As many as 1 in 4 people experience suicidal thoughts at some point in their lives. Although it impacts the lives of many, conversations about suicide can still be difficult and uncomfortable.

Dudley’s Suicide Prevention Partnership, championed by the Dudley Health and Wellbeing Board, is here to help change the public perception of suicide and to encourage those affected to reach out.

These pages will provide information and support for anyone that is worried about someone considering suicide and anyone who is bereaved by suicide. Help is out there. Please remember you are not alone.

World Suicide Prevention Day

World Suicide Prevention Day is hosted by the International Association For Suicide Prevention (IASP).

World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) was first launched in 2003 on 10th September by IASP with the endorsement of the World Health Organisation (WHO). The 10th of September each year has been designated as a way of focusing suicide awareness worldwide. IASP’s renewed message is one of hope; that aims to empower people with confidence to engage with this complex subject.

IASP has announced, after a worldwide consultation, the new theme for World Suicide Prevention Day 2021-2023 is: “Creating Hope Through Action”.

Over the next few months, ISAP will be developing further resources, a full campaign website and guided messaging around the theme, as well as a brand new look to their Light a Candle initiative and their Cycle around the Globe campaign. to find out more visit World Suicide Prevention Day 2021

REACH OUT. SPEAK UP.

Information For People Bereaved By Suicide

If you are worried about somebody that you know or you would like to tell someone about your feelings, the following organisations will provide confidential support.

SAMARITANS:

Tel: 116 123: 201 branches across the UK and Republic of Ireland and a free phone line counselling service. Samaritans provides support for anyone who needs it.

STAMP OUT SUICIDE:

Tel: 07766 808 222: Free phone line counselling service that is accessible to anyone in the UK in need of support.

PAPYRUS HOPELINEUK:

Tel: 0800 068 4141: A national charity dedicated to the prevention of young suicide; providing a free phone line.

Support For People Bereaved By Suicide

Every type of grief has the potential to cause intense and complex feelings, but research shows that people bereaved by suicide can have a particularly complex set of feelings and can experience additional struggles and dilemmas in trying to resolve their grief. Samaritans and Cruse Bereavement Care have created Facing The Future support groups for people bereaved by suicide, find out more here

If you are worried about someone, or you think someone is not OK you can find out more information on how to help here. There is more information from Samaritans on how to offer support and creating a safety plan here

The emotions experienced after bereavement by suicide can be considerably different to loss from other types of death. There is no right or wrong way to feel when grieving, these are all natural feelings, and everybody deals with their grief differently. Dealing with your bereavement may feel complicated and overwhelming, but you are not alone. Every year deaths by suicide leave thousands of families and friends searching for answers. The services below can help. The Help is at Hand and Finding the Words resource booklets also have further information. Please click on the book images to access them.

SOBS:

Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide is a self-help organisation providing help and support for people bereaved by suicide.

SUPPORT AFTER SUICIDE PARTNERSHIP:

Brings together suicide bereavement organisations and people with lived experience, to give practical and emotional support for anyone bereaved by suicide.

CRUSE:

Cruse offers support, advice and information to children, young people and adults when someone dies.

Midlands suicide bereavement support poster

The Kaleidoscope Plus Group (KPG) offers access to a private Facebook page called ‘KPG Suicide Bereavement Support’ click to access.

Kaleidoscope Plus Group (Est 1973) offers a wide range of services for those experiencing mental health difficulties. Their services can be found through the link provided. Their Suicide Prevention work involves providing training, along with supporting communities in raising awareness, hosting suicide bereavement support meetings and providing support through the 24/7 text crisis line (details of both support services are on their website).

The four video-stories below were developed to help encourage conversations around suicide and to help people understand the importance of support following a suicide.

