Create your school’s self-harm guidelines
Self-harm guidelines can empower staff to identify and support students in need of help and to follow appropriate referral pathways
A school’s self-harm policy needs to cover a wide range of scenarios and support peers, siblings, parents and staff.
Thinking about your school:
- Does your school have a policy specific to self-harm? If so, how does it work alongside your mental health, risk management and first aid policies?
- Do all staff members know the immediate actions following a self-harm incident?
- What are the referral procedures to agencies which may be required to help a young person?
- Who do staff members go to to access support or to ask questions?
- If family members have concerns about a pupil relating to self-harm, what do they do?
- How does your school promote help-seeking for pupil mental health?
