Safeguarding & Suicide Risk: Skills for University Staff

Supporting students in distress requires confidence, clarity, and a strong understanding of safeguarding responsibilities. This accredited CPD session provides university staff with the practical skills needed to recognise early signs of harm, respond safely, and act proportionately within institutional safeguarding and suicide-prevention frameworks.

Grounded in current statutory guidance and UUK/PAPYRUS safer-suicide principles, the session explores abuse categories, the Prevent duty, confidentiality, information sharing, trusted contacts, and the realities of student vulnerability. Participants learn how safeguarding applies in higher education, how to make proportionate decisions, and when to escalate concerns.

Through real student scenarios, staff practise noticing subtle warning signs, asking safe questions, documenting concerns effectively, and following clear pathways to support, including safeguarding and Prevent leads, student services, and emergency options. The training strengthens confidence, consistency, and preparedness across the university community.

What You Will Learn

1. Recognising Distress & Early Warning Signs

How to spot emotional, behavioural and situational indicators of risk—including subtle changes, withdrawal, hopelessness, or indirect references to suicidal thoughts.

2. Safeguarding Principles, Abuse Categories & HE Responsibilities

A clear grounding in statutory safeguarding definitions, types of abuse and neglect, domestic abuse, honour-based abuse, and what these look like in student populations. Understanding your role, boundaries, and escalation routes.

3. Confidentiality, Information Sharing & Record Keeping

How to balance privacy with safety; the 7 Golden Rules of information sharing; what constitutes poor practice; and how to record concerns factually and defensibly.

4. Prevent Duty in Practice

Understanding Prevent as a safeguarding responsibility; recognising concerning behaviour; freedom of speech considerations; and how referrals and Channel work.

5. Suicide Risk & Safer-Suicide Guidance

Current HE suicide data, risk factors, how students may present, and how to apply UUK/PAPYRUS safer-suicide guidance including trusted contacts, proactive involvement of families, and risk-based decision making.

6. Responding to Risk & Using Clear Escalation Pathways

How to distinguish low, moderate and high risk; how responsibilities shift as risk increases; and how to use university escalation routes, safeguarding leads, Prevent leads, student services, out-of-hours options, and emergency services.

7. Practical Communication Skills

How to ask direct but safe questions, manage difficult conversations, use non-leading language, and support students with compassion and clarity.

8. Realistic Student Scenarios

Guided practice through scenarios covering:

• Unsettling behaviour with no disclosure
• Notable changes in mood or appearance
• Passive suicidal thoughts
• Emerging intent
• Frequent thoughts of suicide

Staff learn how to respond proportionately at each stage and record decisions appropriately.