Workplace Charter

Baton of hope Uk Workplace charter for suicide awareness, support and prevention

There are 17 deaths a day from suicide. Numbers have not changed dramatically over the last 20 years despite numerous initiatives.
£12.6 billion. Cost to UK businesses through days lost to mental health in 2021.(Changing attitudes to mental health report (2022)
17 million. Days lost to work-related stress, depression or anxiety (2021 to 2022) (Health and Safety Executive)
914,000 (est.) People who suffered with mental ill-health relating to their work. That’s (51%) of all work-related ill-health cases (1.8 million) for the year. (Health and Safety Executive)
1 in 10. Number of employees who would be honest about needing a mental health day. (HR Grapevine magazine 2023.)
Where does an organisation start – so much information out there?

Our workplace charter for suicide support & prevention

Our charter has 6 principles for suicide support, and prevention in the workplace:

Make suicide awareness, support and prevention a workplace priority.
Use clear and consistent messaging about suicide for internal communication and induction training.
Implement suicide prevention, early detection and supportive services.
Embrace those with ‘lived experience’ of mental ill-health or suicide.
Promote crisis services and other resources providing suicide prevention advice, counselling, training and support.
Promote the charter to increase suicide awareness, support and prevention.

Organisations committing to the charter show employees, clients and potential recruits that they are committed to the principles and support a move towards a zero-suicide society.

“More and more companies are recognising the need and the importance of their role in supporting the mental wellbeing of their employees. The Baton of Hope Workplace Charter is an invaluable concept that will ultimately create a healthier workforce and shine a spotlight on the importance of us all working together in order to tackle head-on the challenge that every life lost to suicide is preventable and make a positive difference to save lives.”

Dave Capper – CEO, Westfield Health.

SCOPE OF THE CHARTER

The Baton of Hope UK workplace charter focuses on suicide awareness, support and prevention. We recognise that many organisations have in place mental health and wellbeing strategies. But specific mention of suicide is often a gap.
For those organisations who have little or no guidance in place this charter is a great starting place. It includes everything you need in one place to raise awareness around suicide and look after your workforce.
There are different stages to suicide prevention. These are primary prevention – how can we all as individuals raise our knowledge and confidence to talk about and support those feeling suicidal. Secondary prevention which is being able to recognise and support those at risk. Finally tertiary prevention which is helping those with mental health problems to stay safe and well.
The charter also includes how to manage a death from suicide in your workplace and also how to support those who are bereaved by suicide.

The baton of hope charter stand outs

Our charter will provide organisations with all they need to understand and do to ensure suicide awareness, support and prevention is embedded across the workplace. Critically, the cost of implementation will not be a barrier to adoption.
We hope most of the hard work is done for you. We provide the essential guidance and leading practice you need for any workplace that has a gap around suicide support and prevention. Global or national, large or small organisation, the charter can be adapted to how you operate. We have brought together resources from other organisations and given you reference material that you can brand and use in your own organisational style.
The charter will be maintained on our website and our team will continue the work to evolve and improve our charter as research and new clinical guidance in this area progresses.
Studies who that organisation with a social conscience are more likely to recruit and retain people. Your commitment to the principles of the Baton Of Hope charter enables you to show leadership in this area.
The Baton Of Hope logo is a visual means by which all who sign up to adopting the charter can use to demonstrate to all that suicide prevention, as well as mental health, matters to your organisation and the support is there if people need it.

Our charter has 6 principles for suicide support, and prevention in the workplace:

Why
- Our working environments play a crucial part in an individual’s mental health and we must consider ways in which we support our people better
- Mental Health and Well-Being Charters have taken a huge step forward in the last 10 years.
- Rarely do they include guidance specific to suicide awareness, support and prevention –
- Does your organisation have a culture that promotes openness and a sense of safety to talk about mental health and suicide?
- Do your employees know how to notice signs of someone feeling depressed or having suicidal thoughts?
- Do your employees know where to go if they are concerned about themselves or others?
- Do you as leaders know how to respond if a suicide happens in your workplace?
- There is a clear need for a charter that organisations implement either as part of their broader mental health strategy or as a starting point towards creating a safer workplace.
- The Baton of Hope UK has listened, understood the gap and our response is to create a charter focused on suicide support and prevention
- The charter has been created using a team that consists of corporate, public sector, voluntary sector and clinical expertise and is endorsed and signed off by leading clinicians in the field of suicide prevention
Suicides are preventable and everyone can play a part in supporting a move towards a zero suicide society

Studies have consistently shown a correlation between a happy and contented workforce and a productive workforce.. But staying happy depends on knowing that you will be supported when things aren’t so rosy. A culture of wellbeing can only thrive if company leaders create the right environment. We also know that feeling supported, safe and engaged in the workplace is a protective factor for suicide.

Yet stigma still exists. Ask yourselves this question: “If one of my employees needed time off for mental illness such as depression or anxiety would they tell the truth?” If the answer is “yes” – be proud! But if you are being honest wouldn’t most of them make up an alternative story such as: “I’ve got a bad back” or “I’m in bed with a chest infection.” And there’s no surprise when we look at current societal attitudes towards mental illness.

Take, for example, the word “admit”. The following headlines are real:
- “Top MP admits to battling depression.”
- “Why prime minister of New Zealand’s rare admission about her mental health matters.”
Imagine if the same word was used in relation to physical health.
- “Celebrity admits to chest infection.”
Sounds ridiculous right? Why would anyone feel that they had to “admit” to a physical illness?

Shouldn’t mental health be on a par with physical health? We can start by facing up to one of the hardest things to talk about – Suicide.

Start by signing up to the Baton of Hope Workplace Charter with senior leadership commitment as the first step to implementation within your organisation.

