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It is usually best not to make decisions about risk on your own, but rather in consultation with a senior colleague, or with a CAMHS worker (see below). In order to make a judgement about the level of risk, it is important to take time to talk to the child/adolescent and to enquire about their […]
The Derby and Derbyshire Safeguarding boards have put together the below self-harm practice guidance for schools, which includes a raft of useful information, external agency links, incident report forms and more. You can download it here: https://www.proceduresonline.com/derbyshire/scbs/user_controlled_lcms_area/uploaded_files/self-harm-practice-guidance-november-2015.pdf Please be aware that the guidance is intended to be read in conjunction with the Derby and Derbyshire […]
Listening and caring is the most important thing you can do to help – showing that you want to know and understand, can make a lot of difference. Seeing the person behind the self-harm is important to show that you care about the whole person and not just the self-harm. Acknowledge that self-harm is a […]
The below list of questions can help anyone in the school community quickly contextualize whether or not a pupil in their care may be at risk of self-harm. Check them out here: Please be aware that this is by no means an extensive list Is the child/adolescent being bullied? Do you know if they’ve suffered […]
What young people have said: Distraction – the physical pain takes the focus away from the emotional pain. Self-punishing – some experience self-hatred or blame and use self-harm to punish themselves. Cleansing – may be a way of symbolically ridding themselves of contamination, often as a result of abuse. Control – may be a way […]
Self-harm describes a wide range of behaviours that people use to cope with difficult feelings and distressing life experiences. The majority of people have no intention of ending their life, most do so to manage their feelings. It is estimated that 1 in 15 young people in the UK have deliberately self-harmed at some point, […]
Self-harm in children and adolescents can lead to strong feelings of anxiety, fear and frustration in the people who are trying to support them. The management of these feelings is an important factor in supporting the child or adolescent. To help you do this, try not to focus too much on the actual self-harm behaviour; […]