Continuing Professional Development

We are hoping to launch our 2027 CPD programme soon. Please check back for more details in the coming weeks. Should you wish to get in touch about a bespoke training programme, please email lls-foss@york.ac.uk

Bespoke training

We are always happy to develop bespoke training to meet the needs of individual clients. We are able to develop courses on a range of topics within speech and audio analysis and these can be delivered in-person or online to suit your needs. We're in the process of redeveloping the full range of modules, but below is a list of example modules which could be included in a bespoke course. Get in touch for more details.

Principles of forensic audio
Methods of forensic speaker comparison - linguistic phonetic analysis
Methods of forensic speaker comparison - automatic speaker recognition
Presentation of speech and audio evidence

Previous courses

Using speech and audio as evidence

In-person at University of York; May 2026

The course was intended for those who wanted to learn more about how speech and audio are analysed for evidential purposes and this area of forensic science. A range of topics were covered and sessions included a mix of practical tasks and theoretical content. We provided an overview of different types of speech and audio evidence and what is and isn’t possible. Attendees will developed an understanding about the range of methods applied in forensic speaker comparison - the most common type of voice evidence - including the combined auditory-acoustic method, and automatic speaker recognition. Sessions covered how experts arrive at conclusions and the place of speech and audio evidence in the court. This course was approved by the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences.

What our delegates said about the course:

"All aspects [of the course] were valuable and relevant to my work."

"The course was a good insight into this area which I hope to develop into in the coming years."

Automatic speaker recognition: getting started for research

In-person at University of York; January 2025

Run in collaboration with Oxford Wave Research, This day-and-a-half-long workshop focussed on understanding the basics of automatic speaker recognition and how to use a system for research purposes. The course was attended by research students interested in (i) learning more about how automatic speaker recognition systems work, (ii) understanding how systems can be used in forensic casework, and (iii) expanding their methodological toolkit to use automatic speaker recognition systems in research.

What our delegates said about the course:

"Well-structured and insightful workshop, with excellent support from the instructors."

"I really loved the structure and the welcoming atmosphere. The team did a great job of making something I have always found daunting feel accessible."

"This workshop provided an excellent insight into state of the art automatic speaker recognition systems."

Previous bespoke courses

Forensic Speaker Comparison - Practioner Training

This three-day programme provided participants with an intensive introduction to carrying out evidential speaker comparisons. Core training was provided in the following areas:

Preparatory work and assessment of materials
Forensic Speaker Comparison - auditory-acoustic phonetic methods
Interpretation of findings
Peer-review

This course was delivered alongside formal forensics training within an organisation and ongoing specialist training.

What our delegates said about the course:

"The Forensic Speaker Comparison training was my first step toward becoming an expert in the field. It gave me valuable time with experienced professionals as well as a solid introduction to the subjects and techniques required for this work. Additionally, they helped me understand the steps to take to continue my education and development. My only criticism is that the course felt too short – a few extra days would have been helpful."

Specialist interviewer CPD

The one-day workshop was designed for investigative interviewers using voice and speech evidence in the Criminal Justice System.

The course provided an overview of how voice and speech evidence is used in the criminal evidence system.
During the course, we shared research and best practice on the production of police interview records, highlighting core issues and challenges with producing accurate transcripts of summaries of spoken interview evidence.
Consideration was made in the course of the use automatic transcript systems and emerging AI technology.

What our delegates said about the course:

"Interviewing is a skill that requires keeping up to date so really appreciate this."

"Thank you for arranging the CPD, it was really interesting [...] and it was interesting to see from the academic’s perspective."

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