Traumatic frontline roles must have mental health support built-in
Conference spotlights mental health needs of blue light, criminal justice and emergency services workers
The mental health and wellbeing of frontline workers in emergency services, health, social care and criminal justice is the focus for a major conference in Belfast today (Thursday 26 February 2026).
The Heart of Care conference is hosted by Lena By Inspire, a leading provider of workplace mental health and wellbeing support services across Ireland. It comes as an increasing number of public services are developing specialist mental health support, such as counselling and mental resilience training and support programmes.
The conference will be attended by representatives of the NI Ambulance Service, Probation Service for NI, An Gardai Síochána, Police Service of NI, NI Fire and Rescue Service and Ireland-based Fire Authorities, among others.
Kerry Anthony, Chief Executive of Lena By Inspire said,
“Frontline professionals in blue light services and people working in health and criminal justice services face some of the most demanding and distressing environments, with exposure to trauma and stress an integral part of their roles. These pressures significantly heighten risks of anxiety, depression, PTSD and burnout.
“And yet, all too often, the personal wellbeing of these vitally important workers goes unsupported or unseen. The impact of this is not just personal on these highly valued individuals, but it affects the ability of such vital services to function at full power. We then see this in extended sickness absence and we know it can result in people prematurely leaving their profession.
“It’s encouraging to see more and more public services across Ireland partnering with Lena and others to develop and deliver specialist counselling and psychological wellbeing interventions to look after their teams. Provision of mental health support for employees should be provided as standard by all responsible employers. And for those staff who are more routinely exposed to trauma, employers need to provide more targeted support, with a view to both building resilience and preventing harm, as well as being able to quickly and effectively respond where employees are identified as having more complex needs. Caring for carers should be a priority, not an afterthought.”
One of those is the NI Ambulance Service and their speaker at the conference, Anne Marie McStocker, Head of Organisational Cultural Transformation, said,
"With many NI Ambulance Service staff being exposed directly or indirectly to distressing incidents or emotionally taxing situations, partnering with Lena By Inspire to support our staff's mental health and wellbeing has resulted in colleagues getting access to fit for purpose services and organisational support with better outcomes.”
Also speaking at the conference, Amanda Stewart, Chief Executive of the Probation Board for Northern Ireland said,
“The Probation Board for Northern Ireland is committed to embedding trauma-informed and compassionate based practice. Within the justice system there is high prevalence of people experiencing adversity, poor mental health and presenting with complex needs. This has an impact on probation staff who are working with individuals subject to probation to manage the risks they pose and protect the public. Partnering with Lena By Inspire enables us to prioritise our staff's mental health and wellbeing and support staff in a practical way as they carry out their role keeping communities safer.”
Dr Oghenovo Oghuvbu, Chief Medical Officer for An Garda Síochána has partnered with Lena to provide gardai with dedicated support services which will be showcased to blue lights peers at the conference. He said,
“Partnering with Lena By Inspire since 2016 has allowed An Garda Síochána to elevate and enhance our mental health supports on multiple levels right across the organisation”.
The Heart of Care conference will bring together more than 150 leaders, practitioners, researchers and policymakers, from across Ireland, to explore how organisations can better protect and support those working in high-pressure, trauma-exposed roles, with practical, actionable solutions and mental health supports.
Speakers* from across Ireland and the UK include experts with lived experience of trauma and leadership in complex frontline environments.