By Helen Birch (Training & Education Officer)
At The Academy at Harmless, part of the Centre of Excellence for Self Harm and Suicide Prevention, we believe training should never stand still. The evidence base evolves. Best practice develops. The needs of communities and frontline professionals change. To ensure our training continues to reflect the very best in prevention, intervention and postvention, we are proud to launch Project Re-Vamp.
Why did we Re-Vamp?
Every year, thousands of wonderful delegates attend our training courses to develop the confidence, knowledge and skills needed to support individuals affected by self harm, suicide and suicide bereavement. With such an important responsibility, we felt it was the right time to take a fresh look at our training portfolio and ask ourselves a simple question: how can we make our training even better?
What We’ve Been Working On
Over recent months, our team of Training & Education Officers has undertaken a comprehensive review of our learning materials and delivery methods. This has included:
- Reviewing the latest research and evidence to ensure our content remains current, accurate, and aligned with emerging best practice.
- Refreshing visual learning materials to improve accessibility, engagement, and knowledge retention for delegates.
- Enhancing handout materials to improve accessibility and knowledge retention for delegates.
- Strengthening practical guidance to ensure participants leave training with skills they can confidently apply within their communities/professional roles.
- Enhancing interactive learning opportunities that encourage discussion, reflection, and real-world application.
- Embedding feedback from delegates and commissioners to ensure our training continues to meet the needs of the sectors and communities we serve.
What Hasn’t Changed
While the resources may look different (and amazing even if we do say so ourselves), the foundations of our training remain exactly the same. Our programmes continue to be:
- Compassionate in approach
- Evidence-based in content
- Grounded in lived experience
- Focused on practical application
- Designed to build confidence, competence, and meaningful change
These values sit at the heart of everything we do and continue to guide our work as the Centre of Excellence for Self Harm and Suicide Prevention.
Looking Ahead
Project Re-Vamp is more than a refresh of slides and resources. It represents our commitment to continuous improvement and our determination to provide the highest quality training possible. We know that every conversation about self harm or suicide matters. Every person who feels more confident to ask the difficult questions matters. Every individual who receives compassionate support matters. By continually investing in our training, we are investing in safer communities, stronger services, and ultimately, lives saved.
We are excited to begin delivering our refreshed programmes and look forward to sharing more about the changes over the coming weeks. Together, we can continue building confidence, compassion, and capability in self harm and suicide prevention.
You can find out more about our training via the button below.
