Information from Chris Emmerson Specialty Registrar in Public Health about Cardiff and Vale Suicide and Self Harm Strategy – supporting young people

Community workers and volunteers may be the first adults to whom children and young people confide thoughts of suicide and self harm. Making sure they are supported to respond appropriately and effectively is vital to the wellbeing of children and young people who experience these thoughts, and to those around them.

 As part of the Cardiff and Vale Suicide and Self Harm Strategy, we are keen to help community and voluntary groups provide that support. This guidance has been developed by Education Wales to give professionals and volunteers the understanding they need to intervene early to prevent and manage thoughts self-harm and suicide in children and young people. It describes best practices in how to ask questions of children and young people who may have suicidal feelings or be self-harming, and how to respond to disclosure of these feelings and behaviours. It also provides guidance on confidentiality, safeguarding and routes of escalation. We would encourage all groups working with children and young people to review this guidance and consider how to best share and use it in their own organisations.

‘Responding to issues of self-harm and thoughts of suicide in young people’.