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Gathering evidence through forensic sampling, toxicology, documentation of injuries and provision of a statement to support the criminal justice system.
This standard has options. Display duties and KSBs for:
This occupation is found in Sexual Assault Referral Centres and within pathways for sexual violence services and police custodial settings.
The broad purpose of the occupation is the unique element to this role is to provide evidence for the police, understanding the ethical frameworks which healthcare in the criminal justice system encounters and ensure complex decision making takes into account the individuals rights, our professional bodies standards and also respects that there is a public interest and a right to justice. Uniquely, the role of a forensic practitioner includes evidence gathering through forensic sampling, toxicology, documentation of injuries and provision of a statement to support the criminal justice system. This is required to be impartial and objective The role of an advanced forensic practitioner includes evidence gathering through forensic sampling, toxicology, documentation of injuries and provision of oral and written testimony to support the criminal justice system. In both environments, a forensic practitioner works as an autonomous individual undertaking triage, assessment and care plan formation which meets the needs of the criminal justice system, healthcare and safeguarding.
In sexual offence, the practitioner provides crisis intervention and empowerment of those who have been subject to sexual violence. This includes trauma informed assessment of acute healthcare needs primarily around sexual health and avoidance of pregnancy, mental health and emotional distress, drugs and alcohol, safeguarding and wider vulnerability and ongoing care. This leads to a unique care plan for each individual. The core element of the practitioner will be to provide clients with choices on routes to report crimes or to be a 'self referral' pathway. In addition, the role will be to provide expert opinion on the interpretation of injuries and other key areas for juries to understand the evidence base underpinning sexual assault.
In custody, the forensic practitioner supports the welfare of detainees whilst in custody. These include physical assessment of acute and chronic health needs, mental health and emotional distress, drugs and alcohol dependency, safeguarding and wider vulnerability and ongoing care. Part of the role is also to ascertain fitness to interview and detain and ensure the human rights and needs of the individual are managed in custody setting where complex needs are common place.
In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with police, independent sexual violence advisers, crisis workers, sexual health services, mental health, substance misuse, acute trusts namely Emergency Departments, legal teams including Crown Prosecution Services, GPs, social workers, third sector organisations, safeguarding roles, court staff, detention staff (who may be a private provider), liaison and diversion teams, mental health, substance misuse, ambulance trusts and court transfer teams, 'appropriate adult' services, language line, lay visitors, Independent Office for Police Complaints, Inspectorate of Justice, probation and Youth Offenders Teams. The custody role is carried out in police custody however practitioners do travel to other venues such as hospitals and court.
In sexual violence, this role is carried out in the Sexual Assault Referral Centre however practitioners do travel to other venues such as prisons, care homes, hospitals. alleged victims home and court. This person is an autonomous practitioner who has responsibility for the health and well being of individuals who are within the criminal justice system. They undertake decisions related to the fitness to be processed through the criminal justice system, forensic examination, mapping injuries and the collection and storage of forensic samples for court and attend court to give evidence.They work as the lead professional supporting a team, with access to senior advice through remote contact with a senior practitioner. Alongside this role, they make autonomous decision regarding the health and wider social needs of the person. They would report to a line manager, either a clinical lead or SARC Manager.
This occupation requires you to be a Registered Nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Council or a Registered Paramedic with the Healthcare Professionals Council. NC/HCPC/GMC requirement.
