Oscar Kilo

The National Fire Chiefs Council has signed up to ‘Oscar Kilo’ which puts assessment, learning and conversation about wellbeing across the emergency services in one place.

This followed work with Oscar Kilo and a discussion with NFCC’s national lead for Occupational Health and the national Workforce Coordination Committee. Following a discussion at the July 2018 National Fire Chiefs Council meeting, the proposals were approved and Oscar Kilo and NFCC are gearing up to launch the initiative.

What is Oscar Kilo?

Oscar Kilo was initially funded by Public Health England and was created and designed to host the Blue Light Wellbeing Framework, bringing together those who are responsible for wellbeing. It is a place to share learning and best practice from blue light and emergency services, meaning it is easier for organisations to invest the very best into the wellbeing of staff.

It was initially adopted by the police service, and both the Framework and Oscar Kilo online have been designed, so all services can adopt and share the same approach, cutting across traditional organisations boundaries. Every single police force across England, Wales and Northern Ireland have subscribed and are using the service.

Oscar Kilo provides a web resource to its members with a focus on emergency services well-being. This includes evidence-based resources, research which can be shared, news and best practice. There is also a bespoke area on the website where organisations can access their own bespoke online version of the Blue Light Wellbeing Framework, along with the capability for individual organisations to complete a self-assessment and request a peer review. Members can also access strategic and tactical planning templates which support the framework.

The Home Office and the Policing and Fire Minister, Nick Hurd MP, supports and advocates Oscar Kilo and the Blue Light Wellbeing Framework.

What is the Blue Light Framework?

The Framework is a statement of intent, showing your organisation’s commitment to the health and wellbeing of its people. Organisations using the Framework will be able to audit and benchmark themselves against an independent set of standards that have been tailored to meet the specialist needs of emergency services staff. It will help to identify what your organisation already has in place and what gaps there may be in providing the best well-being provision it can for everyone.

What are the next steps?

The sign-up to Oscar Kilo will be gradually rolled out across all UK Fire and Rescue services, and we will be encouraging leaders and wellbeing practitioners across the country to join the online practitioner communities. We will be seeking feedback along the way from practitioners who will share their experiences of Oscar Kilo as a resource to make sure that we are getting the best out of the service.

For more information, please contact: contact@oscarkilo.org.uk