Keynote: Suicide prevention – what secondary educators need to know

Course overview

Suicide rates among 15-to 19-year-olds have reached their highest point in 30 years. This session aims to help educators to feel more confident in managing pupils who are, or talk about, feeling suicidal.

Delegates will be given knowledge and strategies that will help them to understand risk factors and feel sure of their ability to have difficult conversations with young people. They will also feel better able to support colleagues in challenging scenarios including managing self-harm. Led by award-winning GP Dr Dominique Thompson, this is a practical and informative session on suicide prevention.

Actionable insights, tips and techniques

By the end of this two-hour session, you’ll have:

• An overview of risk factors for suicide, including self-harm
• An understanding of high-risk groups of young people,
• A knowledge of what to say (and what not to say) to a young person who is feeling suicidal
• Strategies to respond compassionately, and next steps, using scenarios and polls
• An understanding of the myths and misconceptions that exist around suicide
• Resources to take away and share with colleagues and pupils

About Dr Dominque Thompson

Dominique is an award-winning GP, young people's mental health expert, TEDx speaker, author and educator, with two decades of clinical experience.

She is author of The Student Wellbeing Series (Trigger Press) for young people, and co-author of How to Grow a Grown Up (PenguinRandomHouse) for parents.

Dom has done two TEDx talks; ‘What I learnt from 78000 GP consultations with university students’  and ‘Understanding Why’. She is a Clinical Advisor for NICE and Student Minds, Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA) and lead clinical advisor for Aardman Animation’s What’s Up with Everyone? Campaign.

Suitable for

Secondary school senior leaders and classroom staff.