Talking About Suicide: An Adviser's Guide

ASPiiN

Talking about

suicide: an adviser’s guide

An introduction to how you can deliver effective and empathetic support for your customers who would like to know more about insurance and suicide.

Action for Suicide Prevention in Insurance (ASPiiN) is a voluntary group of individuals from across the protection insurance industry looking at what it can do to help prevent suicide and to support people who are affected by it.

ASPiiN

We come together from a variety of operational roles at protection-related businesses, including in underwriting and claims and we all have professional and/or personal experience of the devastating impact of suicide. Having experienced it firsthand, we want to do something about it.

I learned the heart-breaking, very personal impact of suicide when my best friend took his own life in early 2018. It led me to join ASPiiN in January 2019 and took over as Chair in 2020 from Jen Oakey, the brainchild behind ASPiiN. Anecdotally, we’ve each heard that financial advisers find themselves in the midst of difficult conversations with customers and want help on how to respond. ASPiiN’s aim is to help you, the adviser, and customers have empathetic, clear and open conversations about mental health challenges and suicide.

Working with Samaritans, we have produced guidance that we hope will help protection insurers and financial advisers create content for websites and digital communications that talk about suicide and raise awareness. There’s also a suicide prevention training directory filled with organisations and resources that can help you.

Please help us help you. Share with us in our adviser survey your experience and any training or protocols that may already exist on this subject. What you tell us could help shape a valuable resource for the whole industry and determine what ASPiiN could do for you in 2021.

Many thanks for taking the time to read this e-book and improve your understanding of suicide prevention. By working together, we could hopefully help prevent suicide from affecting more customers and friends. We look forward to working with you.

Foreword

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Fraser Ballantine Chair, Action for Suicide Prevention in Insurance

TALKING ABOUT SUICIDE: AN ADVISER’S GUIDE

The Protection Distributors Group (PDG) is a group of protection intermediaries, who are working together to help improve customer outcomes in the protection insurance industry.

Many of the products that our firms arrange, require discussions about mental health. This can involve talking through someone’s mental history, such as suicide attempts or self-harm; a potentially difficult conversation for everyone involved. There is also the possibility that some products will come with a mental health exclusion, a proposal that needs to be discussed with great sensitivity and care.

Conversations relating to mental health should be handled with empathy and time should be given to allow people to process what is being asked of them and the options that are available.

It is essential that we remember that there is a real person answering these questions, and the very nature of what is being asked could trigger memories that are painful to face.

As advisers, many of us are also the first port of call for a claim.

This means that we may receive calls from people who have just lost a parent, partner or child. We may find ourselves speaking to customers in some of their most vulnerable times.

We wanted to support ASPiiN in this important work, as we believe that advisers have a duty in helping to identify clients, who may be at risk. We would not expect or advocate for advisers to act as counsellors, just as we wouldn’t expect counsellors to act as financial advisers. But we do need to know how to identify a mental health vulnerability, how to respond, and when to signpost to medical professionals or appropriate support services.

We urge distributors of all financial products, but especially those distributing life insurance (advised and non-advised), to consider specific training on mental health, suicide prevention and vulnerable customers. Not only will it help staff feel more comfortable with difficult conversations, but it could help to save someone’s life.

Alan Knowles Managing Director of Cura Financial Services and Chair of the Protection Distributors Group

ASPiiN

PROTECTION DISTRIBUTORS GROUP

SESAME BANKHALL GROUP

Foreword

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The fact that suicide continues to be a leading cause of death amongst men and women in the UK, particularly amongst the younger generation, is tragic. I know from personal experience that the suicide of a family member, colleague or a friend causes great distress, and casts a very long shadow for those who are left behind. We cannot ignore the prevalence of suicide and, as both a parent and an industry professional, I want us to be more informed about the help that’s available.

Sesame Bankhall Group (SBG) supports over 11,000 financial advisers across its three brands: Sesame Network, PMS Mortgage Club and Bankhall. Many financial advisers are highly skilled and experienced in handling sensitive protection conversations with their customers. However, these conversations are continually evolving, with mental health and wellbeing becoming an increasingly important issue for advisers to understand and address as part of their day to day work.

