Action to Prevent Suicide

We offer consultancy and training are committed to making our communities more suicide-aware and suicide-safer, through community hubs of suicide alerters and first aiders. These hubs will address the issues at a local level adding value to the work that is already being done. We are keen to develop these in communities where people live work and play.

This is achieved through our range of interactive and non-interactive, evidence-based training programmes that give people the knowledge and skills to make a difference. Everyone, regardless of background or experience, can contribute to a suicide-safer community.

We are passionate about raising the profile of the issues surrounding suicides and reducing the taboo and stigma. We are Devon based, and deliver consultancy and training locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. Our trainers have many years of lived and professional experience.

We are part of the Devon and Torbay suicide Prevention Alliance and the National Suicide Prevention Alliance. We are keen to develop a more collaborative and partnership working with other people and organisations.

How does your organisation contribute to preventing suicide and supporting those affected by it?

Our work is inspired by LivingWorks, an international organisation based in Canada, who have pioneered community-based programs focused on suicide prevention, intervention and awareness raising.

We are committed to making our communities more suicide-safe and suicide-aware through our range of interactive and non-interactive, evidence-based training programmes that give people the knowledge and skills to make a difference. Everyone, regardless of background or experience, can contribute to a suicide-safer community.

We are passionate about raising the profile of the issues surrounding suicide and reducing the taboo and stigma. We are part of the Devon and Torbay Suicide Prevention Alliance and the National Suicide Prevention Alliance.

What are your current priorities?

Community Suicide Alerters & First Aiders Devon and Torbay and other Southwest areas

– We are focusing on four main areas, Suicide Safer:

– Young People, in clubs, school colleges and universities

– Workplaces in a range of organisations locally, regionally and internationally

– Communities

– Global Communities starting with certain African countries

From our local community angle Action to Prevent Suicide has managed to raise enough funds to train and recruit 14 people. Our Action to prevent Suicide Community suicide prevention co-ordinators will be trained by end of 2018 to link in with all suicide prevention work in their localities and link in with others promoting suicide-safer communities, especially through the Devon and Torbay Suicide Prevention Alliance. We will aim to have an interactive map of our trained community suicide first aiders, (which initially will not be public facing), so that we can with others respond to those, with thoughts and at risk of suicide. The plan from then onwards is to have a minimum of 20 ASIST and 30 SafeTALK trained people in the community per district. We shall start with South Hams, Brixham Teignbridge, Exeter and East Devon. They will not be employed by Action to prevent suicide, however, they will form, however, they will form a supported network of community suicide first aiders.This model can be transferred to other areas and we are in early discussions, with various community groups.

What challenges are you currently facing?

Our current challenges are to organise our initiatives in a collaborative way, working with the Devon and Torbay Suicide Prevention Alliance, that helps all the communities in ‘working together’ in the spirit of this year’s World Suicide Prevention Day 2018.