Oscar Kilo - The National Police Wellbeing Service

21 July 2025

Confidential Mental Health Crisis Line for police staff and officers 

Suicide prevention matters. That’s why we’re launching an independent and confidential 24/7/365 Mental Health Crisis Line to provide immediate support for police officers and staff in England and Wales, who are experiencing a mental health crisis or suicidal thoughts.

About the Mental Health Crisis Line

The national Crisis Line will be available from the 21 July. It is a resource designed specifically for those working in policing, experiencing a mental health crisis – it is not a tool for members of the public.

Those who call the Crisis Line will be able to talk to expert counsellors trained in suicide prevention who understand the world of policing. They will be able to provide immediate help in a crisis, keep the callers safe and stable as well as signpost them to more support. It’s an independent and confidential service – no information will be shared with the force, Occupational Health departments or line management.

We are delivering this service in partnership with TASC, the Ambulance Staff Charity, drawing on their experience of delivering a similar service for ambulance and fire service personnel.

The Mental Health Crisis Line has already been available for twelve months in the North-East region. This initial regional roll-out, also delivered with TASC, allowed for essential testing and refining of the provision and demonstrated a clear demand for the service. The full national roll-out of the Crisis Line is the next phase of the process.

What happens when someone calls the line?

Those who call the Crisis Line will receive immediate, in the moment support which will help keep them safe and stable. Every call will be answered by a qualified counsellor with experience of helping blue light workers in crisis situations.

Call handlers will share their name and then ask for information about the caller’s situation. This is purely to assess the situation, and this information will not be shared – it is completely confidential. Call handlers will then signpost staff and officers to more support based on individual needs, i.e. counselling, therapy or other support services.

It’s worth noting that if there is cause for concern regarding any caller, a follow up call will be scheduled. 

Suicide prevention

The National Police Wellbeing Service, Oscar Kilo, aims to ensure that everyone working in policing has access to first class wellbeing resources. We assist forces in best supporting staff and officers, meeting legal obligations as well as driving retention and performance.

The journey from the suicide prevention consensus statement and national suicide action plan, the development of the Police Covenant, the appointment of a Chief Medical Officer and a national health and wellbeing strategy for policing, have all been crucial steps towards understanding and addressing the unique mental health challenges faced by those in the policing profession.

The service is linked to the delivery of the Police Covenant and support for police staff and officers.

With a remit to help police forces build wellbeing support, improve understanding of support, reduce stigma and help and encourage personal resilience and self-help skills, Oscar Kilo - The National Police Wellbeing Service (NPWS) is well placed to deliver the line, and has funded it’s roll out.

Additional contributions have also been made from Police and Crime Commissioners around the country, with support of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC)

The Mental Health Crisis Line is being offered in addition to the specialist bereavement counselling already on offer, designed to help those affected by the suicide of a colleague.

What you can do to help

From our research and initial regional roll-out phase we know there are things that stop officers and staff from phoning the support line when they are in mental health crisis:

• Confidentiality – worries their force will be notified.
• Feeling they shouldn’t need help – their role means they are there to help others.
• Not realising the line is for people in policing (not the public) and that it’s for staff as well as officers.
• Stigma around mental health issues.

That’s why we need your help to spread awareness of the Mental Health Crisis Line when it launches and emphasise our key messages – on your own intranets, websites, in newsletters, bulletins, weekly briefings, internal calls and wherever else you can.

It is a vital resource that will save lives.

Our key messages are:

• The Mental Health Crisis Line is confidential and completely independent from forces.
• It’s a service for those working in policing who are experiencing a mental health crisis or suicidal thoughts.
• It’s a 24/7/365 resource, specifically designed for staff and officers – not for the general public.
• This won’t solve everything, nor can it replace other mental health support and interventions.
• Accessing the line is completely voluntary and this must be respected. Nobody can call on someone else’s behalf or make any kind of referral.
• Daily life is tough – and on top of that, working in policing can expose staff and officers to traumatic situations that have an impact on their mental health. It’s important to seek help when you need it.

For any questions about the national roll out of the Mental Health Crisis Line, please contact: Jenna.Flanagan@college.police.uk