If you find yourself in conversation with a person in crisis, your role isn't to become their counsellor or therapist, but to help them access the help they need. This help might be emotional support but it might also be practical support - eg help to manage debts, legal advice to deal with an issue, support with overuse of drink or drugs, gambling etc.
This Really Useful Guide offers details of some of the National organisations, but please do take time to research locally and add local details to your guide so that you have always got appropriate resources to signpost people to as needed. This website - https://hubofhope.co.uk - is a great place to start by searching by your postcode.
National resources include:-
- Samaritans call: 116 123 jo@samaritans.co.uk 24/7
- Papyrus For people under 35 Call 0800 068 4141 Text 07786 209697 Pat@papyrus-uk.org 9am to 10pm Mon – Fri
- NHS 111 Call 111 24/7 The Silver Line For people over 55 Call 0800 470 8090 24/7
- CALM For Men Call 0800 58 58 58 5pm to midnight everyday
- SANELine Call 0300 304 7000 info@sane.org.uk 4.30 to 10.30pm daily
- AssistLine Confidential 24 hour listening service 0800 689 5652
- Shout Text “Shout” to 85258 24/7
- Switchboard For LGBT+ people Call 0300 330 0630 chris@switchboard.lgbt 10am to 10pm every day
- Mind Call 0300 123 3393 Text 86463 info@mind.org.uk 9am to 6pm Mon to Fri
- Stay Alive App Suicide prevention resource for the UK, tolls & information to help you stay safe in crisis.
- Maytree Residential service for people in suicidal crisis 020 7263 7070
- ChildLine Help for any child under the age of 18 – 24/7 Call 0800 11 11
- The Listening Place 020 3906 7676
- SOBS – Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide Call 0300 111 5065
About the Author
Andrea Newton has been helping organisations develop the skill and confidence to have Confident Conversations and get comfortable with the uncomfortable for over 21 years. She has worked across a range of industry sectors and is happiest working in a way that is practical, down to earth, direct and uncomplicated. She prefers a mug to a cup and prefers places that call a spade a shovel ... if you would like to benefit from her expertise and ability to make a room full of people comfortable with subjects as sensitive as suicide, then you can find out more about her at www.confidentconversations.co.uk or https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-newton-cc/