British Association of Social Workers interview on the Risks of Misinterpreting Hair Strand Tests

The British Association of Social Workers (BASW) has published a feature in Professional Social Work Magazine on how hair strand testing can be misinterpreted in family court proceedings.

Drawing on interviews with Paul Hunter, Founder of Forensic Testing Service, and Sarah Branson, Barrister at Coram Chambers, the article highlights the risk that misinterpreted test results can lead to potentially life-changing miscarriages of justice.

Hair strand tests are frequently instructed to assess a parent’s substance use where child welfare is in question, yet as the article warns, the way results are interpreted and presented can be misleading.

The problem lies in the interpretation, not the science

Widespread practice within the industry means results are often reported solely on whether drug or alcohol levels are found above Society of Hair Testing (SoHT) cut-off levels.

Factors such as hair type, colour, ethnicity, environmental contamination, and individual grooming habits can all influence readings but are not always factored in. Levels below SoHT cut-off levels are often not reported at all.

A major problem, Hunter says, it that services are instructing “drug tests but not instructing an expert to carry out a full forensic investigation, without which it is not possible to interpret the evidence.”

Hair strand testing is expert opinion evidence

Courts often rely on standard lab reports without involving a qualified forensic toxicologist, Hunter says. This omission can distort the picture and, in the most serious cases, wrongly influence decisions about a child’s future.

Racial bias

The article also highlights how hair colour and racial bias further undermine reliability of results where SoHT guidance cut-off levels have been applied. Research has shown that if these levels are used, people from Black and Asian backgrounds are disproportionately more likely to be deemed to be using high levels of drugs, even if they are using substances at the same rate as people with blonde, red or grey hair.

The implications for children’s welfare

The conclusion is clear in child court proceedings: speed and cost must never outweigh accuracy and expert interpretation. BASW’s coverage echoes growing calls from within the legal system for hair strand testing to be handled with greater care, ensuring evidence supports justice rather than undermines it.

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Read the original article here