Research tells us that if we’re concerned someone might be feeling suicidal, then it’s important to ask them about suicide. This can be difficult, so we've listed a range of links to free suicide prevention training and resources.

These aim to increase your confidence to ask about suicide and to help you challenge stigma, raise awareness, and signpost people to support. Many of the resources are national and they do not cover details of Warrington’s mental health support services, but you can find information about how to access local support services by visiting the Support Directory.

You can also visit I need help right now, for details of how to get support if someone can't cope and needs help straight away.

Conversation starters

If you’re concerned that someone isn’t coping and might be feeling suicidal, it’s important to discuss your concerns with them, and to ask direct questions. There are a variety of starter kits to help you ask the important questions and what next steps to take depending on the response.

Samaritans

Samaritans' website has a page on how to support someone you're worried about. This gives clear, practical guidance on how to approach a conversation with someone you’re concerned about. It also covers helping someone get support, how to be a better listener and looking after yourself.

PAPYRUS

The resources on PAPYRUS’ site include a “conversation starter” which can be downloaded. This guides people through how to start a conversation about suicide, and outlines useful questions to ask. 

Stepping Up Flowchart

Identifying suicide risk and keeping people safe 

This outlines useful questions to ask, if you're concerned someone might be feeling suicidal. It guides you through possible action to take, depending on how people respond to the questions and also lists a number of local and national crisis support services.

Workplace suicide prevention infographic 

This infographic has a focus on suicide prevention in the workplace, especially the construction industry. It outlines what to do if someone is concerned about a workmate. It also includes basic statistical information about suicide and has details of free suicide prevention training. 

Training

Free online training modules to help you support the mental health and wellbeing of friends, family, colleagues and clients. Some of the modules also focus on strategies to help you to look after your own mental wellbeing. 

They all have a focus on public health and/or how to look after yourself. Some are aimed at a particular workforce, others are designed for the general public. Most of the modules are national and can be completed at any time, a few of the sessions are local and are delivered live, online. Information about other free online, public health training sessions can be found on Warrington Training Hub.

Zero Suicide Alliance (ZSA)

Free Suicide Awareness online training and resources, including:

Full version (20 minutes)

The full version of the training covers the key issues, offers practical guidance, and takes about 20 minutes. The session aims to:

• Help people identify when someone is displaying suicidal thoughts or behaviour
• Build people's confidence to speak out in a supportive way
• Empower people to signpost others to appropriate services or support

Gateway Module (5 to 10 minutes)

This is a very brief introduction to suicide awareness, which gives tips for approaching someone, you're concerned about. The module takes about 10 minutes to complete and is a shortened version of the 20 minute session.

Veteran Edition (30 minutes)

Developed with Help for Heroes, the aim of this training is to provide you with practice in handling difficult situations where a person may be at risk of suicide. The veteran edition of training has been developed for veterans, their family members and friends but can be taken by anyone aged 16 and over. 

The ZSA also offers the Step-Up Social Isolation Module, which focuses on building people’s resilience.

More details about these training modules can be found on ZSA’s website.

"We Need to Talk About Suicide" training

Health Education England & Public Health England

This free online (60-90 min) session "We Need to Talk About Suicide" is aimed at administrative and support staff, people working in public health or health promotion roles, and anyone who works with the public. The module was developed by Public Health England in collaboration with people who have attempted to take their own lives and those bereaved or affected by suicide.

"We Need to Talk About Suicide" aims to reduce the stigma associated with suicide, make people aware of possible signs of mental health problems and increase people's confidence to approach someone they're concerned about; and to have a conversation about suicide.

Accessing the training

The different ways you can access this session are outlined below:

Open access

The training is available to anyone, however this version won't save your progress or track your learning activity.

Access via e-Learning for Healthcare (e-LfH) Hub

You can register or login with an account on the e-LfH Hub. Accessing the training this way will mean that a record of your learning will be saved. The e-LfH Hub recommends you use a work email address but if you choose to use a personal email address the available e-learning content should be sufficient for volunteers or for those registering for personal use.

Access via ESR

If you work for an NHS Trust that uses ESR for e-learning, then you can access the session through the ESR NLMS portal. When you login to NLMS you'll need to enrol the session.

