Delegates gathered on Teesside to share insight, experience and strategies on how to reduce suicides across the region and beyond.
The Tees Suicide Prevention Awareness Conference took place at Middlesbrough’s Riverside stadium, welcoming around 170 delegates from local commissioned, statutory and voluntary sector organisations.
Through a range of speakers and workshops attendees discussed national priorities, celebrated local projects and helped to shape the new Tees strategy.
The event followed September’s World Suicide Prevention Day in September which explored the theme of ‘creating hope through action’.
Key speakers included Tees suicide Prevention Taskforce chair Claire Robinson, while Preventing Suicide (Tees) Public Health Practitioner Andrea McLoughlin outlined the plans for the new Tees strategy.
Topics covered during a packed day included data collection systems used in local suicide prevention, high-frequency locations and managing online harms.
Cruse Bereavement Support highlighted the importance of support following bereavement by suicide, a point brought to life by lived experience speaker Joe Deveraux who shared his story of loss and support. Over lunch delegates were able to visit a vibrant market place packed with stands from partner organisations.
The afternoon workshop session featured discussion around elements of the new Tees strategy, with lively discussion and collaboration taking place in all groups.
Preventing Suicide Tees Public Health Practitioner Andrea McLoughlin, who organised this year’s event, said: “Working in suicide prevention we know that behind each statistic is person, a family and a community lost or bereaved.
“Preventing suicides requires multi-agency action as well as efforts at an individual, family, community and local authority level, and this year’s conference was a valuable opportunity to develop new connections and collaborations.
“It was great to bring so many groups together with the shared goal of reducing suicides, recognising and supporting those displaying suicidal behaviour and supporting bereaved families.”
The conference was hosted by the Tees Suicide Prevention Taskforce on behalf of Hartlepool, Stockton-on-Tees, Middlesbrough and Redcar & Cleveland Public Health in collaboration with Tees, Esk & Wear Valleys Mental Health Trust and The South Tees Wellbeing network.
The Tees Suicide Prevention Awareness Conference took place at Middlesbrough’s Riverside stadium, welcoming around 170 delegates from local commissioned, statutory and voluntary sector organisations.
Through a range of speakers and workshops attendees discussed national priorities, celebrated local projects and helped to shape the new Tees strategy.
The event followed September’s World Suicide Prevention Day in September which explored the theme of ‘creating hope through action’.
Key speakers included Tees suicide Prevention Taskforce chair Claire Robinson, while Preventing Suicide (Tees) Public Health Practitioner Andrea McLoughlin outlined the plans for the new Tees strategy.
Topics covered during a packed day included data collection systems used in local suicide prevention, high-frequency locations and managing online harms.
Cruse Bereavement Support highlighted the importance of support following bereavement by suicide, a point brought to life by lived experience speaker Joe Deveraux who shared his story of loss and support. Over lunch delegates were able to visit a vibrant market place packed with stands from partner organisations.
The afternoon workshop session featured discussion around elements of the new Tees strategy, with lively discussion and collaboration taking place in all groups.
Preventing Suicide Tees Public Health Practitioner Andrea McLoughlin, who organised this year’s event, said: “Working in suicide prevention we know that behind each statistic is person, a family and a community lost or bereaved.
“Preventing suicides requires multi-agency action as well as efforts at an individual, family, community and local authority level, and this year’s conference was a valuable opportunity to develop new connections and collaborations.
“It was great to bring so many groups together with the shared goal of reducing suicides, recognising and supporting those displaying suicidal behaviour and supporting bereaved families.”
The conference was hosted by the Tees Suicide Prevention Taskforce on behalf of Hartlepool, Stockton-on-Tees, Middlesbrough and Redcar & Cleveland Public Health in collaboration with Tees, Esk & Wear Valleys Mental Health Trust and The South Tees Wellbeing network.
- To find out more about the work of the Tees Suicide Prevention Partnership email Andrea Andrea_McLoughlin@middlesbrough.gov.uk
anything to help us as a region with the dreadful statistic...