Further detail

Strategic Workforce Planning

Forensic Services is committed to maintaining a highly skilled and adaptable workforce that meets the changing needs and demands of our partners and Scotland’s communities.

On 30 October 2025, Forensic Services presented the final draft of its Strategic Workforce Plan (SWP) to the private session of the SPA Forensic Services Committee.

The Strategic Workforce Plan includes an action plan that sets out a wide-ranging programme of activity across four pillars: (i) Workforce Planning; (ii) Education and Training; (iii) Recruitment and Retention and (iv) Workforce Composition.

The Strategic Workforce Plan is also accompanied by two further documents: (i) an evidence base which underpins the assertions made in the Strategic Workforce Plan and (ii) a Workforce Planning Tool.

The Workforce Planning Tool uses scenario-based planning to help prepare for the future. This involves forecasting different scenarios based on possible future events and their potential impact on the workforce.

The Workforce Planning Tool allows for different scenarios to be overlapped and/ or updated. This gives an indication of areas that may require enhanced resourcing in the future and will be used to support recruitment decision making. It is important to highlight that these scenarios are for planning purposes only and will be continually updated and refined as further information becomes available.

The Strategic Workforce Plan and associated documents will be finalised and then maintained as a live document within Forensic Services and be discussed at regular intervals with our partners. The final version of the plan will be presented to the next meeting of the Forensic Services Committee in the public session. Progress against actions will be managed through internal governance.

Staff Surveys
During 2024, SPA Forensic Services took part in two separate staff surveys. The first was undertaken alongside Police Scotland as part of the ‘Your Voice Matters’ (YVM) activity. The second was conducted by Involve with Forensic Services and SPA Corporate participating in this survey.

In October 2024 Forensic Services received the YVM survey results. Early in 2025, additional results were received from the INvolve Survey.

Both reports made recommendations for improvement and highlighted key areas of focus for the organisation.

In response to the survey results, a Short Life Working Group (SLWG) was established to progress the key themes identified.

The SLWG is chaired by a Head of Function and includes staff from across roles, sites and disciplines to gain insights from across our diverse workforce.

The purpose of the SLWG is to:
Provide a staff forum for open and full discussions relative to the staff survey results
Support detailed engagement on key areas related to the surveys
Identify opportunities to make improvements in areas identified within the survey’s and, across Forensic Services
To work collectively on delivering outcomes
Report progress through the Forensic Services People Board, JNCC Sub-Group and the Forensic Services Committee

Trade Union colleagues from Unite and UNISON attend and are an integral part of the SLWG.
In line with the survey results and subsequent recommendations, the SLWG has now been subdivided into five Focus Groups:
Culture
Workplace Environment
Addressing any areas of discrimination, bullying or harassment
Fairness of opportunity, career progression and recruitment

Each of the Focus groups aim is to identify relevant areas where challenges or issues exist, discuss areas where improvements can be made and submit recommendations to the SLWG.

The YVM survey was conducted again during Autumn 2025 and the results will be made available to Forensic Services in the coming weeks. The internal structures through the SLWG have been established to allow the most recent results to be incorporated, with the most impactful areas identified and progressed at pace. A full report into the plan will be provided to the next Forensic Services Committee which will also include the organisational approach to improving the culture across all parts of the organisation.

Health, Safety and Wellbeing
As reported at previous People and Forensic Services Committees, there has been significant activity in the health and safety space, with collaboration with Police Scotland, Trade Union colleagues, and external organisations ongoing. The Forensic Services Health and Safety Business Plan and associated Risk Register have been updated and approved through internal governance arrangements.

The Health and Safety plan includes the improvement work which has been identified following internal and external review of our management arrangements. Notably, a recent external review by Viridis Safety Ltd highlighted a need to make significant improvements to our Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) documentation to ensure it is robust, accessible, and compliant to legislative requirements.

Significant engagement and collaboration with staff, Trade Union colleagues, Police Scotland Health and Safety and Police Scotland Estates is ongoing in relation to Health and Safety activities.

Work is ongoing with colleagues in Police Scotland Estates to troubleshoot issues with the recent implementation of Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) into the laboratory in the Scottish Crime Campus. This has also identified a need for further documentation and control in relation to air ventilation across the Forensic

Services Estate.
Staff across Forensic Services have completed the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) certified Health and Safety in the Workplace external course launched earlier this year. This course covers

Health and Safety responsibilities of both the employer and employee, risk assessment and other key health and safety topics. Work is underway to launch more advanced IOSH certified health and safety courses, IOSH Managing Safely and also Leading Safely, in Q4 of 2025/26.

