Self-harm
Bexley Council is developing a Suicide and Self-harm Prevention Strategy with the input of professionals from across the safeguarding partnership. This work will continue during 2020 and the strategy will be shared on this page.
Self-harm is often linked to suicide. For some people, self-harm is a coping mechanism rather than a suicide attempt. However, some individuals that self-harm may well go on to attempt suicide and it is therefore important not to dismiss such behaviour as solely attention seeking. In a percentage of completed suicides there will have been a history of self-harm, but only a very small number of children who self-harm go on to attempt or complete suicide.
Resources
NHS guidance and links to other resources are set out here:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/self-harm/
Young Minds have a helpline exclusively for parents who are worried about self-harm:
Tel: 0808 802 5544
The NSPCC have some good information about the warning signs of self-harm and how to help someone you believe to be self-harming:
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/self-harm/
Headscape is an online resource offered by CAMHS in Bexley and Greenwich giving advice and support for young people on mental health issues:
https://headscapebexley.co.uk/
The Department for Education issued guidance for schools (last updated in 2018) can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-and-behaviour-in-schools
Public Health England published the following resource in 2015 which is designed to be a ‘whole school and college approach’:
London Borough of Ealing produced a guide to self-harm for schools in 2014 that still has useful information for professionals:
Ealing Managing Self-harm Guidance 2014.pdf
The Samaritans have produced a helpful leaflet for schools in relation to suicide:
How to prepare and respond to suicide in schools.pdf
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have produced an interactive flowchart on responding to someone over 8 years old who has self-harmed for health professionals in emergency departments:
https://pathways.nice.org.uk/pathways/self-harm
The NICE quality standard covers the initial management of self-harm and the provision of longer-term support for children and young people (aged 8 to 18) and adults (aged 18 and over) who self-harm:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qs34
There are resources and information for young people and their parents / carers elsewhere on this website:
Self-harm – information for young people
Self-harm – information for families
