Forensic Toxicology Manager Review
at Merseyside Police
Higher Level Apprenticeship
Project Management, Science
Liverpool
Review Submitted: March 2026
Overall Rating
3.6 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
4/5
-
Overview of Role
4/5
-
Skills Development
3.4/5
-
Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
4/5
Responsible for leading the Regional Forensic Toxicology Unit, ensuring the delivery of a high‑quality, accredited scientific service across a five‑force collaboration. The role provides technical expertise, strategic leadership, and operational oversight to support policing priorities, forensic integrity, and the administration of justice.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Service Delivery
Lead and manage the Regional Forensic Toxicology Unit, ensuring services are efficient, cost‑effective, and aligned to departmental and regional strategy.
Participate in departmental management planning, contributing to strategy formation, implementation, and continuous improvement of forensic service delivery.
Drive innovation in toxicology processes, emerging technologies, and scientific advancements.
Quality, Accreditation & Compliance
Ensure all operations comply with ISO 17020, ISO 17025, ILAC‑G19, and Forensic Science Regulator Codes.
Coordinate and lead UKAS assessments, addressing non‑conformities, recommending corrective actions, and managing the resumption of activities where required.
Develop, implement, and review policies and procedures to maintain accreditation and legislative compliance (PACE, CPIA, POFA, Data Protection, etc.).
Operational Management
Oversee toxicology testing activities—including LC‑MS/MS and GC‑MS/MS workflows—to ensure optimal resource use, timely results, and adherence to service level agreements.
Monitor team and unit performance, conducting annual management reviews and ensuring delivery against performance metrics.
Manage business continuity, including partnerships with external toxicology providers and regional scientific support teams.
People Leadership & Competency Management
Directly supervise the Senior Forensic Toxicology Analyst and oversee a team of analysts and assistant analysts.
Maintain personal technical competency and oversee competency assessments, training needs analysis, mentoring, and staff development.
Foster a strong customer‑focused and quality‑driven culture, promoting staff engagement and high performance.
Expert Advice, Reporting & Court Duties
Provide specialist advice, guidance, and mentoring on forensic toxicology to internal and external stakeholders.
Prepare Streamlined Forensic Reports (SFRs), witness statements, and present expert evidence in court with impartiality and scientific integrity.
Offer interpretative expertise to support investigations, particularly drug‑driving and Road Traffic Act offences.
Information Management & Safety
Ensure compliance with APP Information Management, data quality standards, information security, and intelligence handling.
Fulfil all health and safety obligations, including risk assessments, COSHH considerations, and laboratory safety standards.
Organisational Impact & Challenges
Lead the establishment, validation, and accreditation of a new multimillion‑pound regional toxicology facility—the first of its kind in England and Wales.
Manage high demand across multiple forces, ensuring continuity of service and timely delivery of results.
Oversee instrumentation valued in the multimillion‑pound range and support operations region‑wide.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Service Delivery
Lead and manage the Regional Forensic Toxicology Unit, ensuring services are efficient, cost‑effective, and aligned to departmental and regional strategy.
Participate in departmental management planning, contributing to strategy formation, implementation, and continuous improvement of forensic service delivery.
Drive innovation in toxicology processes, emerging technologies, and scientific advancements.
Quality, Accreditation & Compliance
Ensure all operations comply with ISO 17020, ISO 17025, ILAC‑G19, and Forensic Science Regulator Codes.
Coordinate and lead UKAS assessments, addressing non‑conformities, recommending corrective actions, and managing the resumption of activities where required.
Develop, implement, and review policies and procedures to maintain accreditation and legislative compliance (PACE, CPIA, POFA, Data Protection, etc.).
Operational Management
Oversee toxicology testing activities—including LC‑MS/MS and GC‑MS/MS workflows—to ensure optimal resource use, timely results, and adherence to service level agreements.
Monitor team and unit performance, conducting annual management reviews and ensuring delivery against performance metrics.
Manage business continuity, including partnerships with external toxicology providers and regional scientific support teams.
People Leadership & Competency Management
Directly supervise the Senior Forensic Toxicology Analyst and oversee a team of analysts and assistant analysts.
Maintain personal technical competency and oversee competency assessments, training needs analysis, mentoring, and staff development.
Foster a strong customer‑focused and quality‑driven culture, promoting staff engagement and high performance.
Expert Advice, Reporting & Court Duties
Provide specialist advice, guidance, and mentoring on forensic toxicology to internal and external stakeholders.
Prepare Streamlined Forensic Reports (SFRs), witness statements, and present expert evidence in court with impartiality and scientific integrity.
Offer interpretative expertise to support investigations, particularly drug‑driving and Road Traffic Act offences.
Information Management & Safety
Ensure compliance with APP Information Management, data quality standards, information security, and intelligence handling.
Fulfil all health and safety obligations, including risk assessments, COSHH considerations, and laboratory safety standards.
Organisational Impact & Challenges
Lead the establishment, validation, and accreditation of a new multimillion‑pound regional toxicology facility—the first of its kind in England and Wales.
Manage high demand across multiple forces, ensuring continuity of service and timely delivery of results.
Oversee instrumentation valued in the multimillion‑pound range and support operations region‑wide.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
4/5
Topics covered are broad, informative and challenging. Most of the resources and learning objectives can be utilised within working practice. It is challenging when modules run in parallel, and careful, meticulous organisational planning is required when balancing this with operational day to day responsibilities.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
4/5
I have found the concept of 'what, so what, now what?' extremely useful along with practical tools such as stakeholder mapping, cultural analysis and evaluation, organisational behaviour concepts particularly useful. The recent undertaking of strategy development has been particularly insightful and will be of considerable value when transitioning to a new role, where this newly developed skillset will become critical. Whilst some recent modules have focused on financial elements which wouldn't form part of my daily responsibilities, it has been useful to gain an insight into this area, which will benefit my understanding and awareness for future workplace meetings and objectives.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
4/5
very organised and structured; would benefit in consideration being given to running modules in parallel and more consistency across tutors/education provider
How much support do you receive from your employer?
3/5
Operational demands take precedence and allocating ring-fenced time to conduct independent study has been a significant challenge. This has been discussed at length in various forums.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
5/5
Tutors are very supportive and understanding. Time is taken to discuss assignments in detail and support is offered in reviewing drafts. Feedback on assignments is provided but depth of this can be variable across tutors. Inconsistencies regarding 'preferred approaches' to assignments has also required navigation on occasion.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
4/5
Qualification yet to be completed so this rating may improve!
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
1/5
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Merseyside Police to a friend?
Yes
Why?
Can be supportive and promotes leadership, but stifles innovation as a result of risk aversion and hierarchal structures dominating power and influence.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Merseyside Police?
Study the CVF in great depth and provide working examples using the STAR+R approach. Any working examples must relate back to the Force Strategy as this will be scored favourably. Unfortunately for technical roles, the interview and associated structure isn't necessarily the best approach for more specialised, technical expertise. The OUTREACH team is a great resource for building connections with those in Force - it is often a case of who you know!
