Developments in UK police wellbeing: A review of blue light wellbeing frameworks
| Published date | 01 March 2022 |
| Author | Emily Cooper,Zoe Posner,Nathan Birdsall,Rebecca Phythian,Stuart Kirby,Laura Boulton |
| Date | 01 March 2022 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X211073003 |
| Subject Matter | Special Issue Articles |
Special Issue: Are we OK? The State of Wellbeing in Policing
The Police Journal:
Theory, Practice and Principles
2022, Vol. 95(1) 24–49
© The Author(s) 2022
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DOI: 10.1177/0032258X211073003
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Developments in UK police
wellbeing: A review of blue
light wellbeing frameworks
Rebecca Phythian
Law and Criminology, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, UK
Nathan Birdsall
School of Justice, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK
Stuart Kirby
Crime Insights Ltd., Aughton, UK
Emily Cooper
School of Justice, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK
Zoe Posner
School of Justice, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK
Laura Boulton
School of Justice Studies, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
Abstract
Policing demands are widely acknowledged to negatively impact on the physical and
mental health of police officers and staff. Research has documented the need for greater
insight into the stressors and trauma that impact police officers, with a current national
drive towards enhancing the police wellbeing agenda: namely, Oscar Kilo and the National
Wellbeing Service. To understand the current wellbeing strategies in place, 34 Blue Light
Wellbeing Frameworks were analysed. A mixed methods approach was adopted:
quantitative data was descriptively examined, with thematic analyses employed to explore
the qualitative data. Findings from the review highlight developments in police wellbeing,
as well as areas for future development.
Corresponding author:
Rebecca Phythian, Law and Criminology, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk L39 4QP, UK.
Email: PhythiaR@edgehill.ac.uk
Keywords
Police wellbeing, wellbeing, blue light
Literature review
Policing responsibilities and demands are widely acknowledged to negatively impact on
the physical and mental health of police officers and staff (Clements et al., 2020).
Following the 2017 launch of Oscar Kilo
1
(OK) and the Blue Light Wellbeing
Framework
2
(BLWF; Hesketh and Williams, 2017), the Front Line Review was con-
ducted (Home Office, 2019) and the National Police Wellbeing Service
3
(NPWS) was
launched in 2019. During this time, a range of national wellbeing activities have been
promoted, with ongoing work to continue to support the delivery of the wellbeing agenda.
Police Federation of England and Wales (2020) recently emphasised the importance of
mental health in policing and launched a Hear ‘Man Up’, Think ‘Man Down’campaign,
urging police officers and staff to look out for colleagues who may be in need of support.
Despite the significant focus and improvements in police wellbeing, the Police Federation
of England and Wales (2020) argue that efforts must continue ‘to provide earlier, better
and more consistent support’. Concerns have been raised in terms of management ca-
pacity to proactively share the wellbeing message, the consistency of its implementation
and the sustainability of its impact (Knight, 2019;Ordon et al., 2019). Furthermore, a
recent review by Syed et al., (2020) cautioned that the prevalence of mental health
problems may be an inaccurate reflection of the true picture, with further consideration of
risk factors and the diversity of issues required.
Recent developments in police wellbeing
Extensive academic research has documented the need for greater insight into the
multifaceted stressors and traumas that impact police officers; not only to ensure indi-
vidual and collective wellbeing of officers and forces, but also as it is a pressing public
health issue that needs addressing (Miller et al., 2019). In the UK, several recent
campaigns and evaluations that reinforce these concerns have occurred. As noted above,
the past few years has seen the launch of OK, the BLWF (Hesketh & Williams, 2017) and
the NPWS. The Front Line Review captured evidence from police forces across England
and Wales and documented the variety of issues affecting the working lives of both
officers and staff –with wellbeing being one of the key themes evaluated (Home Office,
2019;Knight, 2019). The findings of the review are echoed in other research, highlighting
increased demand but increasingly limited capacity, persistent organisational and op-
erational stressors, a lack of time and commitment by management in enabling individuals
to focus on activities which positively promote wellbeing, the complexity of evaluating
and seeking ways to improve wellbeing, and the prevailing scepticism about the wellbeing
agenda being put forward –particularly relating to its consistency in implementation, and
ability to have a lasting impact (Knight, 2019;Ordon et al., 2019;Phythian et al., 2021).
Phythian et al. 25
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