'Staying safe from suicide: Principles, standards and guidance for the Police in England and Wales' brings together evidence-based principles and practical standards to help forces structure their approach to suicide prevention and risk management. At its heart is a biopsychosocial framework - one that takes seriously the role that cumulative trauma exposure, operational stress and the culture of policing can play in the wellbeing of officers and staff.
The guidance does not stand alone. It builds on the work already underway across policing - the national suicide action plan, the suicide prevention consensus statement, the postvention toolkit, and the Mental Health Crisis Line - adding a clear layer of standards and structured risk management to a growing national framework.
It is also directly linked to the priorities set out in the Police Reform White Paper, which named suicide prevention as one of six priority areas for mandatory wellbeing standards and identified NPWS as a national partner. As forces begin to work through what reform means for them, this guidance offers a practical and timely resource: a consistent, evidence-based framework that helps them assess where they are, identify gaps, and strengthen their approach.
Written for senior leaders, wellbeing leads and occupational health services, the guidance sets out principles, standards and a tiered risk management framework that forces can use to audit their current approach honestly against what good looks like - and to take clear, informed steps to improve it.
We are clear that guidance alone does not prevent suicide, and that there is always more to do. But giving every force the knowledge, the standards and the tools to act consistently is an important step - and one we are committed to keep building on.
Professor John Harrison, Chief Medical Officer for the National Police Wellbeing Service and author of the guidance, said:
"Every death by suicide is a tragedy, and its impact is felt right across the policing family. We will never be able to remove that risk entirely, but we can make sure that every force has the knowledge, the standards and the support in place to do everything possible to protect their people. That is what this guidance is for. It draws on the best available evidence and on what we have learned together across policing, and it gives forces a clear and consistent framework to assess their approach and make it stronger. There is always more we can do - and this is an important step towards doing it."
The guidance is available now, here, on the Oscar Kilo website. You will need an Oscar Kilo account to access it, which you can create quickly using your .police.uk email address.
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If you are in crisis and need support now, our 24/7 Mental Health Crisis Line is an independent and confidential service for anyone working in policing. Call 0300 131 2789