Forensic Services

Supporting traditional physical forensic and digital forensic services

 

The traditional Physical Forensic Services Dynamic Purchasing System (PHY DPS) and Digital Forensic Services Dynamic Purchasing System (DF DPS) are available to police forces and law enforcement agencies to tender and call-off forensics contracts for their force or region as required.

Running forensic contracts and frameworks nationally strengthens a fragile forensic marketplace and saves policing significant money and resources, while still giving local forces flexibility over which services they use.

BlueLight Commercial is responsible for strategic contractual management of services across the whole commercial lifecycle, working closely with the Forensics Capability Network who look after operational management of services such as monitoring and reporting on supply and demand, as well as crisis management and contingency planning by facilitating policing’s operational response to incidents.

Both BlueLight Commercial and the Forensics Capability Network continue to jointly engage and work directly with police forces and suppliers.

 

How we help

Our experienced, specialist team work with forces and law enforcement agencies to support their procurement exercises and co-ordinate the national procurement pipeline of work. National specifications and terms and conditions, along with standardisation of procurement documents, are created at the outset to bring continuity to the suppliers for each procurement.

We work to ensure the supply of necessary services and equipment are compliant and fit for the purpose intended throughout the life of any Call-Off Contract; the support for forces and for suppliers continues throughout the commercial lifecycle from procurement, contract management and final reviews. Through market reviews we work closely with the Forensics Capability Network and other key stakeholders to monitor quality and regulatory requirements, ensuring adequate due diligence.

 

Forensic categories

Below you will find some of the areas we can assist with, many of which link to individual pages which will provide additional information. If you can’t find what you need, or would like to speak to us, please email our team (forensics@bluelight.police.uk).

Specialist and industry groups

We are pleased to chair the NSOCC Quality Assurance and Standards (QAS) Board and the Medical SFR National User Group.

NSOCC Quality Assurance and Standards (QAS) Board

QAS membership is made up from Crime Scene Investigators (CSI) and Quality Managers from Forces along with FCN Quality and Science colleagues and Force Procurement SME. QAS meets monthly and provides:

  1. Quality Standards advice & direction on “NSOCC consumables” relating to their use for the collection of forensic samples, the, packaging, transport and for analysis and ongoing storage.
  2. To maintain a collaborative working relationship between Policing and third-party providers to ensure the quality & technical standards are fit for the purpose intended. Ensuring sustainability and value for money, reviewing whole life costs and full impact assessment.
  3. To be the route for policing to ensure existing OR new consumables maintain the required quality standards to meet the intended purpose for the forensic community.
  4. To investigate quality or supply chain risks and issues affecting “consumables” which could impact on the forensic community, collaborating with Stakeholders and third-party providers to mitigate and resolve.
  5. Ensuring the requirements of the Forensic Science Regulator (FSR) are adhered to in relation to “consumables” selected.
  6. FCN Quality or their appointed Auditor will take the lead in auditing of the Supplier to ensure compliance with the Quality standards ISO 18385 and PAS 377 required during the life of a framework and or contract for the provision of forensic consumables.

 For more information contact Barbara Smedley, Head of Category.

Medical SFR National User Group

Streamlined Forensic Reporting (SFR) templates have been designed to enable investigators, scientists, prosecutors and the defence to comply with the Criminal Procedure Rules (CrimPR) in the interests of justice.

The National SFR Reporting templates developed by the Forensics Capability Network in consultation with SME give a consistent approach to reporting forensic outcomes, allowing investigations and prosecutions to be progressed fairly and effectively using relevant forensic science.

The benefits

The provision of Medical SFR Services is an outsourced service that forces can direct award a contract that facilitates the transfer of medical reports relating to the injuries sustained by victims of crime from healthcare professionals (“Medical Reports”), onto the standard SFR to support their police investigations.

A National Service Level Agreement has been developed in consultation with SME across the forces to create the quality and technical requirements for the service offered and resulting report delivered. It is vital to ensure all information is disclosed as appropriate and the court cases can progress with ease right first time.

  • Route to procure is via GCloud13.
  • Intention is to develop a National Tender resulting in a future Police Contract .

 For more information contact Barbara Smedley, Head of Category.

 

 

Meet the management team

Our forensics management team has extensive procurement background, both from within policing and the private sector. 

 

Barbara Smedley

Head of Category

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Linda Barnes

Head of Category

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Jane Harrod

Commercial Officer

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Ruth Hinks

Commercial Lead

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Jason Croft

Commercial Lead

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How We Help

We work with members to transform their commercial procurement, resulting in a bottom-line improvement to cost and time savings, and delivering a more sustainable future.

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