Services
EthiQualia partners with clients to deliver effective results with every engagement. We provide a range of services from education and training through to auditing and assurance.
Animal Welfare & Ethics Compliance Management Systems
A culture of care requires the alignment of all the relevant policies and systems of an organisation. EthiQualia’s deep expertise provides organisations with unique insights that enable significant progress, helping them to operate at—or even define new levels of—‘best practice’.
Our experience has demonstrated that without independent oversight and a ‘fresh set of eyes’, long-standing non-compliant practices within an organisation can go unnoticed, or without question.
Independent gap analysis and compliance management system evaluation serve to identify compliance risks, test existing practices, and reduce the potential for unnecessary impact to animal welfare and research outcomes, a serious event of non-compliance, or even a crisis.
Independent External Review
Using a refined protocol informed by Mandy’s regulatory experience, EthiQualia undertakes independent external reviews of research organisations’ compliance with the Australian code for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes, 8th edition 2013 (updated 2021), in accordance with section 6 of this code.
Robust analysis of the organisation’s animal use, inherent risks and control environment are combined to identify residual risks. This informs the provision of a report containing recommendations to support continuous improvement.
Tailored to the organisation’s needs, the report enables effective communication across the organisation: from the board and Animal Ethics Committees, to operation and research integrity teams.
An overall analysis of the extent of an organisation’s attainment of a ‘culture of care’ is provided in an infographic style within an executive summary, suitable for publication.
Animal Ethics Training & Development
EthiQualia delivers targeted training to AEC members, investigators, animal care teams and institutional governance representatives.
The EthiQualia team has significant experience as members and advisors to AECs, animal welfare officers, and facility veterinarians. Mandy is a former veterinary (category A) member of five AECs and Deputy AEC Chair and has extensive experience in providing compliance advice and training. This familiarity with the ethical framework supporting animal care and use has resulted in the development of a practical approach, enabling efficiency in systems and compliant decisions.
EthiQualia’s AEC training empowers members to have an effective, logical voice to facilitate good decisions, supported by customised tools, enabling a high standard of animal care and use within the institution.
Program of Veterinary Care
Mandy is a member of the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists (ANZCVS), Medicine and Management of Laboratory Animals Chapter and has developed and implemented best practice institutional animal care programs.
EthiQualia can support institutions seeking assurance that their program of veterinary care is fit for purpose, and provide guidance and mentoring to institutional animal welfare and compliance officers.