Zero Suicide

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust has a zero suicide ambition. 

We know this is a bold ambition and recognise that suicide prevention is complex with no singel cause and no single solution. We believe that suicide is not inevitable, and there are ways that our understanding and our clinical practice can continue to be improved. The zero is not a target, but rather it should be seen a challenge for us to consider. “If not zero, what is the right number?”.

It shouldn’t just be seen as something for the mental health side of our organisation, as we believe to achieve our ambition we will need the support and help of all members of staff, regardless of where they work.

It should be noted that nationally only 30 per cent of those who complete suicide are seen by mental health services in the year before their death. The messages surrounding our Zero Suicide Ambition will extend to our partners, local businesses, schools and to as many other people as possible across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. This is part of the STOP Suicide campaign run by Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and South Lincolnshire (CPSL) Mind (CPSL Mind). This link directs you to the Mind website.

As CPSL Mind states on its website, the message of the campaign is: “Suicide is everybody’s business”. It seeks to alert communities across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough to the warning signs of suicidal behaviour and reassure them that an open and honest approach to suicide is the best way to prevent it. The campaign also aims to challenge the stigma and myths around suicide. It hopes to achieve a suicide safer community.

Watch the campaign video and sign the Stop Suicide pledge 

In November 2017, the Trust signed up to the Zero Suicide Alliance, the national campaign led by Steve Mallen, the father of service user Edward, who died in 2015. The Alliance is looking to eradicate or at least reduce the 6,000 suicides in the UK every year. Link to the Alliance’s website available here and CPFT recommends  everyone does the free training available on the site.

Consent and Confidentiality and suicide prevention

Consent, confidentiality and the sharing of information, both between agencies and with families and carers, is one of the most complex yet vitally important aspects of mental healthcare. 

The suicide prevention strategy for England places a new emphasis on families bereaved or affected by suicide. This aims to improve information and support for families who are concerned about a relative who may be at risk of suicide and to better support those who have been bereaved by suicide.

To help address these concerns, the Department of Health and Social Securty republished and updated their statement for Information sharing and suicide prevention  2021, to reflect the current legal position including the implementation of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).

Inaddition to the Department of Health and Social Secuirty statement, The Zero Suicide Alliance, on behalf of DHSC, has also published guidance for frontline staff on how to use the consensus statement, which aims to support staff regarding when and how to share information about patients where this may help prevent suicide.

Confidentialty policy
CP27 Confidentiality Policy V4.2.pdf [pdf] 739KB

Zero Suicide Alliance

The Zero Suicide Alliance is a collaboration of NHS organisations, charities, business and individuals who are all committed to suicide prevention in the UK and globally.

 

We provide a range of free suicide awareness training options:

 

Step 1:         Step Up Social Isolation Training  - In 5 mins, this brief introduction provides information to what social isolation is and how it affects our mental health

Step 2:          ZSA Gateway Training – This training module is a brief (5 mins) but vital introduction to suicide awareness

Step 3:         ZSA Suicide Awareness Training – A more in depth suicide awareness training session – in under 30 minutes, the training will aim to give you the skills and confidences to help someone who may be considering suicide.

 

Our ZSA Resources on our website have been developed to support individuals, communities and organisations to tackle suicide within their population.  To gain access to this section please email:  Contactus@zerosuicidealliance.nhs.co.uk

 

In the Resources section, you will find:

  • Interactive maps for social risk factors, and suicide prevalence data;
  • Facts for Action which provide contextual information to help users understand data within the maps;
  • Resource Library offering a directory of different tools to help support your local community to tackle suicide;
  • Case Studies which introduce users to a range of examples of new and innovative practice to help support health and social care professionals support people with their mental health and work towards preventing incidences of suicide in their community;
  • Dashboards present key information both nationally for the devolved nations (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern) and regionally within England. These dashboards will help you understand the data, why it is important for suicide prevention and how it can inform local decisions;
  • Workspaces are currently part of a pilot product that will provide space for collaborative working and shared learning for professionals actively involved in suicide prevention. The pilot includes the North West region and the East of England.  If you are interested in piloting a workspace for the ZSA, please email Contactus@zerosuicidealliance.nhs.co.uk

 

If you are interested in finding out more, or would like a member of the ZSA to come and talk through the resources with you in more detail, please do not hesitate to request this by emailing Contactus@zerosuicidealliance.nhs.co.uk

 

As a patient

As a patient, relative or carer using our services, sometimes you may need to turn to someone for help, advice, and support. 

Patient Advice and Liaison service  Contact the Trust