Situated on the National Agri-Food Innovation Campus, Fera Science Ltd brings together a wide range of disciplines in the fields of food, environmental safety and agri-tech to support the agri-food chain and protect the consumer.
Responsible Research was first contacted by Fera Science Ltd in 2016.
The Challenge: Staff at Fera had initiated a project to discuss and define what a desirable ‘culture of care’ might look and feel like. This in itself was not easy given the diversity of research undertaken includes plant, animal and bee health, wildlife, food safety and authenticity. The next step was then to determine how to enable staff to connect with the project to recognise what a good culture of care means in the context of their work and support them to contribute towards achieving it.
The Solution: Initially we were asked to speak about culture of care at an internal licence holders meeting. Further internal discussions followed before a ‘Bioscientist’s guide to Research Integrity’ workshop was held for licence holders and animal care staff. The content was tailored to local research framework requirements of two sites, as well as the specific research disciplines of those attending. We have subsequently returned and run a second workshop along similar lines for staff whose work does not involve animal use.
How We Added Value: By getting to know our clients we are able to provide a completely bespoke consultancy and training service. In this case we provided timely independent support to an ongoing internal decision making process, before developing a tailored training session to assist in the communication of expectations and facilitate their translation into practice.
The Result: We value our relationship with staff at Fera and are very proud to have returned to site again and again. Each visit has been preceded by discussions of what is new or has changed to ensure the format and/or content is always refreshed and updated to reflect the exact needs of our client. We care about the service we provide so it is great that each event has been well attended and received very positive feedback.
Nikki first presented at the Fera Licence Holders Forum in 2016 on “Responsible Conduct: An Integral part of any Culture of Care”. Feedback from all attendees was excellent. Based on this success we invited Nikki back to present a bespoke workshop on a ‘Bioscientist’s guide to Research Integrity’ relevant to both Fera and APHA Home Office licence holders. This was thought to be invaluable training that would particularly benefit Fera’s early research scientists and those who don’t work with animal’s so Nikki returned with another workshop on a ‘Bioscientist’s guide to Research Integrity’ tailored to their needs. Nikki’s background and excellent knowledge of this subject is demonstrated in her delivery and resources provided. She particularly takes time to liaise with the business to ensure presentations and workshops are personalised to meet the needs of the scientists.