Support For Children and Young People Bereaved By Suicide

It is natural for a parent or carer to want to protect their child from pain after the death of a loved one, especially a death by suicide. However, a suicide can quickly become public knowledge with police visits, an inquest, media and social media interest also children may hear rumours and fragments of information. An honest explanation of the facts, in language appropriate to a child’s age, given by people they can trust and who will continue supporting them, is often the best protection given to children. It is important to avoid euphemisms and terms such as ‘committed suicide’.

Winston’s Wish provides advice and resources including their book Beyond the Rough Rock which provides practical advice for families bereaved by suicide in the immediate days and weeks. It includes child-friendly activities to help families begin to make sense of what’s happened and looks at coping strategies. All Dudley schools have received this book in their Bereavement Box.

Other Useful Links to Support Children & Young People

UK SOBS – Supporting Children & Young Adults Bereaved By Suicide

CRUSE – Supporting Pupils Bereaved By Suicide

CHILD BEREAVEMENT UK – Supporting Children & Young People Bereaved By Suicide

CHILDMIND – Coping with a Parents Suicide

CHILDMIND – Supporting Children After the Suicide of a Classmate

STEP BY STEP – A service that supports schools & parents if there is a suicide, the service would need to be made aware that their service is needed

Winston's Wish Publications

Phase Trust

Phase Trust supports children aged 11 and under, who have experienced loss.

Contact Phase Trust:

Tel: 0121 585 9419 Website: phasetrust.org.uk

Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic Support:

The Fusion project based in the What? Centre is offering one to one bereavement counselling and group support to young Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic people.

To find out more:

Tel: 07938314124

Website: thewhatcentre.co.uk

email: fusion.whatcentre@gmail.com

Employer Support

reducing the risk of suicide A toolkit for employers

This toolkit is designed to help organisations adopt a strategy to reduce the risk of a suicide that will have an impact on the workplace. In this context, the term ‘workplace suicide’ is understood to be a suicide in or outside the workplace, which may involve an employee or contractor, or a family member or close friend of an employee or contractor. It may also concern a significant customer or supplier, or a person who is important to the organisation, such as a union representative.

The safe to talk about suicide PDF is a useful resource to share to help people understand what they need to do if someone expresses suicidal thoughts or feelings, click here to access.

If you are grieving or if you are having suicidal thoughts please reach out and talk with somebody you trust, a family member, a friend or one of the above organisations. Reaching out about how you are feeling will open the door to support.

Support Organisations

You can access these support organisations for more help, advice and information about suicide.

REACH OUT DUDLEY:

Website produced by Dudley’s Health and Wellbeing Board which directs to services that can support people having suicidal thoughts and people who have been bereaved by suicide

PAPYRUS:

Tel: 0800 068 4141: A national charity dedicated to the prevention of young suicide. Their phone line is free to contact

CALM:

Tel: 0800 585 858: The Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) runs a free and confidential helpline and webchat: 7 hours a day 5pm – Midnight, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Aimed at men who need to talk about life’s problems. They support people bereaved by suicide, through the Support After Suicide Partnership (SASP)

SAMARITANS:

Tel: 116 123: 201 branches across the UK and Republic of Ireland and a free phone line counselling service. Samaritans provides support for anyone who needs it

SAMARITANS:

Tel: 0800 069 6222: A confidential support line for NHS workers, open 7am to 11pm, 7 days a week, and run by dedicated and trained Samaritan volunteers

ZERO SUICIDE ALLIANCE (ZSA):

The ZSA is concerned with improving support for people contemplating suicide by raising awareness of, and promoting, FREE suicide prevention training which is accessible to all

CHILD BEREAVEMENT UK:

Tel: 0800 02 888 40: Provides support for all families who have lost a child or have a bereaved child. Phone lines are open 9-5pm (except bank holidays). Live chat available via the website 9am-5pm. Email: support@childbereavementuk.org

Help is out there for people that need it. Please remember you are not alone.

To find out about more services in the Dudley Community you can use Dudley's Community Information Directory, you can also add your service to this directory.

You can find more bereavement support at https://lets-get.com/explore/bereavement/