New online wellbeing training for police officers and staff

It is the first time that wellbeing training has been made available digitally on a national scale in policing across England and Wales.

Produced by Me Learning for the National Police Wellbeing Service, Oscar Kilo, the first course supports the highly acclaimed, Operation Hampshire programme and provides tools and techniques to help officers and staff to manage their wellbeing following assaults.

The course is available online to anyone working in policing in England and Wales via College Learn, the College of Policing’s online training portal.

This is the first of a series of online courses, which will cover a wide range of topics designed to help those in policing balance wellbeing with the pressures of the job.

Several of the courses, which are under production at Me Learning, are currently delivered by Oscar Kilo instructors and are being adapted and incorporated to the digital suite so many more people have access to the training, quickly and without the need to attend a face-to-face session run by the National Police Wellbeing Service.

Learning will include content on stress and trauma, fatigue risk management, occupational health, and the Blue Light Wellbeing Framework. It is hoped this suite of digital learning will encourage greater awareness of wellbeing, highlight ways to spot signs of stress and trauma and provide practical help and guidance through effective signposting to support services.

Me Learning’s instructional designers are using techniques such as animation and video to develop training which is highly engaging and relevant for this specialist audience. Subject-matter and clinical experts, with a deep understanding of the topics addressed and the policing environment, are supporting with content development so many of the real-life situations experienced in policing are accurately reflected in the digital training.

Shirley Berry, Director Public Sector Transformation at Me Learning: “At Me Learning we work with lots of police services and so understand how operational demands, the current scale and pace of change and greater use of technology in policing, combined with the increased pressures of day-to-day life, can all have a profound effect on how well individuals manage their own wellbeing.

“We are delighted to have been chosen to work with the National Police Wellbeing Service on this exciting project which we feel will make a tangible and significant difference to the health and wellbeing of all those working in policing.”

Service director for the National Police Wellbeing Service, Andy Rhodes, said; “The courses that we’re making available draw on the latest research into police mental health and wellbeing combined with the findings of our annual workforce survey which influences where we focus our efforts.

“Because Oscar Kilo supports a system of over 200,000 people, we are determined to make our training and guidance as accessible as possible using experts with a proven track record.”