Mental Health Awareness Week: members encouraged to prioritise wellbeing

11 May 2026

Nottinghamshire Police Federation members are being encouraged to take time for themselves and each other this Mental Health Awareness Week.

Branch equality and wellbeing lead Jaz Chaplain said officers are regularly exposed to traumatic incidents that can impact their mental health.

Now Jaz is using the Mental Health Awareness Week campaign to ask officers to look out for themselves and their colleagues. 

Jaz, who is also branch vice chair, said "Officers are highly skilled at recognising vulnerability in the public, and use these skills to look out for one another.

“When we attend someone in crisis, we ask direct questions about how they're feeling and whether they’re safe, and we must ask the same questions of each other." 

 

Jaz Chaplain.

 

According to the College of Policing, most members of the public will experience three to four potentially traumatic events in their lifetime. Police officers, however, are likely to experience between 400 and 600 in their policing career.

Jaz said: “For police officers, exposure to trauma is routine. Over time, that can have a hugely detrimental impact on mental health and wellbeing.”

She said the pressures and demands placed on officers often leave them with little time to pause or properly debrief between jobs.

This, she said, made peer support and early intervention even more important.

Open up and talk

Jaz said: “My advice is simple, if you’re feeling low or stressed, then please open up and talk.

“Have honest conversations with your colleagues if you feel comfortable doing so.

“We don’t always know what someone is carrying unless they tell us.”

Jaz highlighted the specialist help available through the Oscar Kilo Police Wellbeing Service.

Mental health crisis line

Oscar Kilo operates a dedicated mental health crisis line for police officers and emergency service personnel.

The confidential service is available 24 hours a day and is staffed by professionals who understand the realities of policing.

Jaz said the service has received positive feedback from officers who have accessed support during crises.

She said: “It’s specifically designed for policing, and officers who have contacted Oscar Kilo while struggling have reported really positive experiences.”

Confidential counselling

Confidential counselling is available through Vivup, the Force’s employee assistance programme (EAP) and can be topped up by the Group Insurance scheme, said Jaz.

She said: “It gives officers the opportunity to talk to someone outside policing in a confidential environment.

“It’s not a crisis line, but it’s there to support people before issues reach that stage.”

The Police Treatment Centre also offers a wellbeing course, which is a residential break to work with specialists.

Support for officers

Jaz is also a TRiM practitioner and highlighted the role of Trauma Risk Management in supporting officers following difficult operational incidents.

She said: “TRiM allows officers to speak to someone who understands policing but wasn’t directly involved in the incident.

“That distance can sometimes make it easier to talk.”

Support available to members includes:

• Samaritans: 116 123
• Oscar Kilo Mental Health Crisis Line (24/7): 0300 131 2789
• Vivup Employee Assistance Programme: accessed via the intranet 
• TRiM practitioners following traumatic incidents: email the TRiM inbox 

READ MORE: Response Policing Week: PFEW survey results.