The Hampshire CAMHS Service has for the last 12 months run the SAFE Campaign, Suicide Awareness for Everyone. SAFE Campaign Aims and Objectives:- Raise awareness of youth suicide and self-harm; the prevalence, contributing factors, impact on others and how to help and support; Reduce stigma of mental health (specifically suicide); Improve confidence, knowledge and awareness of how and where to seek help and support ......
The Hampshire CAMHS Service has for the last 12 months run the SAFE Campaign, Suicide Awareness for Everyone.
SAFE Campaign Aims and Objectives
The objectives of the campaign;
· Raise awareness of youth suicide and self-harm; the prevalence, contributing factors, impact on others and how to help and support
· Reduce stigma of mental health (specifically suicide)
· Improve confidence, knowledge and awareness of how and where to seek help and support
· Improve knowledge to all of the potential warning signs and of prevention/ risk reduction strategies
· Increase young people’s resilience/compassion/self-compassion
· Improve the emotional and psychological well-being of young people in Hampshire
· Enhance skills and confidence of parents/carers to manage and support a young person and know where to seek further support if required
· Continue and enhance opportunities for professionals within health/education/youth services to understand and support young people who engage in self-harm behaviour
· Work closely and collaborate with other relevant organisations to enhance joint working for the best outcomes for young people.
This was a year long series of events as detailed below:
Launch
CAMHS staff held an information stand in Central Winchester on Saturday 10th September 2016, World Suicide Awareness Day. The information stand had a display board citing key statistics and figures relating to self-harm, suicide and suicidal behaviour prevalence in high risk/ vulnerable groups of young people. The information stand provided free resources about CAMHS and other relevant services available to support young people in crisis and their families. Clinicians engaged in discussion with the public about the campaign and CAMHS services.
According to the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide (2016), approximately 145 young people every year end their lives by suicide. This was a key statistic that SAFE Campaign events and initiatives sought to highlight through various activities and mediums.
SAFE Campaign cards were designed by a CAMHS clinician and were widely disseminated across Hampshire. These were credit card sized cards detailing helpline numbers, websites and apps that young people, parents and carers can access for information and guidance when in crisis.
Over 17,000 cards have been distributed across many services and organisations across Hampshire.
Below is a distribution list of where SAFE cards have been provided:
Every Hampshire CAMHS Clinic
Every secondary school, college and pupil referent unit in Hampshire
Every GP surgery in Hampshire
Every Early Help Hub base in Hampshire
Every Children’s Care home, hostel and homeless centre in Hampshire
Every school nursing team in Hampshire
A&E and Children’s wards of; Southampton General Hospital, Royal Hampshire County Hospital, Frimley Park Hospital, Queen Alexandra Hospital, Basingstoke Hospital
A number of Hampshire Constabulary bases and custody suites
Hampshire Scouts and Girl Guides
Person Best Education: National Citizen Scheme
A number of libraries and art centres across Hampshire
Winchester and Portsmouth Street Pastors
Police Crime Commissioner for Youth
A number of train stations: Winchester, Eastleigh, Basingstoke, Andover, Havant and Petersfield, Fareham, Cosham, Fratton
SAFE Information Stands
SAFE display boards have been circulating between public venues, schools and youth organisations throughout Hampshire over the course of the year. The boards highlight key statistics relating to youth suicide along with top tips for how to cope in times of crisis and information on where and how to access support. Resources were also provided alongside the boards which included an A-Z leaflet of coping strategies, instructions for how to make a self-soothe coping box and SAFE cards.
Locations of the SAFE display boards were Hampshire wide and included; a number of secondary schools, a number of libraries, a number of arts centres and youth group centres. Of note, some boards were displayed in very rural parts of Hampshire which helped information reach those who may not normally have access to the information or resources.
Cycle 145
This initiative involved staff from Hampshire Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) and Hampshire Constabulary cycling a combined distance of 145miles on two static bikes.
Hampshire CAMHS also had a stand providing information, advice and guidance to the general public about the services they provide, where and how young people and families can access support and practical strategies and resources to help young people who may experience episodes of crisis or distress.
Two events were run on different dates in different areas of the county. The first event was held on Wednesday 12th April 2017 at Fareham Shopping Centre and the second, Friday 11th August 2017 at Totton Precinct. Both dates were chosen as they were during the school holidays and as such it was hoped that teams would be able to engage with more young people and families.
Outcomes
– Over 145 miles were cycled at both events.
– Staff engaged with over 200 young people, families and members of the general public across both events. Conversations were had about; the project’s purpose and aims, people’s own experiences of mental health, young people’s mental health and CAMHs services.
– Self-help resources, signposting and the role of CAMHs were shared with the public.
– Staff from both organisations reported the events were a useful collaboration and networking opportunity in order to present a united positive stance on the importance of young people’s mental health and wellbeing and working together to reduce youth suicide.
– At the event in Fareham, money was raised for Red Lipstick Foundation (a charity that supports those bereaved by suicide.
The Starfish Project
The Project
The project involved young people across Hampshire accessing a half hour interactive and engaging workshop focused on; young people exploring issues that impact on emotional health, wellbeing and functioning, discussions on how to cope when in crisis and where to access help and support. Following this, young people completed an hour long pottery/ ceramic workshop to make a starfish. Four installations each made up of 145 ceramic starfish; each one representing and in memory of a young person who ended their life by suicide, were displayed in public venue across Hampshire.
