Suicide prevention

Examples

Below are some examples of how providers are approaching and developing suicide prevention strategies which you may find helpful when developing your own approaches. See case studies by theme:

• Improving policies and processes
• A whole-provider approach
• Working in partnership
• Developing evidence-based interventions.

These examples are written and provided by the higher education sector. Some of these approaches may not yet be fully evaluated.

We will update this page with more examples of effective practice as we identify them.

If you have, or are aware of, examples of effective practice in this area please contact [email protected].

Improving policies and processes

Supporting students in crisis: developing a common strategy across a multi-campus institution

The University of the Highlands and Islands explains how it has developed a single policy framework to support students who are at risk of suicide across its wide geographical area which includes multiple institutions, with many in rural settings.

Read the University of the Highlands and Islands case study

Suicide prevention through online staff training

The University of Plymouth’s Turbo Teach programme aims to upskill personal tutors and academic staff to talk about the subject of suicide with students during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Read the University of Plymouth's case study

Workshop scenario produced by the University of the West of England, Bristol

This workshop scenario, with related questions, has been developed by the University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol, as part of its strategy review and to support other providers to analyse their own policies and procedures to deliver effective interventions and suicide prevention strategies.

Read UWE's workshop scenario

A whole-provider approach

Implementing a whole-institutional approach

In 2017 and 2018, there were several tragic student suicides at the University of Bristol. In response, the university, led by the Vice-Chancellor, committed to taking a whole-institution approach to mental health, wellbeing and suicide prevention.

Read the University of Bristol case study

Start to Success #TalkSuicide campaign

Start to Success is a whole community approach to supporting student transitions into, through and beyond university. The campaign brought individuals, organisations and businesses together to help prevent suicide in Staffordshire.

Read the Keele University Start to Success programme

Suicide and self-harm mitigation – a whole-population approach

The University of Wolverhampton shares its experience of a suicide mitigation approach within the university and local community.

Read the University of Wolverhampton case study

Working in partnership

U-COPE: targeted interventions for students in crisis

The Improving student mental health through partnerships project aims to develop a student-focused, innovative best practice model for collaboration between university and NHS mental health services. The focus of this case study is on targeted interventions for students in crisis.

Read the University of Liverpool case study

Interventions and partnerships: a Suicide Safer approach to wellbeing

The University of Lincoln’s approach to collaboration and partnerships has been key to its #OneCommunity ethos around becoming a suicide safer university. This case study focuses on interventions and partnerships initiated by a specialist group within the university and demonstrates how a holistic approach to suicide prevention underpins the work.

Read the University of Lincoln case study

A partnership approach to developing suicide-safer communities for students

The Suicide-Safer Communities project was initiated between Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU) and the University of Kent in 2017. Working with other higher and further education institutions, students’ unions and strategic external partners has enabled the development of suicide-safer communities across multiple sites and campuses.

Read about the Suicide-Safer Communities project

A city-wide approach to suicide prevention

The University of York details its multi-disciplinary community response to suicide prevention.

Read the University of York case study

Using education, partnerships and research to promote a suicide-safer strategy

Reducing the risk of suicide among students through an evidence-based and pragmatic whole-institution response.

Read the University of Worcester case study

Developing evidence-based interventions

Healthy NTU: a health promotion and primary intervention programme

Healthy NTU is the Nottingham Trent University (NTU) Health Promotion Primary Prevention programme. Lead by student support services it provides self-care advice and information.

Read the NTU case study

Suicide prevention and data analytics

Using data analytics to develop an early intervention approach to students who may be at risk.

Read the case study from Northumbria University