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 single 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
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
Support for families
Where to seek further support
For those over the age of 18
Cruse Bereavement - www.cruse.org.uk
Cruse Bereavement support is a free services designed to help and support people struggling to deal with bereavement. If you have been affected by a bereavement, you can call free on 0808 808 1677.
Lifecraft – www.lifecraft.org.uk
Lifecraft Bereavement support is a free service designed to help and support people struggling to deal with bereavement in Cambridgeshire. If you have been affected by bereavement you can find more information by calling 01223 566957.
Heart and Soul Service – jane.pope@cpft.nhs.uk
Heart and Soul is a spiritual wellbeing and pastoral care service run by a community of CPFT Heart and Soul volunteers, specialist NHS Chaplains and peer workers, who run bereavement support groups for people who have been bereaved by suicide. They can be contacted using the email address above, or by calling Jane Pope, Mental Health Chaplain, on 07973 883511.
Samaritans - www.samaritans.org
A registered charity providing support to anyone in emotional distress or anyone who is struggling to cope. If you have been emotionally affected by the serious incident you were involved in, you can contact the Samaritans for free and there will always be someone there to listen to you and talk to you. You can call free on 116 123. Their support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days of the year.
Citizens’ Advice - www.citizensadvice.org.uk
Citizens’ Advice can give high-quality, independent advice about any problems or questions you might have. They can provide you with the knowledge and confidence to find a way forward. They have a network of national and local independent charities that can provide free and confidential advice. You can also call an advisor on 0800 144 8848.
Rethink - www.rethink.org
A registered charity that supports and works collaboratively with people have experienced or are experiencing mental illness, and those who care for them. Rethink can offer expert advice and provide a local carer support group run by carers, for carers. They can be contacted on 07783 267013, or at cambridgecarersgroup@rethink.org
For those under the age of 18
It would be recommended that for those still in school the young person or their family can speak to the school to discuss any support offered. However, there are other organisations available who can offer support:
Centre 33 – www.centre33.org.uk
Centre 33 are a free service for young people in Cambridgeshire that offer free, confidential support with a range of issues. They can be contacted via their website or by emailing hello@centre33.org.uk or calling 0333 4141809.
Ormiston Families - www.ormiston.org
Ormiston families provides early support for people experiencing mental and emotional problems. They can be contacted via their website or by email at enquiries@ormistonfamilies.org.uk, or calling 01473 724517
Kooth – www.kooth.com
Kooth is a free, anonymous online emotional wellbeing community that can offer one to one online sessions with counsellors along with peer to peer support and self-help resources. Access to Kooth is via its website.
YOUnited - www.cpft.nhs.uk/younited
YOUnited offers support to children and young people aged 5 to 17 with their emotional wellbeing and mental health. Referrals can be made to YOUnited by any professional working with children or young people.
There are four partners involved: Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust, Ormiston Families and Centre 33.
As a patient, relative or carer using our services, sometimes you may need to turn to someone for help, advice, and support.