"Self-harm and Suicide Awareness and Prevention" training

Free courses in England - Level 2 qualification

This qualification is aimed at anyone seeking to improve their understanding and awareness of suicide and self-harm.

Campaigns & resources

World Suicide Prevention Day

World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) is organised by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) and is on the 10 September every year.

World Suicide Prevention Day is an opportunity to raise awareness of suicide and to promote action through proven means that will reduce the number of suicides and suicide attempts globally.

One in every 100 deaths worldwide is the result of suicide. It can affect every one of us. Each and every suicide is devastating and has a profound impact on those around them. However, by raising awareness, reducing the stigma around suicide and encouraging well-informed action, we can reduce instances of suicide around the world.

For more information and how to get involved, visit the World Health Organisation website

Resources

The resources below include booklets, factsheets, guides for schools and colleges, and toolkits for employers. They aim to help you start conversations about suicide but are more detailed than the quick access kits above.

Zero Suicide Alliance resources page

The Zero Suicide Alliance's site has searchable resource pages. These pages list a wide range of suicide prevention resources (many of which are free). The areas covered include:

• Training
• School programmes
• Digital
• Help lines, text lines and chat bots
• Business guides
• University guides
• Polices

Keep Safe Plans

Some people find it helpful to write a keep safe plan, so that if they feel suicidal, they have a reminder of who they can contact and what helps them cope. An individual writes the plan when they’re feeling well, so they have a personal strategy for coping, if they feel suicidal. A Keep Safe Plan doesn’t need to be complicated. It might just include:

• Numbers the person can ring.
• Services the person can contact.
• Distraction techniques and coping strategies that have worked for them in the past.
• Other ways they might keep themselves safe and avoid acting on suicidal thoughts.

There are a number of templates for different Keep Safe Plans:

Staying Safe

The Staying Safe website has several pages on safety plans. The areas covered include what a safety plan is, how to make one and examples of how safety plans can help. There are also two safety plan templates, one can be filled in online and saved as a PDF, the other needs to be downloaded and printed, before it can be completed.

PAPYRUS

Young people who call PAPYRUS can create online suicide safety plans, using the digital platform HOPELINK. The safety plan is simple to set up, secure and confidential. The aim of HOPELINK’s safety plan is to help young people stay safe when they have thoughts of suicide. Once a young person has set up their safety plan, they can revisit and update it 24/7, by clicking the HOPELINK button on PAPYRUS’ homepage.

PAPYRUS’ site also has a resources page, with a range of downloadable suicide safety plans.

Mind

The Mind website has a page on long term methods to cope including a section on how to make a safety plan. The site uses a template provided by Students Against Depression despite being intended for use by students this template is useful for anyone and can be easily adapted. To access the template, visit the Students Against Depression 'I am concerned about suicide' page. 

Samaritans’ Self-Help app

Samaritans Self-Help is a web app that people can use online in their browsers, or install on a computer or smartphone.

The app lets people:

• Keep track of their mood.
• Try practical techniques to help them cope.
• Record what makes them feel better.
• Create a safety plan.

The Self-Help app is not monitored by Samaritans and Samaritans can't see what people write in it.

Mental Health at Work

The Mental Health at Work website brings together a wide range of free resources relating to mental health at work. The site includes documents, guides, tips, videos, courses, podcasts, templates and information from organisations across the UK. You can search the site by subject, or for industry specific resources. Some of the resources relate to suicide prevention and suicide bereavement.

Mind

Information sheets

The national charity Mind provides information on a wide range of mental health and wellbeing issues. The areas covered include coping with suicidal feelings and supporting someone who feels suicidal. This information can be read online and downloaded free.

• Supporting Someone Who Feels Suicidal
• Suicidal Feelings

Hard copies of the information, in the form of booklets, can also be bought from the site.

National Suicide Prevention Alliance (NSPA)

The NSPA's website brings together a range of suicide prevention resources produced by different organisations. These cover:

• COVID-19
• policy and strategy
• data and analysis
• providing individual support
• local suicide prevention planning
• at risk populations
• toolkits and guides

The materials can be downloaded from the NSPA's resources webpages.

