The United Kingdom and Ireland Association of Forensic Toxicologists; establishing best practice for professional training & development in forensic toxicology
Section snippets
Introduction and background
In many jurisdictions, the structure of forensic science has remained largely unchanged, despite rapid growth and demand in recent years. The primary function of most laboratories is casework production, often with insufficient resourcing being directed towards research, innovation and professional development. The emphasis on production, corporate governance and accountability is often imbalanced by lack of scientific focus, control and regulation – with potentially serious consequences for
Forensic toxicology - background
Forensic toxicology is a well-defined specialism relying heavily on a strong scientific foundation. It differs from many other areas of forensic science and requires particular attention due to the following needs:
High capital expenditure (analytical instrumentation) due to the diverse and challenging nature of analyses undertaken and the recent availability of ‘super-instruments’ such as those based on high-resolution mass spectrometry.
Technical expertise, requiring specialised training and
Professionalism
There have been many definitions of the term ‘profession’. It has been defined as ‘a disciplined group of individuals who adhere to ethical standards, uphold themselves to, and are accepted by the public as possessing special knowledge and skills’ [6].
This body of knowledge and expertise is usually based on a foundation of academic research, education and training at a high level. As a consequence, practitioners within a profession are supported in fulfilling their responsibility of providing
Career development
The establishment of a suitable tiered and progressive professional career structure would underpin forensic toxicology practice. Such a structure would help enable forensic toxicology to thrive and develop. To enable this development, organisations may wish to support such a structure; the acceptance of such a concept would greatly enhance overall quality and public confidence in the service.
Research, method development, scientific direction & leadership, training, professional development,
Career structure - suggested model
A suggested model for a suitable professional career structure is outlined in Fig. 1a and b. It is based on five career levels (bands); progression to higher levels should involve a combination of on-the-job experience, scientific competence & achievement, management & leadership ability, teaching & research within forensic toxicology. Short-circuiting of the pathway (as a substitute for good corporate planning) should not be acceptable and should be regarded as a quality risk.
There should
Training & development
To complement a professional career structure, a suitable system of ongoing training and development is essential. This may be represented by several parallel strands of activity, within a structured pathway of development. These strands are as follows:
(a) Modular Foundation Knowledge Training
(b) CPD
(c) Analytical Practice
(d) Research, Development & Academic Study
No proposal is being made regarding the funding for training and development initiatives, their regulation and assessment. Such
Conclusion
In this paper, the need for a multi-element professional structure to support forensic toxicology practice is discussed. This includes a suggested career development structure and an ongoing programme of training and development. This may be managed within a number of parallel strands incorporating foundational modular knowledge training, CPD, ongoing practice, research and academic study.
To enhance the programme, academic links should be established.
The discussion generated and principles
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge the consultative input provided by the membership of the United Kingdom and Ireland Association of Forensic Toxicologists (UKIAFT) during the preparation of this paper.
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Cited by (6)
Interpol review of toxicology 2016–2019
2020, Forensic Science International: SynergyCitation Excerpt :The author made thorough discussion on the importance of properly trained staff to use suitably validated and documented procedures to perform analyses which met the intended purpose in an accredited or suitably quality oriented management system. The current status of forensic toxicology in the United Kingdom was discussed by Cosbey et at [15] with an emphasis on establishing best practice for professional training and development. The author intended to incite discussion within the forensic toxicology society, industry regulators and other government bodies responsible for the administration of justice.
The United Kingdom and Ireland association of forensic toxicologists forensic toxicology laboratory guidelines (2018)
2018, Science and JusticeCitation Excerpt :Due to the variety of forensic toxicology service providers in the UK & Ireland, it is not possible to provide a prescriptive line-management structure for all laboratories and titles for generic roles may differ across the various organisations. However, the UKIAFT (through member consultation) has published recommendations for establishing best practice for professional training & development in forensic toxicology ([2], “The United Kingdom and Ireland Association of Forensic Toxicologists; establishing best practice for professional training & development in forensic toxicology”, Sci Justice. 57(1):63–71).
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