Intro
Mid and North East Essex Mind (MNEE Mind) has been offering free training and guidance to professionals supporting young people aged under 18 who are affected by self-harm in Essex since Autumn 2023.
We updated the “Let’s Talk about Self-harm” Management Toolkit for Southend, Essex and Thurrock and run training workshops across Essex to support the use of the Toolkit.
It has been well received with over 250 people from a range of settings attending the workshops in the past year.
We have been commissioned by the Integrated Commissioning Board (ICB) for Southend, Essex and Thurrock to lead the initiative to support the use of the revised Toolkit.
About the Toolkit
The “Let’s Talk about Self-harm” Management Toolkit provides guidance and support for individuals working with school-age children and young people under 18 in educational settings.
It is designed to help those working with young people feel confident in identifying self-harming behaviour and how to respond and support those young people who are self-harming.
The Toolkit includes:
- How to identify the signs of self-harm
- How to identify who is self-harming and who is at risk
- Responding to an incident/suspected incident of self-harm
- Pathway of recommended actions
- Assessing risk
- Confidentiality
- Talking to children or young people who are self-harming, including conversation prompts and do’s and don’ts
- Practical distraction and coping strategies for children and young people that are self-harming such as mindfulness, or way of releasing anger or aggression
- Where to get help from self-harm including signposting to services who can support with self-harm, useful apps and websites
- The importance of self-care for staff who are supporting young people who self-harm and resources that they may be able to use
Toolkit Feedback
“Easy to use. Very comprehensive tool covering all elements of self-harm.”
“The toolkit enables professionals to be equipped with skills to support other people when discussing self-harm.”
About the Workshop
We deliver free half-day workshops across Essex to professionals supporting the use of “Let’s Talk about Self-harm” Management Toolkit.
The workshops enables a safe environment with other professionals to explore identifying self-harming behaviour and how to respond to and support children and young people who self-harm. It also provides helpful resources and signposting to take away.
Workshop Feedback
“A really engaging session. It was pitched at the right level and everyone felt comfortable to share opinions and ideas”
“Really good quality training and resources.”