New local suicide prevention toolkit launched

We are delighted to launch the Local Suicide Prevention Planning and Implementation Toolkit which features a range of resources to support local areas in the development and delivery of their local suicide prevention action plan.

The toolkit features nine new and developed sections covering a range of topics that we know are important to local work around suicide prevention – covering topics such as action plan development, involving people with lived and living experience and postvention and incident response.

These sections of the toolkit have been shaped from our experience of working alongside local suicide prevention leads and steering groups where we have been involved in many conversations on these topics which have resulted in shared learning.

We have worked directly with some of local leads and other partners to develop the resources and also reached out to topic experts and people with lived and living experience so that their insight can shape the toolkit.

The toolkit sections are packed with practice examples shared by those working locally and nationally in suicide prevention, as well as additional resources such as videos, podcasts and templates for you to access.

Each section has reflective questions built in to help you to consider how you can translate into what it could look like in your local area. 

The toolkit isn’t designed to be read as a series – but for you to dip into different sections as you find helpful.

Whether you’re new to suicide prevention or looking to strengthen your local approach we think that you’ll find the toolkit useful.

Before you head over and take a look at the toolkit webpage we want to let you know that we’ll be keeping it updated and adding further resources as they are developed. We would also love to feature more practice examples, so if you’ve got something that you’re working on that you’d like to share then get in touch!

Please also share with others who might find the resources useful, whether they are working in suicide prevention or a related area.

Finally, before you head over to the site to explore further, we’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who suggested ideas, shared links, provided comments on drafts, proof-read and helped to produce the final documents.

If you are having thoughts of suicide, please reach out for help, speak to someone you trust or call one of these helplines:

• Samaritans 116 123 or use the online chat at samaritans.org

• Breathing Space 0800 83 85 87

• NHS 24 mental health hub on 111

If you are ever in immediate danger or have the means to cause yourself harm, you should dial 999 and request an ambulance.