Having difficult and serious customer conversations can be upsetting for all concerned.

How we respond during these conversations can make a difference to the individual feeling visible, valued and listened to as well as potentially accessing and receiving the specialist support they need.

Put simply, it can make a difference between life and death.

This half-day virtual training course is ideal for anyone handling customer conversations on a regular basis, especially when the subject of suicide arises. The course also covers how to build and maintain personal mental and emotional resilience during and after these conversations.

Delegates will have the opportunity to reflect, share good practice and participate in course activities and case study discussions. Each delegate will leave with a plan of action to put into practice in their role.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session delegates will be able to:

• Understand the importance and role of listening and responding empathetically
• Build a toolkit of questions and responses and know when and how to use them
• Know how to respond in an emergency during the conversation
• Recognise the signs of personal emotional and mental fatigue
• Identify a range of practical steps to build resilience
• Apply the knowledge gained from the course to better support customers during distressing conversations

Course Content

• Understanding suicide
• Risk Factors and indicators
• Responding vs reacting
• 3 elements of empathetic communication
• Responding in an emergency
• The importance of signposting
• Looking after yourself and building resilience

Please Note: This can be an incredibly sensitive and upsetting subject to talk about. It is important to remember that delegates attending this course may need an opportunity to quietly reflect or talk to someone they trust following the course.

Additional course information

This course will be delivered via Zoom.

Feedback from delegates who have completed this course:

"It was a great course, plenty of interaction and candid discussions about suicide. I'd highly recommend this course to anyone with an interest, and will be suggesting more people from my company are allowed to come along. Thanks for a great morning!"

"Fantastic training. Was a great add on to my MHFA. The course provided me with practical knowledge on how to deal with a potentially suicidal customer."

"Very informative course - I now feel I have the knowledge to deal with difficult conversations pertaining to suicide"