This is the first course of its kind that’s designed specifically for Veterinary Nurses (VNs) with a focus on welfare investigations. Such matters require a team approach and you have a unique and essential role to play in this process. Alongside assisting the Veterinary Surgeon (VS), you spend more time with the animals than any other professional. Equally, owners tend to form strong relationships with VNs, and therefore you are perfectly positioned to obtain key information that may otherwise be overlooked.
Designed to support you and the VS, you will create your own forensic casefile as you progress through a real welfare investigation. You will also be provided with advice from both forensic and veterinary specialists, including a framework for dealing with animals (and owners) involved in non-accidental injury cases.
By using the downloadable Court-compliant forms, you will learn how to create contemporaneous records in note, diagram and photographic form. Additionally, you will explore the recognition and recovery of evidence, how to prepare such material for forensic analysis, and how to maintain a secure chain of custody for the animals in your care.
The course can be undertaken at your own pace, over a 2-month period. Upon completion, you will be awarded a certificate of CPD hours, and be well-prepared for this fascinating, but critical aspect of veterinary medicine.
Please email us at training@forensic-access-group.co.uk for further information.
The course will cover the following within its contents:
- Explore the role of veterinary professionals by studying a range of real animal welfare investigations.
- Create a forensic casefile as you progress through a welfare case, which includes the clinical examination of an animal, their surrounding and the recovery of appropriate evidential material.
- Use standardised forensic processes and documentation methods to record clinical observations and expert opinions.
- Learn how to demonstrate a secure chain of custody at all times, whether handling living or dead animals.
- Receive practical advice regarding basic forensic photography and how to store digital files.
- Review specific sections of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, including how to define suffering, the appropriate use of Veterinary Certificates under the act, and the seizure and possession of animals.
- Appraise the contribution that traditional forensic specialists can bring to welfare investigations, including how to recognise, recover, and prepare various types of evidential material for analysis.
- Evaluate the similarities and differences between veterinary and forensic roles and responsibilities.
- Examine the links between animal abuse and human abuse.
- Study at an in-Practice case of non-accidental injury, with advice on how to tackle issues of client confidentiality and reporting your concerns.
- Gain practical experience, using your newly-acquired skills, to approach a variety of challenging animal welfare scenarios.
Forensic Access has been a market leader for 35 years, providing bespoke training both in the UK and abroad.
This is an 8-hour CPD course.