About us
Key Forensic Services is one of the leading forensic science providers in the UK, with a reputation for delivering quality forensic science solutions to the UK Criminal Justice System and law enforcement agencies.
Founded in 2018, KFS has flourished into the company we are today: employing more than 260 members of staff across three strategically-placed sites in the UK – Coventry, Norwich and Warrington.
We take great pride that the quality of our services, the high standards we set for our customer service, and an unwavering dedication to uphold our core values and mission statement, help set us apart.
That we are the preferred forensic science provider for many customers within the Criminal Justice System and companies in the private sector, who continue to put their trust in us daily, is testament to that.
Our core values and mission statement reflect who we are, how we conduct ourselves, and how we approach our commitment to all our customers.
Our Core Values
- Exceptional customer focus and service
- Professionalism, reliability and integrity
- Employee wellbeing and fulfilment
- Adding value through opportunities, innovation and collaboration
- Personal excellence
- Accountability to our shareholders, customers, employees and partners
- Benevolence and Community Support
- Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)
- Environmental and Economic Sustainability
Our Mission Statement
“To provide professional, independent and objective scientific expertise in support of justice. To demonstrate social, economic and environmental responsibility, integrity, transparency, logic and robustness in every facet of our business in order to be the preferred forensic science provider in the UK.”
Accreditation
KFS prides itself on providing a high-quality forensic support, with many of our services are accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2017.
In 2021, KFS achieved accreditation for biology scene examination to ISO 17020:2012 for “Assessment, Search, Identification, Recovery, Recording, Selecting and Examination of Physical Material and Associated Items from Scenes of Crime for Forensic Purposes”.
In 2024, KFS was granted flexible scope ISO 17025 accreditation for our Drugs Testing and Analysis service, the first forensic science provider in the UK to achieve this status.
In addition, the services of accredited activities are also recognised as compliant with and accredited to the FSR Code of Practice (Version 2). Accreditation to the Codes is now mandatory for all forensic providers in the UK.
KFS carries out forensic testing activities within the relevant legal framework for the jurisdiction, for example the Criminal Procedure Rules for criminal casework in England and Wales.
Science and the Community
Our work within the Criminal Justice System community allows us to:
- Work with academia on research projects
- Attend university careers fairs. We have supported key events at University of Warwick, De Montfort University, University of South Wales and the University of Portsmouth
- Share our requirements as an employer with universities, so they can shape courses and pre-graduates for real-world roles
- Exhibit at children’s science events, including the Norwich Science Festival
- Plan further collaborations with academia
- Be involved with forensic community innovation
- Play an active role in ENSFI and AFSP technical working groups across multiple disciplines
- Our commitment to Volunteer Days is focused on contributing to the community
Social Values
KFS aims to devise and deliver a meaningful and demonstrable social value strategy to improve social wellbeing and health, promote economic equality and growth, and reduce the impact of our business on the environment.
We define social value as being ‘the additional value created in the delivery of forensic service contracts that has a wider community and public benefit’, and this is further supported by the following objectives:
- Biodiversity, reducing carbon emissions (to reach net zero by 2050) and responsible waste management
- Equal opportunities and diversity, training and staff development, and charities and communities
- Anti-bribery, modern slavery, prompt payment
Our latest
news
Sharing advice and industry insights at the University of Lincoln careers fair
KFS helps celebrate innovation at Aston University’s KTP showcase
