Officers urged to download suicide prevention app

19 August 2021

Officers are being encouraged to download a free suicide prevention app.

The Stay Alive app, from Grassroots Suicide Prevention, is packed full of useful information for frontline workers who might come into contact with vulnerable people experiencing suicidal thoughts.

Hertfordshire Police Federation branch chair Geoff Bardell said: “The Stay Alive app offers a wealth of information on suicide prevention and is a very good tool.  If it helps to save one life then it would be amazing.”

The app can be downloaded from your usual app store.

Hertfordshire Police officers are also being encouraged to consider taking part in an online suicide awareness course funded by the County Council.

The authority has commissioned national self-harm service Harmless to provide training for frontline officers, staff and volunteers who may come into contact with vulnerable, at-risk people.

The courses are run by Let’s Talk Training, Harmless’ specialist training department, which delivers a range of CPD-accredited and bespoke services around self-harm, suicide awareness and prevention and mental health.

The online courses are fully-funded by the council and are free for professionals and volunteers working with those vulnerable to suicide risk across the county.

They are designed to improve knowledge and understanding of suicide and identify risk groups and warning signs.

Participants will look at how to develop skill and confidence in responding to someone in suicidal crisis and understand how to implement effective practical support.

They will also be given advice on how to recognise protective factors and the importance of recovery and support and discuss how and where to signpost individuals to the appropriate help.

The course will also examine how the coronavirus pandemic has changed risk and suicide presentation.

Hertfordshire Police Federation members can get more information and sign up to any of these upcoming training sessions via the Harmless Eventbrite page.