NO MORE Suicide website

This site is a suicide prevention resource aimed at organisations and the general public, in Cheshire and Merseyside. The NO MORE suicide website includes:

• An outline of regional and national awareness campaigns, (with links to free downloadable resources).
• Details of national support, for people who are feeling suicidal and for those worried that someone else may be having thoughts of suicide.
• Information about suicide bereavement support. Also details of how people bereaved by suicide, can get involved in the Cheshire & Merseyside Lived Experience Network.
• Information about the work and strategy of Cheshire and Merseyside’s NO MORE Suicide Partnership Board.

PAPYRUS

PAPYRUS’ work focuses on preventing suicide in young people and has downloadable resources.

• Templates for suicide safety plans.
• Details of how to create a hope box or hope book.
• Suggested distraction techniques.
• Suggestions for coping strategies.
• A conversation starter.
• Leaflets for young people and the adults supporting them.

You can also download PAPYRUS' guide for schools and colleges.

Rethink Mental Illness

This national charity has a wide range of factsheets on different aspects of mental health. Supporting someone with suicidal thoughts can be downloaded from the site.

Stay Alive App

This free suicide prevention app includes details of crisis support across Cheshire and Merseyside, in addition to national services.

The Stay Alive app is for anyone who feels suicidal. It's also designed to be useful to anyone concerned about someone else’s suicidal thoughts. The app includes:

• A safety plan.
• Reasons for living (which can be customised).
• A life box, where people can store photos and memories that are important to them.
• Strategies for staying safe.
• Tips on how people can stay grounded, when they're feeling overwhelmed.
• The option to create an interactive wellness plan.
• Details of local and national support services.

You can download the Stay Alive app free, from the App Store or Google Play. More details about the app can be found on the Grassroots Suicide Prevention website.

Resources for people bereaved or affected by suicide

AMPARO: Support following suicide

AMPARO supports people bereaved or affected by suicide. To find out more about AMPARO in Cheshire & Merseyside, including details on free briefing session for professionals or to download an A5 leaflet to promote the service, visit the AMPARO site. 

Help is at Hand

This information booklet was produced by and for people who've been bereaved by suicide. The booklet covers a range of areas including inquests and investigations, bereavement and how friends and colleagues can help. You can order a free hard copy of Help is at Hand by ringing 0300 123 1002 and quoting "2901502/Help is at Hand" or you can download a PDF of the booklet.

Lived Experience Network for Self-Harm and Suicide Prevention

The Lived Experience Network (LEN) aims to give people with lived experience of self-harm and/or suicide, a voice. The Network brings together people with a range of experiences, to focus on work linked to Cheshire and Merseyside’s NO MORE Suicide strategy.

There is a number of ways people can get involved in the Network including:

• Reading and commenting on proposed strategy documents
• Attending focus groups
• Attending task groups and meetings
• Taking part in specific workshops to influence a particular piece of work.

To become a member of the Network people need to complete and return a couple of forms. More details about the LEN, including a downloadable information pack, can be found on the Lived Experience Network page of the NO MORE Suicide website.

Rethink Mental Illness

This charity's range of factsheets includes one which focuses on bereavement by suicide. More information on "Suicide - Coping with loss".

Samaritans’ Step by Step

The Step by Step service offers support, resources and practical advice to schools and colleges where young people have been impacted by a suspected or attempted suicide. Information, guidance and resources are available on the Step by Step webpages and from the Step by Step Team of advisors.

Suicide Bereavement UK

This site has resource pages with free downloads, to help people get support following a death by suicide. The areas covered include:

• Resources for people bereaved or affected by suicide and those supporting them.
• Resources for people developing suicide bereavement services (postvention services).
• Educational resources, for anyone interested in suicide bereavement support.

Support After Suicide Partnership

This site brings together information about support for people bereaved, or affected by suicide. The resources section includes leaflets, booklets and support guides, focusing on suicide prevention and suicide bereavement. All the resources can be viewed online, or downloaded from the site. 

Bereavement Support Services

Details of support services are in our Support Directory.