Thursday 26^th March saw our Self Harm Champions come together again to host two self-harm and suicidal ideation conferences in Kettering conference centre. A couple of hundred delegates from primary and secondary schools across the county attended the conference which builds on the work from the October 2014 launch of the community self-harm toolkit (for videos of the October conference and the toolkit, please see http://www.asknormen.co.uk/self-harm-and-suicidal-ideation-conference-resources/). The March conference aimed at school included new content such as the a serious case review study with lessons learned delivered by Maggie Beer, and an excellent session from Annie Head at Northamptonshire Academy covering how the toolkit has been implemented over the last 5 months. To see the latest slides from our March event please see http://www.asknormen.co.uk/modules/downloads/download.php?file_name=229

There were stall holders raising awareness of the work going on around the county such as Protective Behaviours training; Barnardos workforce Development; the use of Fun Alternatives to Self-Harm (FASH) by the Lowdown; our Talk Out Loud Anti-stigma work with schools; the activities on offer by Kettering Together (Youthworks and KYI) to support children and young people; the bereavement service (a loss of a loved one can cause self-harming as a coping mechanism); the Safeguarding Board and Keeping Children Safe initiative (abuse and child sexual exploitation can lead to self-harm to cope or gain a place of safety); Service Six’s Opal Project to support self-harmers; public health overview; and a publisher supplying a number of different resources.

So far, between the October and March conferences, coupled with GP and strategic head teacher briefings, training has now been delivered to about 750 professionals across Northamptonshire, and the resources on Ask Normen have been viewed over 6000 times…..but there is still much work to do!

David Loyd-Hearn

Children and Young People Commissioning Manager Emotional Health and Wellbeing

NHS Nene & Corby Clinical Commissioning Groups

Francis Crick House

Summerhouse Road

Moulton Park Industrial Estate

Northampton

NN3 6BF

T: 01604 651278

E: david.loyd-hearn@neneccg.nhs.uk