Welcome to Headway Quality evolution

Proportionate oversight for preclinical and laboratory research

Experienced, proportionate support that works in the real world

how we work

Our approach in practice

Preclinical and laboratory research rarely fits neatly into a single regulatory model. We support organisations working across GLP, GCLP, and non-regulated environments by applying proportionate oversight that reflects scientific reality, operational risk, and the maturity of your systems - rather than forcing a one-size-fits-all interpretation.

Built in, not bolted on

We help you design laboratory and preclinical systems that support compliance as part of everyday research practice, rather than as a layer added on afterwards. The focus is on governance and records that reflect how work is actually conducted at the bench.

Audits you can rely on

We design and deliver vendor, CRO, and laboratory audits that recognise the realities of preclinical and clinical laboratory research, including hybrid regulatory environments and evolving methodologies. Audits are risk-based, clearly scoped, and focused on meaningful assurance rather than formulaic findings.

Light-touch or hands-on

We can step in for focused system reviews, targeted remediation, or ongoing QA support - from fractional GLP QA input through to broader laboratory oversight. Support is structured, transparent, and designed to strengthen capability without constraining scientific progress.

Thomas Stevenson & Frankie Drake — Preclinical Quality Consultants

laboratory & preclinical quality

Proportionate quality, Grounded in Scientific Reality

We believe effective preclinical quality is not demonstrated by rigid systems or over-interpretation of guidance, but by sound judgement, clear accountability, and controls that reflect how research is actually conducted.

Preclinical and laboratory environments are often complex, fast-moving, and varied in regulatory exposure. Applying quality well in these settings requires an understanding of scientific workflows, mixed regulatory states, and the intent behind GLP and related expectations - not just their wording.

Our role is to help organisations design and apply proportionate quality systems that support good science, provide credible assurance, and stand up to scrutiny when required. We work from your reality - your laboratories, your research model, and your constraints - rather than imposing a generic framework that looks tidy on paper but fails in practice.

In practical terms, this means supporting both routine assurance activity and more structural quality challenges. We deliver independent vendor and laboratory audits, carry out senior-led reviews of quality systems and QA effectiveness, and provide ongoing QA support where internal capability is limited or evolving. Throughout, our focus is on consistent judgement, practical outcomes, and leaving organisations clearer, more confident, and better equipped than when we arrived.

Experience matters

How we apply quality in complex research environments

Grounded in scientific reality

We start with how work is actually done in laboratories and preclinical programmes, not how it appears on paper. Quality systems and assurance activities are shaped around real workflows, capabilities, and constraints from routine studies through to more complex, evolving research models.

Proportionate regulation, applied with judgement

Preclinical environments can range from established GLP and laboratory operations to programmes that sit at the interface with non-regulated or early clinical work. We apply regulatory expectations proportionately, based on risk and context, rather than forcing a single interpretation across different stages of research.

Collaborative, senior-led support

We work alongside clients as experienced quality professionals - providing independent challenge, structured insight, and hands-on support where needed. This approach works just as well for established operations as it does for programmes that are growing, changing, or crossing regulatory boundaries.

where to start

Choose Your Next Step

Preclinical and laboratory environments vary widely. Start where it makes sense for your research, systems, and level of risk.

Vendor, CRO & Laboratory Audits

Planned vendor and laboratory audits across GLP, GCLP, and non-regulated research

Independent QA insight to support day-to-day governance and decision-making

Flexible support for remediation, oversight, or capacity gaps

Proportionate engagement aligned to how your organisation actually operates

discuss independent assurance

Quality System & QA Effectiveness Review

(Preclinical & Clinical Laboratories)

Senior-led review of quality systems across GLP-regulated, clinical, and hybrid laboratory environments

Independent audit of QA functions to assess effectiveness, decision-making, and governance in practice

Clear identification of system gaps, confidence risks, and unnecessary complexity

A prioritised, practical plan to build or strengthen your QMS and QA approach without over-engineering

discuss structured review

Senior QA Support for Laboratories & Sponsors

Ongoing senior QA input without the need for a permanent hire

Support in operating, maintaining, and evolving your existing QMS

Structured input during growth, transition, or inspection preparation

Designed to provide effective QA leadership where internal resource is limited or absent, while supporting sustainable ownership over time.

discuss Ongoing Support

Considering a move into GLP or GcLP?

Not every organisation is ready to commit to regulated working, and not every programme should. Moving into GLP or GcLP has implications well beyond quality systems alone, including cost, resourcing, governance, and organisational culture.

Because we have supported multiple organisations through the transition from non-regulated research into acceptance within national GLP monitoring programmes, we help leadership teams understand the reality of regulated working before decisions are made. This includes what is likely to change, where pressure points typically arise, and what level of investment is genuinely required.

That clarity allows organisations to decide whether, when, and how to move forward with confidence, rather than discovering the true impact partway through delivery.

Explore what regulated working would involve

Working in academia or a small organisation?

Not every preclinical or laboratory organisation needs a large-scale transformation programme or permanent QA resource.

We regularly work with growing SMEs, academic groups, and research organisations operating in complex or hybrid environments, where quality support needs to be carefully shaped around scientific capability, regulatory exposure, and available resource.

This often means focused audits, targeted system reviews, or senior QA input applied precisely where it adds most value - rather than forcing activity into a predefined package.

We start with a conversation to understand what will genuinely help, and what can safely be left alone.