Research shows that while staff find training courses that provide facts and figures about self-harm and suicide useful, such training does little to build their confidence when working with young people. In addition to exploring key facts and research, Youth Self-harm and Suicide Awareness seeks to recognise the importance of acknowledging attitudes and encourage workers to understand how their attitudes impact their work with young people who self-harm or feel suicidal. The core training comprises two full-day modules: module one introduces self-harm in young people and module two expands on this learning by examining more closely working with young people who self-harm. Both modules are underpinned by a framework of reflective practice and a basic application of theories from transactional analysis. The training manual also includes three optional youth suicide awareness workshops, which can be run together as a full day's training. The purpose of the workshops is to increase participants' knowledge and understanding about youth suicide and to look at developing youth suicide prevention guidelines and support within local areas and organisations.
Jude Sellen author of Youth Self-harm and Suicide Awareness Jude Sellen has worked in the health and social care field since 1982 where she has primarily focused on meeting the mental health needs of children, young people and their carers. Jude is an accredited social worker and a trainee Transactional Analysis psychotherapist. Since 2002 Jude has worked as an independent young people's mental health adviser and trainer. She currently runs one and two-day bespoke mental health training courses for frontline staff across the UK. Jude has been involved in supporting the development of local self-harm protocols and youth suicide prevention strategies in various regions. She has extensive experience in strategic commissioning and acts as a consultant to local areas to support multi-agency child and adolescent mental health services commissioning arrangements.
About the author and acknowledgements Introduction Module 1: An introduction to self-harm and young people Module 2: Working with young people who self-harm Three workshops on suicide awareness Resources
The LSCB training group in Hounslow was involved in piloting Jude Sellen's new training materials. We only wanted 25 people but 70 came forward to do it! This huge response gave us some important messages. It showed us the overwhelming need felt by professionals to develop confidence to respond appropriately to young people who deliberately injure themselves and those expressing suicidal thoughts. It also showed us that we have some real expertise here in a discrete group of people across varies agencies including education, counselling services, educational psychology services, social work. We are bringing these people together to form a group of trainers who will soon to be delivering the materials in the pack. The pack is full of sound and grounded advice and wise counsel. We are looking forward hugely to delivering it. The team who we are bringing together see it as a great opportunity for their own professional development as well as being committed to supporting their colleagues and the young people in our borough. Janet Johnson. LSCB training and development manager.
