To mark World Suicide Prevention Day on 10 September and Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, this blog comes from Kiah Hamilton-Adams, Project Manager for Suicide Prevention, NHS West Yorkshire ICB.
Hello, my name is Kiah,
As I prepare to leave my role in suicide prevention, I’ve been reflecting on the part I’ve played in the incredible work happening across West Yorkshire and what will continue long after I move on to pastures new.
In 2023, NHS West Yorkshire ICB became the first one in England to introduce mandatory suicide prevention training for all staff. From one colleague who shared that suicide prevention training had saved their life, the decision was made to create a role dedicated solely to staff and suicide prevention. This is the role I had the privilege of stepping into.
Since then, I’ve delivered over 100 training sessions to more than 1,500 health and care colleagues. What began as a programme for ICB staff quickly grew to offer bespoke, specialised training for a wide variety of clinical roles and settings. Empowering NHS staff with the knowledge and tools they need to support those experiencing thoughts of suicide. The feedback has been powerful - 96% of participants said they learned something new and 97% left feeling more confident to support themselves and others. For me, what I remember most are the conversations. People opening up, sharing experiences and leaving sessions with a renewed sense of compassion for themselves, their teams and patients.
Alongside training, we’ve worked intentionally to create a culture where people look out for each other. Our check-in campaigns including Check in With Your Mate, Check in With Pride and Staff Check In have been simple but effective reminders that preventing suicide isn’t always about strategy. Sometimes it’s about noticing, asking and listening. Our growing network of Suicide Prevention Champions has taken that ethos further, making personal pledges to prevent suicide in their own way. When small changes are offered from hundreds of adults in West Yorkshire, they can amount to a massive suicide prevention effort.
Partnership has also been central to this journey, none of this work has been achieved alone. Collaboration across local authorities, the police, primary care and many more has shown the power of working together. By sharing knowledge and resources, we’ve built a stronger safety net than we ever could alone.
From the outside, suicide prevention can seem overwhelming. It spans sectors, challenges the language we use, and it can be hard to see rapid change. Yet it is always worthwhile and full of opportunities to work alongside others who share the same passion for prevention. For me I remember that showing care and kindness, giving those around us the space to share, free of stigma, is suicide prevention. It can be complex, but at an individual level support is about connection. As we go into suicide prevention awareness day, think about the daily choices we make as leaders, colleagues and human beings to create space, to challenge stigma and to offer hope.
I leave this role with gratitude and confidence that the work will continue to grow in strength.
To anyone affected by what I’ve shared here, please visit the West Yorkshire suicide prevention website. See the getting support saved my life news article on the NHSE website for more information about the help and support available.
Thank you for reading,
Kiah