Almost 200 delegates from across policing, partner organisations and wellbeing services came together at Crewe Hall Hotel & Spa, Cheshire for the National Police Wellbeing Service Annual Conference and Oscar Kilo Awards 2026. This year's event explored the theme From Strategy to Reality, examining how national ambition, guidance and investment can be translated into meaningful change for officers and staff across policing.
Building on last year's theme of Connecting the Dots, the conference focused on what happens next. As policing enters a significant period of reform, delegates were encouraged to consider how workforce wellbeing can remain central to decision-making and how national programmes, standards and evidence can become practical support that people experience in their daily working lives.
Hosted by broadcaster from ITV Gamal Fahnbulleh, the event brought together leaders, practitioners, researchers and wellbeing experts to explore the role wellbeing must play in shaping the future of policing. Discussions centred on police reform, occupational health, workforce prioritisation, psychological health, recovery and suicide prevention, with a consistent focus on keeping people at the heart of the system.
The conference opened with a discussion on the future of policing and workforce wellbeing featuring Andy Rhodes OBE QPM, Chief Constable Gavin Stephens and Geoff Cheshire. Together, they explored the opportunities and challenges presented by reform and considered how organisations across the policing landscape can work together to support those who deliver policing every day.
Throughout the two days, speakers shared examples of how national strategies are being translated into local delivery, covering topics including occupational health reform, workforce prioritisation, psychological health checks and the growing evidence base around recovery and resilience. Delegates also heard how forces are using data, lived experience and innovative approaches to improve support for officers and staff.
One of the central themes of the conference was the importance of prevention and early intervention. Sessions explored how policing can identify risk earlier, strengthen psychological health support and create environments where officers and staff feel confident accessing help before problems escalate. Delegates were also given the opportunity to step away from the conference setting and take part in practical wellbeing activities through the 'Reset Yourself' programme, experiencing approaches to recovery first-hand.
The second day brought the conversation closer to the experiences of individuals. Through powerful discussions around suicide prevention, workforce insight and personal experiences of wellbeing support, delegates were reminded that behind every strategy, standard and programme are real people whose lives and careers can be shaped by the quality of support they receive.
Celebrating excellence across policing
Day one of the conference concluded with the Oscar Kilo Awards, recognising the individuals, teams and organisations leading the way in workforce wellbeing. Hosted again by Gamal Fahnbulleh, the awards celebrated innovation, collaboration and commitment across policing.
This year's winners demonstrated the breadth of wellbeing activity taking place across the UK, from staff engagement and family support to trauma, occupational health, peer support and suicide prevention. The winners were:
- Staff Engagement – Yorkshire and Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit
- Families and Leavers – Lincolnshire Police
- Healthy Living – Leicestershire Police
- Occupational Health – Civil Nuclear Constabulary
- OK9 Wellbeing Dogs – South Wales Police
- Peer Support – Police Service of Northern Ireland
- Trauma Support – Avon and Somerset Police
- Operation Hampshire – Gwent Police
- Suicide Prevention – Northumbria Police
Special recognition was also given to the National Association of Retired Police Officers (NARPO) for its commitment to supporting police leavers, while the International Wellbeing Award was presented to the Ministry of Interior, Kingdom of Bahrain in recognition of its outstanding approach to employee wellbeing and engagement.
You can read all about the winners here:
Looking ahead
Across two days of discussion, reflection and learning, a clear message emerged: workforce wellbeing is no longer a standalone initiative. It is fundamental to the future of policing.
As forces continue to navigate change and reform, the challenge is not simply developing new strategies, frameworks and services, but ensuring they translate into something meaningful for the people they are intended to support.
The examples showcased at this year's conference and awards demonstrated that progress is already happening across policing. By sharing learning, working collaboratively and continuing to put people first, policing is well placed to turn ambition into action and strategy into reality.
We would like to thank all speakers, delegates, partners, exhibitors, award entrants and judges for their contribution to another successful conference and awards programme. Together, we will continue to drive forward the wellbeing agenda and help create healthier, more supportive workplaces across policing.
Thinking of joining us next year?
Planning is already underway for the next Oscar Kilo Conference and Awards, which is expected to take place in October 2027. The event will once again bring together leaders, practitioners, researchers and wellbeing professionals from across policing and partner organisations to share learning, explore emerging challenges and celebrate good practice in workforce wellbeing.
This year's conference received overwhelmingly positive feedback from delegates, who highlighted both the quality of the content and the opportunity to connect with colleagues from across the policing wellbeing community:
"I found the entire agenda and all the topics discussed very valuable. There was an excellent range of topics, information, and updates shared, providing a good balance of learning, insight, and practical takeaways."
"I thought this was an excellent conference - one of the best I have been to in a long while! Thank you!"
"The lived experience stories are really impactful, why we do what we do."
"It was so heartwarming to see this work being recognised for the teams who put so much into their jobs and lovely to celebrate with them."
Further details about the 2027 conference and Oscar Kilo Awards will be announced in due course. We hope to welcome both returning delegates and those attending for the first time as we continue working together to improve wellbeing across policing.