About us Our projects Families Voices Forum Consultations Consultations Members take part in public consultations These consultations may be about: New policies Service reviews Suicide training reviews Creation of new leaflets and information for families bereaved by suicide You can have your views and opinions about these new initiatives included in the decision-making processes through a variety of methods: Ring us for a chat Email us with your thoughts Meet over a cuppa locally Attend a forum meeting Attend a strategic meeting Be part of a community consultation event Whatever way you choose, you will be supported to share your ideas by the forum, who will stand by your side and guide you on the processes – if you so wish! Our input into previous consultations Protect Life 2 Strategy 2019-2024 Protect Life 2 is a long-term strategy for reducing suicides and the incidence of self-harm, with action delivered across a range of Government departments, agencies, and sectors. It recognises that no single organisation or service is able to influence all the complex interacting factors that lead someone to harming themselves or, ultimately, to taking their own life. Read more: Protect Life 2 Strategy Protect Life 2 Stakeholder Engagement Report Letter of thanks to Families Voices Forum Evaluation of the SD1 and CRP processes in Northern Ireland as a response to suspected suicide The process to report and react to suspected suicide involves the completion of a ‘Sudden Death’ form (SD1 form). The SD1 form triggers support for anyone bereaved by suicide and is used to determine whether a Community Response Plan (CRP) is activated to provide a greater level of support into communities.The SD1 and CRP processes have been subjected to ongoing evaluation. Read evaluation report Toward Zero Suicide Service User Involvement event In 2019 a workshop was held for service users, carers and family involvement to discuss the NI Mental Health Towards Zero Suicide Patient Safety Collaboration. View workshop agenda Live! SD1/CRP Many families across the country expressed concern that they were not getting the right support, when they needed it, following a bereavement by suicide. Families Voices Forum is now working closely with the PHA, Trusts, PSNI, Coroner and the Department of Health to make sure every person affected by suicide gets offered support in a timely way. A review of processes is ongoing to ensure no one who needs help is missed. To support this, the forum co-created a training video for the PSNI during 2019-20, which is now being used in all training schools and is supported by a new information pack for bereaved family members, kept in the boot of every PSNI vehicle. We are also looking at the investigation process that happens following suicide in order to ensure that families voices are heard and included in the review of their loved one’s death. Live! Protect Life 2 Training Framework Families have called for better training in suicide awareness and prevention for many years. Up until now, there has been no co-ordinated, monitored approach across the region but we now have a framework in place that takes a ‘whole population’ approach to suicide prevention training. This means training will be offered at different levels to members of the public, front line workers, suicide prevention services, professional staff and associated key workers such as PSNI and ambulance staff. Read more Live! Impact of Suicide in the UK This is the largest piece of research conducted in the world about the impact of suicide upon everybody who may be affected by it. About the research We know that up to 135 people may be affected by each death by suicide. Impact of each death by suicide The final report is still being compiled and will be published on a variety of websites and in academic journals. The information gathered will provide governments with clear evidence of what people need following a death by suicide. Read more