Wellbeing Rooms Service Evaluation (2019–2021)

Summary

Police Care UK funded and evaluated wellbeing rooms across multiple UK police forces to understand whether dedicated sensory spaces can improve wellbeing, reduce stress, and increase officers’ and staff’s ability to process trauma. Through pre- and post-implementation surveys, usage logs, and qualitative feedback, the evaluation found strong positive impacts: wellbeing rooms helped individuals manage stress, feel more supported by their force, reduce mental health stigma, improve disclosure confidence, and in some cases halve the number of sick days taken for mental health reasons.

Why it is important

Police officers and staff experience extremely high levels of trauma exposure and yet fewer than half reported opportunities to process these experiences. Wellbeing rooms provide much-needed space for recovery, reflection, and emotional regulation within the workplace. This evaluation helps Police Care UK evidence their effectiveness, influence force policy, and guide investment in trauma-informed environments.

Background

• Police Care UK observed an increasing need for quiet, restorative rooms after traditional breakout spaces like canteens and gyms diminished across forces.
• Early grants (from 2016 onward) funded initial wellbeing spaces, with strong anecdotal feedback but no formal evaluation.
• Research shows that listening to calming music and using sensory environments can reduce cortisol levels, lower blood pressure, and assist with trauma processing.
• To generate robust evidence, Police Care UK established a structured evaluation across two forces (Kent Police and Police Scotland).

How the evaluation was conducted

• Pre-survey distributed across participating forces in June–July 2019; post-survey repeated in April–August 2021, using identical questions.
• Surveys measured: awareness, usage, comfort levels, mental health confidence, sick days, and wellbeing scores (SWEMWBS and ONS indicators).
• Room usage forms provided qualitative insight into how individuals used the rooms (e.g., relaxation, TRiM conversations, private reflection).
• Forces selected an internal “room owner” to maintain the space and collect usage data.

Partners and funding

Police Care UK funded wellbeing rooms across Kent Police and Police Scotland (Highlands & Islands, Dumfries & Galloway), investing on average £1,250 per room, and previously providing over £52,000 to 11 forces through wellbeing grants.
These forces participated in both the implementation and evaluation stages of the project.

Timeline

• 2016–2017 – Early wellbeing room pilots funded (Nottinghamshire, Essex, Lancashire).
• 2019 (Jun–Jul) – Pre-survey administered.
• 2019–2020 – 34 wellbeing rooms delivered across Kent Police and Police Scotland.
• 2021 (Apr–Aug) – Post-survey administered; usage data collected.

Results

• 97% of users said they would use the room again.
• Wellbeing rooms supported mental health the most: 33% said rooms helped “a lot” and 4% said “completely.”
• Using wellbeing rooms significantly increased confidence in discussing mental health with:
  • Line managers (from 11% “very confident” to 24%)
  • HR (from 6% to 13%)
• Impact on sick days
  • Those not aware of rooms: average 43.46 sick days
  • Those aware of rooms: average 20.46 sick days
  • Awareness alone halved average mental-health-related sick leave.
• Impact on feeling supported, cared for, and valued
  • Among room users:
  • 56% felt “supported” by their force (score ≥7)
  • 51% felt “cared for”
  • 45% felt “valued”
  • (Compared to 24–33% for those unaware of the rooms.)

Additional resources linked to this evaluation

• Wellbeing Rooms Guidance V1 (full report)
• Top Tips for Creating Wellbeing Rooms (from same PDF)
• Business Case Guidance for Forces (project planning appendix)