From the Guardian · · 2m
Burnham backs mandatory suicide training for social workers
After a parent-carer's death, the mayor of Greater Manchester supports extending suicide prevention training to all local authorities in England.
In brief
After a parent-carer's death, the mayor of Greater Manchester supports extending suicide prevention training to all local authorities in England. Andy Burnham backed mandatory suicide prevention training for social workers after Matilda Davis, a parent-carer, died by suicide minutes after meeting professionals who had…
Parent-carer took her own life
Matilda Davis, thirty-six, a former art teacher caring for her seven-year-old disabled son, died on three October last year minutes after meeting social workers.
She told professionals she was struggling
Davis had told multiple professionals she was struggling to cope with significant care for her son and was paralysed with anxiety about her looming divorce from her estranged husband.
Social workers had no suicide training
The social workers who met Davis had not received suicide prevention training. They did not ask whether she had thoughts of suicide despite knowing she was in significant distress.
Coroner ordered mandatory training
At Davis's inquest in March, coroner Deborah Sewell issued a rare prevention of future deaths notice ordering Warwickshire council to make suicide prevention training mandatory for six hundred staff members.
Burnham backs national training mandate
Andy Burnham, asked about Davis's case at prime minister's questions on Wednesday, said he supported extending suicide prevention training to all local authorities in England.
“I will ensure that a minister meets the honourable lady to discuss that proposal because I find myself in agreement with it.”
MP highlights scale of carer crisis
Manuela Perteghella, Liberal Democrat MP for Stratford-upon-Avon where Davis lived, cited University of Birmingham research showing forty-one percent of parent-carers have contemplated suicide.
Brother: training would have saved her
Davis's brother Joel Harley-Davis, thirty, said the family believed the training would have saved Matilda's life. If social workers had asked directly, she would have said yes to suicidal thoughts.
“We all believe that this training would have been enough to save Matilda's life.”
Family calls for nationwide mandatory policy
Harley-Davis said mandatory training must be nationwide, not left to councils to decide, to prevent a postcode lottery. Mind guidance states direct questions about suicide are best practice.
“This needs to be made mandatory, you can't leave it up to councils to decide whether to put it in place because it creates a postcode lottery.”
Here's the gist
Andy Burnham backed mandatory suicide prevention training for social workers after Matilda Davis, a parent-carer, died by suicide minutes after meeting professionals who had not received such training.