Rationale
The Starfish Story (adapted from The Star Thrower, by Loren Eiseley) was used as the basis for introducing the concepts of kindness, compassion and working together. The message delivered in workshops is that mental health and wellbeing is everyone’s business and that if collectively people demonstrate kindness and empathy, there could be a significant positive impact in reducing stigma about mental health difficulties which would enable more people to talk about their experiences and access help and support if needed.
Over 600 young people engaged with the project; engaging in the mental health and wellbeing workshop and making a starfish.
Face of You
An exhibition of photographic portraits of those who have been affected by suicide. The photographs were taken by a professional photographer, and the completed works printed and displayed to a professional standard, in public venues in Hampshire. Thirteen individuals from a range of demographic backgrounds (ages, gender, ethnicities, professions, experiences) volunteered to be photographed.
The project sought to encourage conversations that lead to better understanding and greater compassion for those who take their own lives as well as the impact of suicide on others.
Training for the national Citizenship Service
Faces Of You; an exhibition of photographic portraits of those who have been affected by suicide. The photographs were taken by a professional photographer, and the completed works printed and displayed to a professional standard, in public venues in Hampshire. Thirteen individuals from a range of demographic backgrounds (ages, gender, ethnicities, professions, experiences) volunteered to be photographed.
The project sought to encourage conversations that lead to better understanding and greater compassion for those who take their own lives as well as the impact of suicide on others.
SAFE Campaign Anniversary Week
Alongside World Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month in September 2017 and specifically World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10th 2017, a weeklong series of events to commemorate the first anniversary SAFE Campaign were held. Events involved young people, members of the public, professionals working with young people and Hampshire CAMHs staff.
The delivery of the events throughout the year was dependent on collaboration with others. This included the Police and Crime Commissioners Office, The Police, The Hampshire Cultural Trust as well as many third sector organisations who provided stands and information at the various events. We also worked closely with schools as well as young people who were willing to share their stories with others in order to raise awareness and bring hope.
600 Young People were intrinsic to the Starfish project, where they themselves participated in making the starfish, ready for exhibition. Whilst making the starfish staff from across CAMHS talked to them about their experiences of mental health and supported with advice and support. Young People were also able to give examples of things that have made a difference to them, including the ‘Coping Cargo Nets’ which the CAMHS service could build on and also make available for other young people.
Young People’s Conference
During SAFE week children and young people from across Hampshire were invited to a conference entitled ’13 reasons why not’. The event aimed to be an inspiring, useful and proactive opportunity for young people to learn more about young people’s mental health, to explore in a safe and informative way the issues of youth self-harm and youth suicide, how to look after themselves and support others who may be experiencing a difficult time and contribute towards improved mental health and wellbeing for young people in Hampshire. The day had an emphasis on hope, resilience and recovery; supporting and encouraging young people to take responsibility for their life choices in relation to health and wellbeing.
Secondary Schools from across Hampshire were invited to bring student ambassadors to this free event, hosted and facilitated by Hampshire CAMHS in partnership with facilitators from other organisations including but not limited to; Winchester Young Carers, Catch 22, Life Education Wessex and No Limits. Although every secondary school and college in Hampshire were invited to the event, 22 schools (equating to 84 young people plus staff) booked onto the event and 11 attended the event along with a group of young people who volunteer for the Police Youth Crime Commissioner.
All of the events, but particularly the professionals and young people’s conferences contained powerful personal testimony from young people. They also participated in many of the media opportunities, both on the radio and on television which added a very personal and powerful dynamic to the messages.
The project was worked around World Suicide Awareness Day on 10th Sept. This meant that the week-long series of events were held during the first week of the school term. the timing of this may have affected the take-up of the schools in attending the CYP event and it may also have led to some of the last-minute cancellations. Next time we are not going to be so wedded to a particular date and be more mindful of timings for schools in particular.
Ideally the campaign would have been in conjunction with Public Health, but unfortunately this was not possible and their engagement limited.
Given the success of the first year, it is important for the Campaign to continue to develop and continue reinforcing the messaging and work already having been completed.
The following plans have been made to ensure the campaigns longevity:
– The Faces Of You exhibition will tour around Hampshire, occupying public spaces which will help to raise awareness of the project and the wider SAFE Campaign
– A poster campaign using the drawing and descriptions form the Young Person’s Event is being developed
– There are plans being made to have SAFE cards available in every Hampshire pharmacy
– ICE Project; The ICE Project has been developed and led by Hampshire Cultural Trust’s Better Life Chances team and Hampshire CAMHS, and has received match funding between the Arts council and Hampshire CAMHS commissioners. The three key aims: to have a positive impact on the Health & Wellbeing, particularly mental health, of children & young people in Hampshire. ICE: Inspire // Create // Exchange aims to address and explore important mental health issues with young people using high-quality arts and culture. There will be core target groups of young people directly engaged in project work, p of young people across Hampshire who will be reached and affected by the messages and artwork shared through the ‘Exchange’ phase.
Using arts and culture we aim to promote positive mental health, build young people’s emotional resilience and more specifically bring to the attention of all, the issue and impact of youth suicide and self-harm.
A full evaluation has taken place – please see attached.
A full evaluation has taken place, including outcomes – please see attached
The events have received considerable local media coverage. We are also presenting at the national CAMHS conference, Local Young Carers Conference, Hampshire Fostering Network Conference as well as through Facebook and Twitter. Details of the impact of this is contained within the evaluation report.
