Knowsley Suicide Prevention Summit
Friday, 2 May 2025
Knowsley Council hosted the first Knowsley Suicide Prevention Summit on 1 May 2025.
The Summit brought together over 35 key stakeholders from the Council, Health, Social Care, Public Health and voluntary sector to inform the development of a suicide prevention action plan for the borough.
Keynote speakers from Knowsley Public Health, Cheshire and Merseyside Suicide Prevention Programme and Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust set out the national and sub-regional suicide prevention strategies and local suicide prevention action.
This set the scene for the group discussions which followed and focussed on what more could be done to support those at high risk and how to go further to make suicide prevention everybody’s business.
Cllr Bannon, Cabinet Member for Health, said:
“The Summit was an important opportunity for the council and its partners to come together to reaffirm our local commitment to suicide prevention and crucially, to commit to developing a Knowsley suicide prevention action plan. Working together this way, using evidence-based interventions that draw on local and national intelligence, we can strive to ensure people never look to suicide as an answer.”
She added:
“One in 5 of us will struggle with suicidal thoughts in our lifetime. Knowing how to appropriately signpost someone who is in a mental health crisis can potentially be lifesaving.
“Free, online training has been developed by the Zero Suicide Alliance and Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust. It covers basic suicide prevention skills and knowledge, including risk factors, how to have a conversation with someone about suicide and encourage them to ask for help if they are struggling.
“I would urge everyone to undertake the free online training, it only takes 30 minutes and it will give you the confidence to support someone if they are in mental health crisis.”
You can access the free online training on the Zero Suicide Alliance website.
Mental health crisis support
If you or someone you know are in mental health crisis and no longer feel able to cope or be in control of your situation and need urgent help, you can call the NHS Mental Health crisis line. NHS staff will then support you to get the help you need.
Available 24/7 – for people of all ages including children and young people. Call NHS 111 and select the mental health option. Find out more here.