The New Guidance on Talking about Suicide

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Education – in the Senedd at 2:03 pm on 23 October 2019.

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Photo of Lynne Neagle Lynne Neagle Labour 2:03, 23 October 2019

Thank you, Minister. I was delighted to join you at the launch and also to welcome the guidance, but, as I said, of course, it is a first step. It's excellent guidance prepared by Professor Ann John, but it will only be as good as the implementation. I wondered, too, whether you were aware of guidance issued this week by Public Health England, which stated that a single suicide in a school should be treated as a potential cluster because of the higher risk to young people. Would you agree with me that that emphasises just how urgent it is that where there has been a suicide in a school, that that school embraces proper postvention measures, such as the Step by Step programme, which is so successful with the Samaritans?