Guest Author: Dr. Amy Grosso
Suicide remains one of the most important and complex issues facing young people today. It often becomes a national topic only in the wake of tragedy, yet in classrooms, hallways and homes, the warning signs are present long before a crisis occurs.
According to the PAPYRUS Schools Guide, suicide is now the leading cause of preventable death among young people in the UK and rates among 15–17-year-olds have risen by 27% over the last decade. These figures demand more than sympathy — they demand proactive, coordinated action from schools and communities alike.
World Suicide Prevention Day: A Moment for Action, Not Just Awareness
World Suicide Prevention Day, observed every 10 September, calls on us to renew our commitment to student wellbeing. This year’s theme, “Changing the Narrative,” shifts the focus from managing suicidal crises to fostering a culture of understanding, early intervention and sustained care in education settings.
From Crisis Response to Holistic Prevention
Historically, suicide prevention in schools has been reactive and is centered on what to do after a student expresses suicidal thoughts. While emergency protocols remain essential, the PAPYRUS Schools Guide recommends a step-change: schools must shift toward identifying needs earlier and responding with whole-school systems of prevention.
Key recommendations include:
- Embedding suicide prevention into safeguarding frameworks so early warning signs are identified and acted upon.
- Developing a “whole-school approach”, recognising that every adult, from teachers to administrative staff, has a role in student mental health.
- Ensuring responses are consistent, recorded, and reviewed, rather than ad-hoc efforts initiated during crisis moments.
Comprehensive Training for All Staff
Effective school suicide prevention training starts long before a crisis. PAPYRUS emphasises that every adult in a school community should be trained to spot subtle behavioural changes, listen non-judgmentally and act decisively. Training should include:
- Understanding suicide risk factors (e.g., bullying, trauma, sudden behavioural changes)
- Building confidence in having difficult conversations
- Clear knowledge of referral pathways and reporting systems
Ongoing professional development ensures staff remain alert and capable of intervening long before a child reaches crisis.
Safeguarding & Reporting: Data That Saves Lives
Safeguarding is not simply a compliance exercise but is a life-saving framework. PAPYRUS recommends:
- Using centralised and confidential reporting systems (such as CPOMS StudentSafe) to track concerns over time and identify patterns.
- Establishing clear processes for escalation, so no staff member hesitates when a concern arises.
- Routinely reviewing safeguarding logs to identify trends and evaluate the impact of prevention efforts.
By ensuring every concern is logged and acted on, schools can avoid the fragmentation that often hides early warning signs.
Partnerships with Parents and Community Services
Suicide prevention cannot end when the school day does. According to PAPYRUS, parents and carers should be routinely engaged with information sessions, mental health literacy training, and support resources. By equipping families with the tools to reinforce coping strategies and recognise warning signs, schools create a stronger safety net around vulnerable students.
Strong partnerships with Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, GPs, voluntary services, and crisis helplines are also essential to ensure students experience seamless support inside and outside of school.
Building a Culture of Care
Changing the narrative around suicide requires more than policies. It requires a culture where:
- Emotional wellbeing is treated as seriously as academic achievement.
- Mental health conversations are normalised.
- Students know who they can talk to and how to ask for help.
- Staff feel supported and never alone in responding to concerns.
By investing in training, safeguarding systems and family/community partnerships, schools can move from crisis-only responses to a powerful, proactive model that protects and uplifts students.
Changing the narrative on suicide
Suicide prevention is everyone’s responsibility and with the right tools, schools can be the front line of hope. As PAPYRUS reminds us, early intervention, compassionate relationships, and confident adults can make the difference between life and death.
CPOMS StudentSafe empowers schools with the tools to put suicide prevention into practice. By centralising safeguarding information, it enables staff to connect the dots, spotting patterns or concerns that might otherwise be overlooked. This visibility supports earlier, more informed interventions, giving practitioners the confidence that their actions are based on a fuller picture of a student’s wellbeing.
Teachers, pastoral staff and administrators can all contribute to the same secure system, knowing their observations will be logged and acted upon within StudentSafe. In this way, the platform supports consistent communication, coordinated responses and a culture of care. For schools striving to move from reactive to proactive suicide prevention, it provides the structure and reassurance to help ensure no student’s struggles go unnoticed.
This World Suicide Prevention Day, and every day, let’s commit to building school communities where struggling students are seen, heard, and helped before a crisis occurs. To learn how CPOMS StudentSafe can support pupil wellbeing in your setting, book a free demo today.
