Thrive at Work seminar helped West Midlands businesses approach sensitive issue of suicide - The Coventry Observer

Thrive at Work seminar helped West Midlands businesses approach sensitive issue of suicide

Coventry Editorial 13th Mar, 2021   0

BUSINESSES have been given advice on how to handle the sensitive issue of suicide.

More than 600 representatives from West Midlands businesses registered for the event, despite organisers expecting around just 60 to register.

The webinar, entitled Suicide: Let’s talk about prevention, was run by the West Midlands Combined Authority’s (WMCA) Thrive programme, and the 615 registrations were more than any previous Thrive event has received.

Suicide is the largest cause of death for those men aged under 45 and all deaths are preventable.




The event covered topics including how to spot if someone is at risk of attempting suicide, how to prevent situations escalating, and whether UK-GDPR prevents an employer from assisting at a time of crisis.

Andy Street, West Midlands Mayor, said: “The number of organisations which registered for this event highlights that need for information and help within our business community.


“The pandemic has taken its a toll on the mental health of the region and employers want to support the good mental health of their employees, which is why our Thrive programme is so important.”

The 90-minute webinar provided bosses and senior leaders the chance to speak to a panel of experts in the field of mental health.

The event was hosted by Thrive At Work accreditation coordinator Andrew Rudge and on the panel was Evan Grant, who co-founded the Cameron Grant Memorial Trust after losing his son

Cameron to suicide when he was 21 and in his third year of studying geology at university.

After the webinar he said: “I was especially pleased that we discussed how to spot signs that a colleague may be at risk of suicide, and some of the ways everyone can help.

“We can all ask: ‘how are you today? Are you really OK?’”

For further details about Thrive at Work visit https://www.wmca.org.uk/what-we-do/thrive/thrive-at-work/

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