University policing graduate wins national recognition for wellbeing research

A young Northamptonshire Police officer has been recognised with a national award for her research into mental health and wellbeing within frontline policing.

PC Holly Cunnington, 23, joined Northamptonshire Police at just 18 through the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) programme at University of Northampton (UON).

Now a fully-fledged officer, Holly picked up her Emerging Talent prize at the Society of Evidence-Based Policing (SEBP) Awards Dinner on Wednesday evening for her primary research project which explored the barriers officers face when seeking mental health support.

Holly said it was an honour to be recognised for her work and added “It’s been an absolutely amazing experience. I never expected to win an award for my research. I’ve never been particularly academic, but the support from the University and Northamptonshire Police has been incredible. This journey has opened so many doors and I’m proud to be contributing to positive change in policing.”

Students on the UON PCDA are only required to carry out secondary research to earn their degree, research carried out by reviewing previous research. However, Holly went beyond requirements to carry out primary research in which she gathered her own evidence and built recommendations based on the accounts of over 100 serving officers.

Holly’s recommendations include improving data collection across forces, embedding mental health discussions into performance reviews, and fostering a more open, less procedural culture around wellbeing. Her work is now being considered for publication and has attracted interest from senior leaders across multiple forces.

Having started her journey in the Police Cadets at age 14, Holly’s passion for policing has been lifelong. Her apprenticeship allowed her to gain hands-on experience while earning a degree—an opportunity she describes as “life-changing.”

“The apprenticeship route gave me time to grow, learn, and develop the skills I needed to succeed in this role,” she added. “It’s a tough job, but being able to make a difference in people’s lives—especially during their most vulnerable moments—makes it all worthwhile.”

Chief Superintendent Chris Hillery, who was part of the team that carried out Holly’s final assessment, said: “Holly has looked at a critical issue for policing not just locally but across England and Wales and is a credit to the force.

“Her initiative in this research project and forethought in examining officer wellbeing will stand her in good stead as she develops her career with us.

“This is one of the toughest jobs out there and our officers face some of the most intense and life changing situations every day. Holly’s research is crucial in understanding the wellbeing pressures on our officers and we always welcome ways in which we can improve on that.

“Her research is now being considered by our Cultural Change Team with a view to exploring what improvements or changes can be made.”

Karen Jones, Dean of UON’s Faculty of Business and Law said: “At the University of Northampton we pride ourselves on widening access to higher education and providing our students with opportunities to make real impact in our society.

“Holly is a great example of someone who had a childhood dream, overcame barriers and has taken advantage of the support and opportunities available to her. Holly has produced an amazing piece of academic work which is likely to have real world impact on the well-being of our frontline police personnel. She should be very proud, because we are, and wish her every future success.”

Northamptonshire Police’s PC Anna O’Donoghue, a UON PCDA graduate, was also shortlisted for the research excellence award at Wednesday’s evening’s SEBP ceremony following her research on women in the police force and was also a winner of the 2024 Department of Education’s East Midland Apprentice of the Year Award.

To find out more about studying for a career in this area, visit our webpages on Criminology and Policing.