While rare, suicide remains one of the leading causes of death in young people in England. We know that the suspected suicide of a young person can profoundly affect students and staff and sadly can raise the risk of further suicides and self-harm in the community.

Buckinghamshire Council Public Health have produced an updated guide to help Buckinghamshire schools and colleges plan for and respond to the suspected suicide of a student. The primary aim of the guide is to minimise harm to your school or college community following the suspected suicide of a student and reduce the risk of further suicides.

This guide has been designed to help you quickly find the information you need when immediately responding to a reported suspected suicide or other sudden death. We highly encourage you to read the guide in anticipation of an event to familiarise yourself with the recommendations and processes.

The guide was produced with Buckinghamshire schools and other key partners such as Educational Psychology and CAMHS.

Guide contents

• Immediate response
  • Checklist for immediate actions
  • Key contacts
  • Critical Incident Response Team members and roles
    
    
• The first few weeks
• Longer term response
• Other scenarios and considerations
  • Primary schools
  • If a student has died over the weekend or holidays
  • Students and staff with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
  • Cluster investigations
  • Searching for a reason
  • Independent schools and colleges
    
    
• Support directory
• Other key publications
• Appendices
  • Suggested agenda for initial Critical Incident Response Team meeting
  • Template phrases to consider when informing students
  • Template letter to parents