FAA Level 3 Award Trainer

Principles of Safeguarding and Protecting Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults

David Poulter, founder of Dilectus Residential Consultant

Dilectus means “valued” or “beloved” — a principle that reflects David’s commitment to ensuring every child and adult is seen, heard and cared for.

About the founder

About David Poulter

David brings extensive leadership experience across children’s and adult social care, with a grounded understanding of what good care looks and feels like in practice. He began working in social care in 2002, initially supporting people experiencing homelessness, then people experiencing substance dependence, before being asked to set up a tenancy sustainment service for older adults with complex dependency needs. From there he moved into work with young people as a youth and boxing coach, delivering structured behavioural interventions, anger management initiatives, and youth support programmes in partnership with the Police and Youth Offending Services.

He then moved into adult care, progressing from support worker to Registered Manager with dual registration, supporting homes from an “Inadequate” to a “Good” rating with the CQC. This success led him into children’s residential care, where he led a home to an “Outstanding” rating in all areas with Ofsted. Subsequent to this success, he was promoted to a Regional Support Manager role, where one of the homes he directly managed also achieved an Outstanding rating with Ofsted. His desire to see outstanding care in the homes he is involved in is reflected in the ratings they achieve.

David is known for identifying how to solve problems within homes and working with existing teams to bring out the best in them — a mindset that ensures staff understand the privilege and responsibility they hold in caring for those who are unable to care for themselves, or who have been placed in care. His approach is both supportive and appropriately challenging: listening carefully, asking the right questions, and helping teams turn insight into meaningful, lasting improvement.

Founder & Lead Consultant — Dilectus Residential Consultant Ltd

Independent

Objective professional oversight

Experienced

Leadership across children’s and adult care

Person-centred

Every child and adult’s experience comes first

Get in touch

Let’s talk about what your service needs.

Whether you need an independent visit, a fresh perspective or experienced support through change, start with a confidential conversation.

enquiries@dilectusrc.com

Supporting services across England