Forensic education

The aim of this teaching programme is to provide doctors with foundation knowledge and skills to undertake the role of Sexual Offences Examiners (SOEs). SOE’s have a dual forensic and therapeutic role to:

• initiate recovery using trauma informed practice
• obtain forensic evidence
• provide written and oral evidence for judicial purposes
• assess and manage clinical risk, ongoing safety and follow-up healthcare

Following this teaching programme, competence to perform as an SOE will be achieved with clinical supervision, mentoring and ongoing peer support.

The teaching programme comprises:

1. E- learning:
This provides background information on the social and political context of rape and sexual assault within Scotland, legislation and the criminal investigative process, essential knowledge to perform forensic examination and sampling and the assessment and management of medical and psychosocial needs. The format of this module incorporates on-line presentations by experts in their field, written guidance, links to digital resources and downloadable documents for use in practice.

2. Face-to-face teaching and practice:
This will include presentations and workshops covering the practical aspects of head-to-toe and genital examination, forensic sampling, packaging and documentation of injuries.
Groups will discuss case scenarios, documentation of findings and professional opinion, medical and psychosocial assessment, management and follow up.

3. Court skills:
This one day course will incorporate teaching on the provision of written and oral evidence for court with the opportunity to give evidence in a court setting.