Investigator Wellbeing Week of Action runs 9 to 13 November: registration now open

The National Police Wellbeing Service, known as Oscar Kilo, announced on 22 October 2026 that registration is open for this year's Investigator Wellbeing Week of Action. The week is run by the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) Recruitment, Retention and Wellbeing of Investigators Portfolio and supported by Oscar Kilo. It takes place from 9 to 13 November 2026 as a series of online webinars.

Oscar Kilo describes it as an annual event. It says investigators face "unique pressures", from exposure to trauma and distressing material to high workloads and complex decision-making. The programme is built around the refreshed Investigator Wellbeing Toolkit and three strategic themes: Prevent, Identify and Support.

What is on each day

The published programme runs across five days. A selection of the sessions:

• Monday 9 November: a national overview of investigator wellbeing work so far; trauma, compassion fatigue and moral injury; trauma pathways, TRiM and early intervention; loneliness in senior investigating officers; and barriers faced by neurodivergent police in the workplace.
• Tuesday 10 November: forensic practitioner wellbeing; national suicide prevention in policing; moral distress and post-traumatic growth in secondary investigators and analysts; and building everyday resilience.
• Wednesday 11 November: developing a health needs assessment for police; integrating clinical psychology into major crime investigation (Operation Hummingbird); and protecting wellbeing when exposed to distressing topics and content.
• Thursday 12 November: ADHD and wider neurodiversity; a trauma tracker for understanding cumulative exposure; and expectant parent mental health.
• Friday 13 November: health inequalities in policing; whether we are targeting the wrong causes of burnout in frontline policing; and a closing summary with next steps for 2026/27.

How to take part

Registration is through the link on the Oscar Kilo announcement. Once you register you receive Microsoft Teams invitations to all the webinars, so you can build a programme around your shifts and caseload and attend as many or as few sessions as you wish. Oscar Kilo says recordings will be made available where appropriate, subject to how sensitive the content is, so not every session may be recorded.

The announcement does not set out who is eligible to register. The sessions are aimed at investigators and the programme also covers forensic practitioners, analysts and supervisors. If you are unsure, ask your force wellbeing lead or line manager. Attending is a wellbeing and learning opportunity rather than a requirement, so agree time to attend as you would for other training.

What it means for you

Several sessions match support you can already ask for. If you have been involved in a traumatic incident or case, our guide to TRiM and post-incident support explains what a TRiM assessment is and how to ask for one. Our guide to stress and PTSD in policing covers the signs of cumulative trauma and the routes to treatment. If you are neurodivergent, our guide to ADHD, dyslexia and workplace adjustments explains what your force should consider.

Heavy workloads are a theme of the week. Oscar Kilo's national deep dive published on 19 October 2026 found that workload pressure is the strongest driver of poor wellbeing across policing; our report on that deep dive has the figures. If long investigations keep you past the end of your shift, our police overtime guide explains which ranks are paid and how. Thinking about moving into or within investigation? Our guide to becoming a detective covers the routes.

Support is available now, whether or not you join the week. The Oscar Kilo Mental Health Crisis Line for officers and staff in England and Wales is confidential and open 24/7 on 0300 131 2789, including for people who have left policing. Police Care UK gives free, confidential support to serving and former officers, staff, volunteers and their families who have been harmed by policing. Samaritans answer any time on 116 123. Our mental health support directory lists other services.