| Duty | KSBs |
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Duty 1 Lead and manage a medical emergency |
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Duty 2 Assess and identify risks related to safeguarding and vulnerability in patients and be able to signpost, refer and identify appropriate interventions for each area |
K3 K4 K5 K15 K16 K19 K20 K23 K27 K28 |
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Duty 3 Identify a forensic strategy and undertake an assessment including; collection and storage of forensic samples, toxicology, documentation of injuries and other relevant evidential outcomes, with a robust chain of evidence |
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Duty 4 Review and analyse the evidence base of key finds and provide written and oral evidence for court |
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Duty 5 Comply with local and national governance processes to ensure the safety of the client such as audit, clinical incident reporting and quality improvement |
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Duty 6 Obtain valid consent from client and manage those individuals who lack capacity to consent and ensure confidentiality and public disclosure framework are met |
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Duty 7 Work collaboratively with multiple agencies to ensure safe and effective care of client by effective care plans, referrals and signposting |
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Duty 8 Teach and supervise others including junior members of staff and training of the wider professional team |
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Duty 9 Due to the impact of bias within the criminal justice system be able to review their practice to remain impartial and objective |
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Duty 10 Assess an individual and identify acute and chronic mental health conditions and be able to undertake a suicide\self-harm risk assessment and formulate a management plan prior to release or discharge |
K16 K19 K20 K21 K22 K23 K25 K26 K28 |
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Duty 11 Follow robust processes for cross contamination of evidence |
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Duty 12 Assess and identify acute and chronic conditions of individuals whilst in custody including fitness to release |
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Duty 13 Assess an individual for their fitness to interview and charge and identify if an appropriate adult or additional medical needs are required |
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Duty 14 Assess, treat and refer those who are dependent on drugs alcohol including management of symptoms of withdrawal, brief interventions and referrals to ongoing services and harm reductions strategies |
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Duty 15 Undertake wider skills in assessment of victims, officers, road traffic procedures, intimate searches and taser/restraint sequelae |
| Duty | KSBs |
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Duty 16 Identify pathways of care for both acute and non recent sexual abuse, domestic violence and wider needs individuals and empower them to choose the pathway which best fits their needs |
K3 K4 K5 K14 K15 K16 K19 K20 K23 K24 K25 K27 K28 |
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Duty 17 Assess, treat and refer individuals for identified sexual health needs including risk of pregnancy and risk of sexually acquired infections |
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Duty 18 Identify trauma in individuals and use empowering and re framing techniques to improve the experience of individuals |
K1: Understand the Resuscitation Council standards for resuscitation
Back to Duty
K2: Identify the National Institute of Clinical Excellence guidance for management of medical emergencies
Back to Duty
K3: Understand the Sexual Offences Act and pathways related to disclosure
Back to Duty
K4: Identify the risk factors in sexual violence, domestic violence, child sexual abuse and wider vulnerability
Back to Duty
K5: Understands the legislative and professional frameworks for consent, confidentiality, best interest decisions, public disclosure and sharing information lawfully
Back to Duty
K6: Understand the principles of forensic science, locards principle and sample collection techniques
Back to Duty
K7: Identify the different injury types and understand their significance as evidence
Back to Duty
K8: Identify the forensic regulator guidelines and their relevance to practice
Back to Duty
K9: Understand the principles of good statement construction
Back to Duty
K10: Understand courtroom etiquette
Back to Duty
K11: Understand the difference between a witness of fact and an expert witness
Back to Duty
K12: Understand the importance of unconscious bias in the criminal justice system and the need for objectivity
Back to Duty
K13: Understand the principles of organisational learning and quality improvement
Back to Duty
K14: Understand the professional bodies framework for governance
Back to Duty
K15: Understands the evidence base related to improving outcomes in the health and justice setting
Back to Duty
K16: Understands the professional bodies requirement for ensuring continuity of care and the lessons learned from not having effective handovers and ongoing care
Back to Duty
K17: Understands coaching and mentoring strategies including management of poor performance
Back to Duty
K18: Understands how feedback can improve training delivery
Back to Duty
K19: Understand how shame, stigma, discrimination and prejudice can impact those in the criminal justice setting
Back to Duty
K20: Understand trauma informed care and the impact on individuals who experience trauma and identify strategies to support recovery
Back to Duty
K21: Identify the symptoms of common mental health disorders and the evidence based management plan
Back to Duty
K22: Understands the evidence base related to undertaking a risk assessment for suicidal ideation and self harm thoughts
Back to Duty
K23: Aware of the resources available for ongoing care including: acute symptoms, health promotion including sexual health, advocacy, mental health and emotional distress, alcohol and substance misuse and wider needs
Back to Duty
K24: Understands the British Association of Sexual Health and HIV and Faculty of Reproductive and Sexual Health guidelines and the evidence base underpinning sexual health
Back to Duty
K25: Describe the local medicines management processes of their organisation
Back to Duty
K26: Understands the relevant guidelines for acute and chronic healthcare ie National Institute of Clinical Evidence and the evidence base underpinning the management plan
Back to Duty
K27: Understands how interviews can be vulnerable and common miscarriages of justice related to false confessions
Back to Duty
K28: Understands Police and Criminal Evidence Act, Approved Police Practice and safety measures in a police custody
Back to Duty
K29: Understands the evidence base underpinning drug and alcohol dependency including National Institute of Clinical Excellence and Royal College of General Practice resources
Back to Duty
S1: Resuscitate a person who is unconscious.
