Guidance to Support Staff with Thoughts of Suicide

The guidance below outlines the steps that we can all take when we are concerned that a staff member has thoughts of suicide.

Quick Links

• Ask about suicide
• Help them tell their story
• Ask about a suicide plan
• Will they act now?
• Connect and signpost
• Disable future suicide plans
• Contact Emergency Services
• Discuss their wellbeing
• Check in later on
• Training

Ask about suicide

Ask clearly and directly “Are you having thoughts about suicide?” 

Yes – go to Help them tell their story

No – go to Discuss their wellbeing

Help them tell their story

Help the staff member tell their story about suicide. Listen and provide patient, compassionate support. Next, Ask about a suicide plan.

Ask about a suicide plan

Ask clearly, “Do you have a suicide plan?”   

Yes – go to Will they act now?

No – go to Connect and signpost

Will they act now?

If the staff member says that they have a suicide plan then establish whether they have timescales, means and access to these. Ask are they planning to act now?  

Yes – go to Contact Emergency Services

No – go to Disable future suicide plans

Connect and signpost

1. Explore with the staff member if they could identify a safety contact that they can speak to if needed. This might be a close family member or friend, but it can also be one of the support services listed below.
2. Support the staff member to make contact with suicide first aid resources below. This will help establish safety in the future.
   • Breathing Space – 0800 83 85 87 (Weekdays Mon-Thu 18:00 – 02:00. Weekends Fri 18:00 – Mon 06:00)  
   • Samaritans – 116 113 (available 24/7)  
   • NHS24 – 111 (available 24/7 – Mental Health Nursing staff provide expert clinical support within the team).  
   • Mental wellbeing | NHS inform   
   • SilverCloud 
   • National Wellbeing Hub 
3. Advise the staff member to contact their GP and arrange an emergency appointment, explaining the circumstances. If their GP is not open, they can call NHS24 as detailed above.
4. Check in later on: Make an agreement to check in with the staff member at a later date.  They may need some time off work to visit their GP or other services.

Disable future suicide plans

1. Work with the staff member to keep them safe for now and help them disable their suicide plan. Helpful areas to discuss can be:
   •  People who can help
   • Things that give me hope
   • Things I can do to keep myself safe
2. Explore protective factors such as people they care about and those who care about them.
3. Highlight any areas of hope that things might change in the future.
4. Signpost and help them to connect with same resources as in Connect and signpost. 

Contact Emergency Services

1. If their suicide plan is immediate then you should contact Emergency Services by calling 999 and keep yourself safe.
2. After this, contact the Occupational Health Psychological Wellbeing Service (OHPWS) to speak to a member of staff. (ggc.OHPWS@nhs.scot) Please note, this service is for planned care only, and we are unable to respond immediately.
3. As a manager you may consider arranging a Management Referral to Occupational Health to establish if there are work related changes that can help.
4. Check in later on: Make an agreement to check in with the staff member at a later date.  They may need some time off work to visit their GP or other services.

Discuss their wellbeing

1. Have a discussion around their current wellbeing, with signposting and support services being part of that conversation. Explore who they might want to talk to about their low mood, such as friends or family members, if appropriate. 
2. Offer to send a referral to Occupational Health Psychology and Wellbeing Services on ggc.OHPWS@nhs.scot or 0141 277 7623.
3. Suggest they speak to their GP.
4. Check in later on with them.

Check in later on

Arrange further check-ins to meet the staff member to ensure they feel supported. If you are not their manager, encourage them to speak to their manager so they can support them. If they do not want to do this, you may offer to do this on their behalf if they give permission. This can have a very big positive impact on the person and help them feel cared for.

Training

Suicide prevention training is available:

•  safeTALK – suicide alertness
• ASIST – suicide intervention

For more information on training only, contact Larry Callary at larry.callary@nhs.scot or call 07811 529 620.