Standards Development

Scope

This British standard will provide guidance for all types and sizes of organisations.

It will be relevant to all organisations, whether working in sectors such as the public sector (for example, education, police services, NHS, local governments, prisons, armed forces), the third sector (for example, charities, faith settings, independent education providers, housing associations, youth groups) and the business and commercial sectors (for example, construction, financial services, call centre environments).

The standard is aimed at providing these organisations with guidance that assists their responsibility to workers and, where appropriate, those that use their services. It describes measures that any organization can put in place, taking into account its context, and highlights situations where specialist guidance may be needed.  It provides guidance to help organizations put in place systematic, appropriate prevention and intervention measures, and support for people affected by suicide, and to monitor their effectiveness/impact to identify any need for adjustment. It also provides guidance on sensitive and responsible communications, including with bereaved people and other people dealing with grief, and on support for returning to work. Case studies and examples, from organizations of various sizes and types are used to illustrate a variety of measures that may be used in prevention, intervention and support for people affected by suicide.

The standard does not cover medical guidance, or clinical options outside of the workplace. However, it does include reference to relevant sources where such information is available.

Purpose

Justification:

More than 6000 suicides are registered in the UK per year. There are strategies and policies in place throughout the UK for reducing death by suicide. A standard will bring together best practices, ensure consistency, and provide a mechanism for organisations to deliver and implement a suicide prevention strategy to help reduce the rate of death by suicide.

A standard on the topic of suicide prevention could play a key role in the following ways:

• Setting out terminology, including promoting accessible language, safe conversations, and a shared vocabulary that we don’t currently have 
• Identifying common themes and core principles across sectors and therefore supporting a consistent, systematic and long-term approach
• Creating a framework to benefit stakeholders including individuals, organizations, bereaved family, friends and colleagues, and potentially the wider community