Online Modules

SBUK has developed a suite of brief, interactive, 90-minute ‘ON THE GO’ online modules, each focusing on a different aspect of suicide bereavement e.g.: working effectively with grief, using appropriate language, communicating with children bereaved by suicide, working with suicide bereavement in the COVID-19 pandemic. ‘ON THE GO’ training is a cost and time efficient way of maximising investment in staff training.

All ‘ON THE GO’ modules have been developed by a multi-disciplinary team of experts in suicide prevention and suicide bereavement support, from the fields of research, mental health and trauma. Course content draws on the latest evidence and practice. The training aims to increase understanding, skills and confidence in responding to and helping to empower those bereaved by suicide (who are themselves highly vulnerable to the risk of suicide). Modules are delivered in a virtual classroom in bite-sized sessions to fit around busy work schedules, by two experienced online trainers, with considerable experience of working with those bereaved or affected by suicide. Sessions are designed to complement PABBS one-day training and can be mixed and matched according to your organisational/professional needs. For those unable to attend a PABBS or ESPR one-day workshop, our ‘ON THE GO’ online modules offer the opportunity to build knowledge and skills in suicide bereavement support through brief training.

Advantages of Attending ‘ON THE GO’ Online Modules

• Brief, concise virtual classes that deliver complex concepts and sensitive information associated with suicide bereavement in easily-digestible chunks
• Time and cost-efficient training enabling organisations/individuals to maximise their financial investment for minimal investment of time
• Supports organisations/individuals to address the NHS Long Term Plan and key areas for action in suicide prevention strategies
• Enables staff to balance work schedules with skills development
• Through remote learning, offers the potential to reach a wider range of professionals than traditional face-to-face methods
• Enables organisations/individuals to continue with skills development even during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

For more information about each module  Description of each module

The creators of ON THE GO’ online training are all members of the Suicide Bereavement UK (SBUK) team, and come from diverse professional backgrounds. They include practitioners, academics and those with lived-experience of suicide bereavement. In combination, they have extensive experience in:

• developing and delivering evidence-based, theory-driven suicide bereavement training
• conducting suicide bereavement research (e.g. led the national suicide bereavement survey on behalf of the University of Manchester and SASP, which recruited 7,158 people bereaved or affected by suicide)
• working in the fields of suicide prevention and postvention (that is care of those bereaved by suicide), psycho-traumatology, critical incident management, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, psychology and social work
• developing and delivering the first NHS postvention service in the UK (which is currently being replicated nationally)
• providing immediate support to those bereaved by suicide at the scene
• supporting those bereaved by suicide across the lifespan
• working with children and families bereaved by suicide, alongside emergency services, with specialist groups impacted by suicide (e.g. self-help groups, prisons, the Armed Forces) and in the NHS and Public Health

Members of the team are all keynote speakers, some with broadcasting experience, and have published widely in this field and developed key resources for those bereaved by suicide. Several have received both national and international awards for their work in suicide bereavement. Some members have been bereaved or affected by suicide.

Creators of the ‘ON THE GO’ training modules:

• Dr Sharon McDonnell, Managing Director of SBUK and Honorary Research Fellow, University of Manchester
• Barry McGale, Senior Suicide Prevention consultant and trainer
• Liz Koole, Child and Family Suicide Bereavement Lead, trainer and consultant
• Angela Samata, Lived-Experience Advisor, trainer and creative consultant
• Andrea Walraven-Thissen, Critical Incident Lead, trainer and consultant
• Maria Roberts, Business Consultant
• Dr Pauline Nelson, Research and Publication Lead

SBUK consists of experts in the field of postvention (care of those bereaved by suicide). Our team includes practitioners, people with lived experience and researchers. Combined, our expertise is multi-disciplinary and enables us to specialise in postvention research, training and consultancy across the lifespan.

SBUK’s aim is to improve the care of those bereaved or affected by suicide and to help reduce the stigma that surrounds suicide bereavement. This is achieved by educating professionals, conducting independent research and informing policy and practice. SBUK’s sole focus is on issues associated with suicide bereavement. We are regarded as leaders in the field of suicide bereavement, with an unrivalled training portfolio, giving assurance that organisations/individuals will be training with an expert team.