St Helens Council would like to take the opportunity to remind everyone of the postvention support available to anyone in St Helens who has been bereaved/affected by suicide. Please share with your friends, family, colleagues, neighbours, community, service users, patients and other members of your networks so everyone is aware of support to signpost to.
Amparo – support following suicide
Amparo is a local support service for people bereaved by suicide. The service aims to ensure that people bereaved, or affected by suicide are connected into existing local support services quickly. The service operates in St Helens and across most of Cheshire and Merseyside. People who’ve been bereaved can contact the service directly by ringing 0330 088 9255, or emailing amparo.service@listening-ear.co.uk, or they can self-refer.
You can find more information about Amparo at Get help now. Free and confidential,for as long as you need it.
Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (SOBS)
This is a national self-help organisation which offers confidential support to adults (i.e. people over 18) who have been bereaved by suicide. Support is provided by volunteers through the helpline, by email and through local groups. The helpline is open 9.00am-9.00pm Monday to Friday, call 0300 111 5065. You can find more details about SOBS here:
https://uksobs.com/how-we-can-help/support-groups/st-helens/
Help is at Hand
The booklet "Help is at Hand" offers both emotional and practical support to people bereaved or affected by suicide. There's also a pocket guide, or z-card which accompanies the booklet. Both were written by people bereaved by suicide with support from Public Health England and the National Suicide Prevention Alliance. Please forward them to anyone you think they might be useful to. Free hard copies of the Help is at Hand booklet and z-card can be ordered from the Department of Health. You can find details of how to order hard copies, along with additional information for bereaved people on the Support After Suicide website
https://supportaftersuicide.org.uk/resource/help-is-at-hand/
PAPYRUS is the national charity dedicated to the prevention of young suicide.
PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide is the UK charity dedicated to the prevention of suicide and the promotion of positive mental health and emotional wellbeing in young people. Today, they are a leading youth suicide prevention charity in the UK. Their suicide prevention helpline, HOPELINE247, is staffed by trained suicide prevention advisers, who work with young people – and anybody concerned for a young person – to help keep them safe from suicide. HOPELINE247 is a free and confidential call, text and email service, which is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year (weekends and bank holidays included)
Call: 0800 068 41 41
Text: 88247
Email: pat@papyrus-uk.org
Opening Hours
24 Hours, 7 days a week (Weekends and Bank Holidays included)
Additional guides available include the schools/college guide: https://www.papyrus-uk.org/schools-guide/ and the parents guide: https://www.papyrus-uk.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Supporting-Your-Child-A5-Booklet-English-2023.pdf
Additionally, St Helens Wellbeing Service are able to provide suicide prevention and awareness training in educational settings, organisations and the community. https://www.sthelenswellbeing.org.uk/services/mental-wellbeing/pages/training
For further support and information, please find this at OK TO ASK:
https://www.oktoaskcampaign.co.uk/