Principle 1

MAKE SUICIDE AWARENESS, SUPPORT AND PREVENTION A WORKPLACE PRIORITY

a. Senior leadership commits to the Charter principles and becomes signatories. One senior leader takes responsibility for the implementation of the Charter and the policy actions that underpin it. In larger organisations it may make sense to have a workplace mental health committee.

b. Lead by example in creating a culture of psychological safety and a workplace that values its employees and their families. (1A)

a. Share fallibility – Be authentic, be open and demonstrate learning from mistakes at all organisational levels.

b. Make clear that employee voices matter – set the stage for open engagement.

c. Actively invite input – do not assume people will tell you what they are thinking.

d. Respond productively – ensure your staff are not shamed or shut down when they use their voice.

e. Create a sense of belonging and a culture where people are encouraged to seek help when they need it and provide support to others.

c. Have a named delegate in each team (depending on organisational size) who supports the delivery of the Charter and who takes responsibility for identifying areas for improvement. These individuals would be sponsored by the named senior leader with overall organisational responsibility for charter implementation.

d. Create temporary or permanent flexible working arrangements wherever possible (1B)

e. Encourage staff to work together on tasks, share skills and ideas, and to get involved in social activities – team rather than individual working is a proven protective factor for suicide prevention (1C)

f. Build a safe workplace culture (anti-bullying, anti-discrimination), and demonstrate zero-tolerance with effective follow-up for behaviours that make the workplace unsafe.
Principle 2

Use clear, and consistent messaging about suicide for internal communication, and induction training

a. Consider creating awareness raising information, using for example some of the materials provided in the HOW section of this charter, which help break down common stereotypes and myths about suicide (2A)

b. Use appropriate, respectful and person-centred language in all communication regarding suicide. (2B)

c. Embed Charter principles into staff induction processes.

d. Ensure social media and other communications reflect the principles of this Charter and speak with one voice about mental health.

e. Regularly review all printed and online materials to ensure that all messaging touching on mental health, mental illness or suicide is supportive, responsible and up-to-date.

f. Provide avenues for staff to have input into safe communication and give feedback.

g. Make use of those with lived experience; empower and encourage them to have input on activities and communications around mental health if they wish to share. Turn their openness into a positive that is valuable to the organisation.
Principle 3

Implement suicide prevention, early detection, postvention and supportive services

a. Make use of protective technologies that can help detect and prevent crisis. (3a)

b. Recognise staff who are at greater risk of high stress (including line managers), mental ill health and suicide; provide additional support from early signs of distress through to crisis. (3B)

c. Ensure education and training that means all staff, managers and leaders know how to notice the signs that may be a cause for concern and how to have open conversations about this; use regular review meetings to check on wellbeing and to build resilience through stress management and mentoring/reverse mentoring schemes (3C)

d. Treat mental health and physical health with equal rigour. Consider the adjustments you might make if someone has a broken leg, for example, and act with equivalent sensitivity. Ensure your policies refer to both mental and physical health

e. Support staff to stay at work, or return to work, through programmes that include modified role, work schedule or duties. Ensure the focus is on helping employees to reintegrate, and continue to feel part of the team.

f. Develop flexible absence management policies that encourage staff to feel comfortable using their leave for both mental and physical health issues and support people during and after absence.

g. Have a clear communications and postvention plan for responding to a suicide attempt or death. (3D)
Principle 4

Embrace those with lived experience

a. Make effective use of in-house expertise including colleagues who wish to share their experiences in the development of company policy and services design. (4A)

b. Ensure that staff with lived experience of mental illness and suicide are involved in any review or design of policies, guidelines, staff information and training related to mental health.

c. If applicable and appropriate to your organisation incorporate peer support and ally groups into the workplace structure or signpost external organisations that run free peer support schemes. (4B)
Principle 5

Promote crisis services and other resources providing suicide prevention advice, counselling, training and support

a. Develop the capabilities of management and staff by facilitating and providing Suicide Prevention training skills that will enable them to recognise someone at risk of suicide. Include this training within induction training for all new staff. (5A)

b. Develop appropriate plans or policies to respond to traumatic incidents that may arise including support for those bereaved by suicide. (5B)

c. Develop internal and external mental health support and promote the confidential nature of this support – Employee Assistance Provider (EAP) schemes, HR, peer supports, mental health first aiders (if appropriate), GP access, national and local charitable resources. (5C)

d. Ensure those providing support e.g. mental health first aiders, line managers etc are appropriately supported themselves. (5D)

e. Ensure crisis information and support are visible throughout the workplace through any pre-existing communication means (5E)

f. Make visible and promote the help and support that is available.
Principle 6

Promote the charter to increase suicide awareness, support and prevention

a. Promote the Charter principles to other organisations and the broader community (6A TBD)

b. Are there opportunities to engage with organisations that you work with and that are not yet signed up to the Charter and explain its importance?

c. Facilitate regular collaborative planning days with staff on how to action workplace mental health initiatives. Develop means of tracking progress.

d. Focus on maximising positive mental health and providing support for suicide prevention central to the culture of your organisation; be loud about the benefit as one of the excellent reasons to join your company.

e. Use events such as World Mental Health Day and World Suicide Prevention Day to showcase ongoing efforts. Make this loud and visible, consider giving organisational Corporate Social Responsibility days where applicable on days individuals wish to undertake activities of their choice throughout the annual calendar to promote culture of openness (e.g. Women’s day, Black History Month, LGBTQIA+ days). Make sure that the marking of one-off awareness days are backed up with continuity. Every day is suicide prevention day.

f. Use the Baton of Hope UK Logo on your company material to show your commitment to suicide awareness, support and prevention in the workplace. Contact Hello@batonofhopeuk.org