Caring Connections becomes first charity in the region to offer Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training

The office for national statistics reported in 2018 that there was 6507 suicides registered by coroners showing an 11% increase on 2017 figures. Chamber member and local charity, Caring Connections is fighting back, with the aim of making Merseyside a suicide safer community.

Caring Connections is now one of only handful of organisations across the UK to offer the globally accredited Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST). Within the UK there are only 160 trainers available to deliver this course and Caring Connections is the first charity within the region able to deliver this course,

ASIST is a specialist 2 day course developed by Canadian company Living Works aiming to train participants to reduce the immediate risk of a suicide and increase the support for a person at risk. The workshop helps participants recognise what a person at risk may need from others in order to keep safe and get help.

This training will be available for all within the community, aiming to specifically target organisations working directly with the public such as hair dressers, taxi drivers, school teachers, health professionals etc with the central aim of building a suicide safer community.

Paul Growney CEO of Caring Connections ‘We are really proud to be able to offer this course out across Merseyside and are really passionate of building suicide safer communities. If the course helps save one life from suicide its done its job’.

As a charity Caring Connections delivers the Barbara Bettle Foundation which has provided support services for individuals bereaved through suicide since 2017.

If you would like to know more about the course please call 0151 289 2761 or visit www.caringconnections.org.uk