Ian Stevens

Said the following about Managing Suicidal Contacts and Trauma Support Training Team Samaritans:

“The Managing Suicidal Contacts & Trauma Support Training Team at Samaritans

The training courses delivered by Samaritans on behalf of the rail industry are integral to our successful suicide prevention programme. All of the training courses run by Samaritans provide staff with “listening skills” that attendees have transferred into other areas of their work and home life:

“I didn’t feel particularly equipped to deal with such a serious situation before attending the course, but…I got a phone call from one of my closest friends. I have been aware of him struggling and…being at the absolute lowest but I never thought it would come to what it did. He rang me saying he needed to know of one reason why he shouldn’t jump because he couldn’t think of any.

“Without Samaritans I wouldn’t have been confident in what to say, or how to guide him. It gave me the skills to be able to use what they taught me and manipulate it to the situation in front of me, every situation is different but I believe the course was structured in such a way that it would help you confidently help those in need at the darkest moment, no matter what their situation or story. A few months down the line he is doing much better, he can see light at the end of the tunnel and is beginning to find enjoyment in life, so thank you.”

We are grateful that Samaritans’ training team has keenly facilitated the 12% increase in demand to attend the MSC course over the past year, with Helen and Joelle in particular working hard to ensure that the courses are arranged and delivered to meet rail industry demands.

The popularity of the three courses is so great that 99% of attendees would recommend them to a colleague. Many report using the speaking and listening skills taught on the course to identify and sensitively respond to a situation that they may of otherwise have struggled with. One East Midlands Trains colleague described how the TST training gave him the techniques and confidence to talk to a colleague in need of support, “The same evening of the course one of my managers attended to a train involved in a fatality. I was able to discuss the event with him, with a better knowledge of what he may have gone through.”.

Another colleague who carried out an intervention last year said that the training had provided her with the confidence to speak to a vulnerable woman at a station after her colleague made her aware that the lady was exhibiting concerning behaviour. “Before I attended the Managing Suicidal Contacts course, I wouldn’t have known what to say, or how to react to the things she was telling me. I probably would have tried to avoid the subject because I was frightened of making it worse. My colleague and I both found the information and training amazingly helpful and it proved really effective in helping me to get the woman to speak to me.”.

Samaritan’s trainers Jason, Chris and Steve continually review and refine the course to keep it current and engaging for our people to ensure that they continue to feel empowered to make an intervention. Integral to this is the way in which they address and seek to change the culture, myths and preconceptions around suicide from both a rail and in society as a whole. Samaritans has received a lot of feedback relating to this:

“Whilst I haven't used the skills learned on the course to engage with a suicidal person, I have used the skills to more effectively respond to friends and colleagues who are showing signs of emotional distress. Prior to the course I tended to side step difficult conversations for fear of making the situation worse.”“

Yvonne Monaghan

Said the following about Managing Suicidal Contacts and Trauma Support Training Team Samaritans:

“I have nominated trainers Steve, Jason, Chris, training administrator Joelle and work stream lead Helen because of their incredible dedication to delivering courses to rail staff and stakeholders over the past nine years. Currently Greater Anglia have over 320 colleagues who have undergone the MSC training that are currently employed by Greater Anglia and the feedback received from my colleagues is that they are extremely worthwhile courses.

Samaritans training courses, like many other stakeholders is an integral part of our work here on Greater Anglia to help reduce suicides and trauma on the railway. The training has enabled many colleague to take the incredible step of saving the life of a vulnerable person on the railway as well as to better understand how to support their colleagues following a traumatic or distressing incident.

Helen, Joelle, Chris, Steve and Jason have shown commitment to deliver three popular and essential courses to rail staff, including our own greater Anglia colleagues.

The suite of courses that the industry is so proud of comprise of:

Managing Suicidal Contacts (MSC) course, which equips frontline staff with confidence and skills to make an intervention with a potentially suicidal individual

Trauma Support Training – Journey to Recovery course (TST JTR), which equips train drivers and their managers with the skills and knowledge to deal with traumatic events and incidents and to assist staff in their recovery.

Trauma Support Training – Back on Track course (TST BOT), which was created based on the strength of interest and need for the delivery of the TST – Journey to Recovery course to a wider range of staff requiring trauma support skills. The Trauma Support Training - Back on Track course was launched on the 1 July 2016 to non-driving roles across the rail industry.

Samaritans MSC course is an incredibly successful course thanks in large part to the talents of the trainers. The trainers have to cover the very difficult topic of suicide in an empathetic and engaging way to help delegates think about, and develop, their emotional, listening and observational skills to give them the confidence to deal with those most vulnerable people in our society whether they be on the railway or their own communities. The course also empowers colleagues to have the confidence to reach out to those who may be vulnerable, providing speaking and listening skills to provide colleagues with the confidence to carrying out an intervention.

Greater Anglia colleagues, have like many other railway colleagues across the industry been involved in many lifesaving interventions as shown in the number of nominees under the Samaritans Lifesavers awards.

Samaritans two TST courses have been developed for anyone who has a role in supporting staff who have experienced traumatic events, in particular train drivers, driver managers, union representatives and front line staff who may be involved in any aspect of the aftermath of a suicide on the railway. Over 2,500 members of staff have attended this training to gain the knowledge and skills to identify the symptoms of trauma and how best to support a colleagues’ recovery.

Greater Anglia fully support these training courses and work with the training team to deliver courses around the Greater Anglia route as they enable staff to have the confidence to approach people who may be in distress, which is a vital skill for reducing suicide and trauma on the railway.“