Back to Duty
S2: Manage an acute medical symptoms such as shortness of breath, seizures & chest pain
Back to Duty
S3: Assess the patient and identify if there is acute or non recent sexual abuse, domestic violence and wider vulnerability needs utilising appropriate risk assessment tools where appropriate
Back to Duty
S4: Identify a forensic strategy which includes consideration of account, cross contamination and evidence base
Back to Duty
S5: Take evidential samples competently including skin swabs, intimate samples, toxicology and others
Back to Duty
S6: Document injuries accurately including use of camera systems where appropriate
Back to Duty
S7: Prepare an exhibit list and ensure chain of evidence process it completed
Back to Duty
S8: Construct a written statement for court
Back to Duty
S9: Give oral evidence in court
Back to Duty
S10: Critically appraise and write objectively
Back to Duty
S11: Undertake governance processes such as audit, clinical incident reporting, feedback and to follow policy and processes especially related to infection control, medicines management and health and safety
Back to Duty
S12: Obtain valid consent and record it effectively
Back to Duty
S13: Undertake an assessment of capacity and document the outcome including best interests decisions
Back to Duty
S14: Decide how to manage confidentiality in a forensic environment
Back to Duty
S15: Ensure continuity of care of patients by effective care plans, referrals and signposting
Back to Duty
S16: Teach and supervise others including the wider professional team
Back to Duty
S17: Recognise the needs of those who are poorly performing and identify an appropriate performance plan for improvement
Back to Duty
S18: Effectively communication within a criminal justice setting
Back to Duty
S19: Identify your personal belief systems
Back to Duty
S20: Participate in clinical supervision
Back to Duty
S21: Assess an individual and identify acute and chronic mental health conditions
Back to Duty
S22: Assess an individual and identify acute and chronic mental health conditions
Back to Duty
S23: Clean the room in preparation for a forensic examination
Back to Duty
S24: Assess, treat and refer for identified sexual health needs including risk of pregnancy and risk of sexually acquired infections
Back to Duty
S25: Administer and dispense medication safely, following their local processes regarding safety and medicines
Back to Duty
S26: Effectively communicate to patients who have been exposed to sexual violence
Back to Duty
S27: Assess, treat and refer for acute and chronic health conditions
Back to Duty
S28: Assess an individual for fitness to detain and identify management plan including observations where there is an additional medical need
Back to Duty
S29: Assess an individual for fitness to interview and charge and identify if an appropriate adult is required and interview strategies where there is an additional medical need
Back to Duty
S30: Assess, treat and refer those who are dependent on drugs alcohol including management of symptoms of withdrawal, brief interventions and referrals to ongoing services and harm reductions strategies including demonstrating the use of approved assessment tools in this setting
Back to Duty
S31: Identify de-escalation techniques and have knowledge of restraint, taser and other sequlae
Back to Duty
S32: Undertake a field impairment test and other road traffic procedures
Back to Duty
S33: Apply forensic principles to managing other scenarios
Back to Duty
B1: Empower decision making, respecting individual's diversity, beliefs, culture, needs, values, privacy and preferences
Back to Duty
B2: To be professional and confident with presentation of knowledge to court
Back to Duty
B3: Honesty and trust ensuring a high standard of professional integrity
Back to Duty
B4: Courage to challenge areas of concern
Back to Duty
B5: Reflective and open to feedback both positive and negative
Back to Duty
B6: Exhibit resilience, self-awareness and demonstrate the ability to change
Back to Duty
B7: Work collaboratively with multiple agencies to ensure safe and effective care in ways that respect professional differences
Back to Duty
B8: Undertake a confident assessment with knowledge and show respect and empathy
Back to Duty
B9: Shows attention to detail, accuracy and precision
Back to Duty
7
12
| Version | Change detail | Earliest start date | Latest start date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | Funding band revised. End-point assessment plan and standard revised (published 2 July 2021). | 19/07/2019 | Not set |
| 1.0 | Retired | 19/07/2019 | 20/05/2021 |
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