Across policing, there is a growing recognition of the importance of creating a working environment where officers and staff feel supported, able to perform at their best, and sustain long and healthy careers.
Last year’s National Police Wellbeing Survey, delivered by Oscar Kilo – the National Police Wellbeing Service in partnership with Leapwise, saw over 40,000 people take part. It provided the clearest national picture yet of the lived experience of policing and has already driven local and national action to improve workforce experiences.
The findings have helped shape national work on areas such as sleep, fatigue and recovery, informed wider discussions around policing reform, and led to further exploration of key issues through a series of deep dive reports, including psychological safety and the drivers of wellbeing. We have also brought leaders together from across forces to examine the findings in detail and share practical approaches to improving the working environment for their people.
We are now building on that progress.
From 1 June 2026, we will launch the National Police Workforce & Wellbeing Survey, reflecting a broader focus on the factors that shape how people experience policing.
Delivered again in partnership with Leapwise, the updated survey has been refined based on feedback from forces and is designed to provide even clearer insight into the realities of working in policing today.
Our ambition is simple: to provide forces with the best possible evidence base to understand and improve the experience of their workforce.
What’s new in this year’s survey
We have slightly refined question set to provide deeper insight. The 2026 survey remains largely consistent with last year’s approach to allow for comparison over time, but with a more focused question set.
Areas such as workload pressures, demand management, leadership, culture and change have been strengthened to better understand not just what people experience, but what is driving those experiences. This will support forces in making more informed decisions about where to focus their efforts.
Better understanding of who is most affected
The updated survey provides improved visibility of which parts of the workforce are experiencing the greatest pressures, helping forces to better understand where support is most needed.
Changes to reporting thresholds make it easier to identify patterns and trends while maintaining strict confidentiality and anonymity for all respondents.
Improved reporting and insight
We have also refined how results are reported to ensure that key messages are clear, accessible and actionable.
Alongside standard reporting, enhanced dashboard options will allow forces to explore their data in more detail, supporting a deeper understanding of trends while maintaining a consistent national approach.
A stronger national picture
With more forces participating, the 2026 survey is on track to provide the most representative national picture of workforce experience in policing to date.
Greater participation strengthens benchmarking, supports shared learning across forces, and helps build a clearer understanding of what is changing across policing.
More than a survey
This is more than a name change. The National Police Workforce & Wellbeing Survey 2026 reflects a continued commitment to listening to the workforce and using that insight to drive meaningful change.
By taking part, officers and staff are helping to build a national evidence base that not only highlights challenges, but also supports practical action to improve working environments across policing.
If you’d like to learn more about the survey or how your force can get involved, please contact your local wellbeing SPOC or use the button below