Forensic Services recognise that many of our people perform difficult roles where they may be exposed to potential traumatic scenes, images and information. In order to be more proactive and preventative in terms of psychological resilience, Forensic Services have been undertaking a 3-year project with an external organisation, Defence Medical Welfare Service (DMWS). This work involves approximately 90 Search and Recovery Scenes staff who attend distressing scenes and postmortem examinations on a regular basis as part of their role. The aim is to incorporate psychological supervision into professional practice and involves regular meetings with specific, suitably trained counsellors.

Participation in this project is voluntary. A recognised CORE 34 wellbeing survey is used as a tool to measure psychological wellbeing and allows an assessment of any change over time. The results have shown a positive increase in mental wellbeing over the course of the pilot to date (2 years).

Stress related work absence has also decreased and whilst it is challenging to separate the pilot from other changes that have occurred over the time period, anecdotal feedback has been very positive about the programme and the need for more specialised support for such roles.

The intention is for Forensic Services to expand psychological supervision across other specialised roles and is being incorporated into the ongoing budget setting activity for 2026/27, as it is deemed key to support our people and delivery of our strategic outcome and objectives as noted in paragraph 1.1. Forensic Services recognise that many of our people perform difficult roles on a regular basis, and a more proactive, preventative approach is required.

Leadership and Management Development Programme
Forensic Services are committed to investing in our people to strengthen both leadership and culture.
Accountable leadership was a core design principle of the new Forensic Services Operating Model.
Several initiatives have already been designed and delivered to support our people to develop as leaders, including:
Modular Development Programme
Structured Leadership Coaching
Capability Team Manager development (first line manager role within Forensic Services)

The Leadership Development Programme delivered to date has aimed to equip participants with essential skills and knowledge to enhance their effectiveness as leaders within Forensic Services.

Forensic Services has built a strong leadership foundation, however work still needs to be done. This was highlighted through the staff survey activity in 2024/25.

Through engagement with colleagues across Forensic Services, it has been possible to identify gaps in leadership skills and practices. These skills and competency gaps are being prioritised in the delivery of leadership development.

Consistency of treatment, standards and opportunities are essential for a positive workplace culture and the staff survey SLWG is taking forward initiatives to drive positive improvement. The organisational approach to improving the culture, associated plan and progress to date will be reported to the next Forensic Services Committee.

Corporate Parenting

The Scottish Police Authority’s Corporate Parenting Plan 2024-27 sets out our continued commitment to people with care experience, and our contribution to ensure Scotland’s children are protected and their rights are respected, allowing them to feel safe and valued in their communities.

In support of our commitment, and to achieve our strategic outcomes, Forensic Services, working closely with SPA Corporate colleagues, is actively promoting the value that Forensic Services deliver for the people of Scotland.

In the first of its kind, Forensic Services, in collaboration with Police Scotland, delivered a four-day event in June 2024, at the Rossie Young People’s Facility, Montrose, followed by subsequent events at the Kibble Education & Care Centre, Paisley in Spring 2025 and Good Shepherd, Bishopton in Summer 2025. A further event is planned for St Marys Kenmore, Glasgow in Spring 2026. Over each event, colleagues from our Search and Recovery Scenes, and our Biology, Drugs, Fingerprints reporting and analysis capabilities, ran a series of interactive sessions allowing the young people attending the opportunity to use some of our forensic techniques and tools. These events have been well received by the young people and widely acclaimed by the staff involved.

Work is ongoing to schedule training for our senior leaders, first line managers and all staff to ensure our organisation is fully aware and committed to our corporate parenting responsibilities.

Modern Apprenticeships

Modern Apprenticeships in Scotland are a form of on-the-job training that combines paid employment with the opportunity to gain an industry-recognised qualification. They allow individuals to consolidate academic learning from a formal training provider with the practical application of the learning in the workplace environment.
In May 2025, Forensic Services were delighted to launch our new modern apprenticeship pathway into forensic science.

This exciting apprenticeship pathway, saw Forensic Services recruit two Forensic Support Apprentices, one based in the Scottish Crime Campus, Gartcosh, and one based in Dundee.

This is a significant step forward that will allow us to meet key objectives including: developing a skilled workforce, promoting Diversity and Inclusion, providing greater opportunities, and improving organisational resilience.

The Forensic Support Apprentice is a welcomed addition to the Forensic Support Officer cadre, which offers scientific and administrative support across the Search and Recovery, Analysis, and Reporting capabilities. This support not only spans the capabilities within Forensic Services but also the vast variety of scientific disciplines.

The evolution of the Forensic Support Officer post allows Forensic Services to support the academic learning of the Forensic Support Apprentice with practical laboratory experience.

Forensic Services will seek to learn from the introduction of the modern apprenticeship pathway and consider further opportunities for apprenticeships across the organisation.