Union Reps in Liverpool have been developing their skills to help recognise signs that members are thinking about suicide. The training is part of a campaign endorsed by The Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram and local MP Luciana Berger to encourage local businesses to come together to try and make the city region the most suicide prevention aware region in the UK.

The Merseytravel staff were joined by Unison Stewards, Learning Reps and Health & Safety Reps from The Beatles Story, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, RMT and ASLEF reps from Merseyrail.

The learning was arranged and delivered by Merseytravel ULR Norman Hunter.

Norman said:

Merseytravel identified that suicide prevention training was required for our customer facing staff as transport hubs such as train and bus stations along with water and bridges do attract people attempting to end their own life. Our staff working on the Railways, Mersey Ferries and Mersey Tunnels have witnessed or been involved in a number of suicides."

Julie Philips, Merseytravel Unison Welfare Officer, attended the training and said:

Over the last few years we had a number of concerns raised by staff working on the Ferries that they were being involved in suicides and suicide attempts. Several staff had actually talked people out of trying to jump into the river, others had sadly witnessed successful attempts.  I approached Merseylearn to see if training could be arranged to support our members making interventions, and give Union Reps the knowledge of where to signpost members they have concerns about.”

Merseytravel Health & Safety Rep, Jo Kitching, attended the course and said:

I found the course to be extremely interesting and thought provoking, I think is has better equipped me to approach the subject of suicide and ask the direct question if I have concerns about someone.

Norman continued.

Since 2016 we have had arrangements with Network Rail and the Samaritans for staff that regularly work on the Railways to attend their one day Managing Suicide Contacts course, over 50 of our staff have now attended, but this was not open to all staff. After the concerns raised by Unison, we identified a local train the trainer campaign No More Suicides and were able to get 4 of our staff including a ULR on the 2-day course. We are now rolling a half day course out to any staff who wish to attend and working with several partners for their staff to attend the training.”

Merseylearn have also worked with the TUC in Liverpool to deliver a full day session to Digital Champions and Health Activators so that they can cascade the short Zero Suicide Alliance online course down to people they are working with in digitally excluded communities.

TUC Project Worker Laura Robertson-Collins helped arrange and attended the TUC Course “The Digital Champions and Health Activators may well be the first ones to pick up that something is not quite right, that someone may be thinking about or researching suicide. The course introduced the skills needed to openly talk about a subject often seen as taboo”.

Last word goes to H&S Rep Jo.

I hope I can make a difference”

The Merseylearn training day consisted of two courses rolled into one, using resources from No More Suicide and Zero Suicide Alliance.