Best practice in assessment of suicide risk

About the webinar:

During this webinar we explored good practice in the use of risk assessments when supporting people who may be experiencing suicidality.

Evidence shows that risk assessment tools are not helpful in predicting suicidal behaviour and National Institute of Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines state that risk assessment tools categorising people as “low”, “medium” or “high” risk of suicide should not be used to predict future risk or determine who should access support.

Instead, it is recommended that assessments should be focused on the person’s needs and how to support their psychological and physical safety. However, in practice, some organisations, services and practitioners are continuing to use risk assessment scales to predict risk when supporting people who may be experiencing suicidality.

Presenters: Philip Pirie, bereaved father campaigning for suicide risk assessment reform; Bianca Romanyk, CEO, Storm Skills Training; and Andy Willis, NSPA Lived Experience Influencer.

The presentation slides are available for download, and a recording of the webinar is available below:

Further reading:

– Recommendations | Self-harm: assessment, management and preventing recurrence | Guidance | NICE

– Scenario: Acute management of a person at risk of self-harm | Management | Self-harm | CKS | NICE

– Trusts are using unvalidated suicide risk tools against NICE guidance, researchers warn | The BMJ