Suicide awareness and prevention forms part of this, and it’s important that financial advisers are helped to handle these sensitive conversations in the most effective way. That’s why our Group is pleased to support this initiative, which builds on the extensive work already undertaken by ASPiiN in partnership with the PDG. It complements SBG’s own work in this important area, which links through to other increasingly important industry topics, such as vulnerable customers.

Advisers understand their regulatory responsibilities when dealing with potentially vulnerable customers, but this means they might also find themselves in a situation where they have real concerns over a customer’s health and welfare. So, what happens next?

Financial advisers are professionals in what they do, but they are not trained counsellors. We need to help equip them with the right information, so they can signpost customers to the right sources of expert assistance.

Our hope is that this initiative, and the work undertaken

by ASPiiN and PDG, will make a positive contribution to the wellbeing of both financial advisers and their customers. It’s an initiative that’s built from the ground up, by a range of industry experts with knowledge of this subject working collaboratively, and if it has a positive impact on just one person’s life then the effort will be worthwhile.

Foreword 4

Michele Golunska Chief Executive Officer, Sesame Bankhall Group

TALKING ABOUT SUICIDE: AN ADVISER’S GUIDE

Contents Introduction ---------------------------------------------------------------------

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Talking about suicide --------------------------------------------------------

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Insuring suicide ----------------------------------------------------------------

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Access to insurance for customers -------------------------------------

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Directory of suicide prevention training ------------------------------

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ASPiiN

PROTECTION DISTRIBUTORS GROUP

SESAME BANKHALL GROUP

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Introduction Suicide is a serious global issue and sadly one person dies by suicide every 40 seconds, resulting in more than 700,000 deaths every year. For every suicide, there’s a partner, a family, a friend, a colleague devastated by their loss.

And more recently there are concerns that suicide rates are increasing since the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, although the actual long-term impact on mental health and suicide is yet to be seen.

While preventing the spread of COVID-19 is still a public health priority, The NHS Clinical Leaders Network states that this emergency will also leave a mental health legacy in its wake: one that could inflict a damaging toll on the NHS. This psychological contagion will not only affect those on the front line, but as economic hardship, social isolation and distancing continues, the public remains at risk.

Action for Suicide Prevention in Insurance (ASPiiN), has produced a guide for financial advisers on talking about suicide.

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TALKING ABOUT SUICIDE: AN ADVISER’S GUIDE

The guidance here includes:

Why a customer may want to learn about suicide and insurance

Signposting to sources of help and support

Access to insurance for new customers

Language to use

Developed by ASPiiN and published in partnership with the Protection Distributors Group (PDG) and Sesame Bankhall Group (SBG), with expert guidance and support from the Samaritans, this guide was produced following a review of existing materials from a variety of insurance-related sources. The purpose is to embody the good practices already in place while aiming to improve some of the approaches uncovered throughout the research process conducted by ASPiiN. In particular, the research undertaken indicates that there is an increasing demand for suicide prevention training. So, to complement the guide, a Directory of Training Resources has been compiled to help provide tangible, practical support, including a list of where firms and individuals can go to get training.

The aim is to help financial advisers, along with the wider financial services community, to increase their understanding of the issues relating to suicide. This includes becoming more confident in identifying and dealing with customers, or potential customers, who may be suicidal.

ASPiiN

PROTECTION DISTRIBUTORS GROUP

SESAME BANKHALL GROUP

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I wasn’t looking forward to doing the training at first because it brings some uncomfortable thoughts to the forefront of your mind, and I don’t often like to reflect on my own mental health, but I did find it useful.

The main thing I took away from it was to be direct when talking to someone who might potentially be in a situation of thinking about suicide, rather than skirting around the issue. It’s something I didn’t fully appreciate before I did the training.

I’m not sure how confident I would be when faced with that situation, but hopefully my instincts would take over based on what I learnt.

Ultimately, I’m glad I did the training.

Nick

Talking about suicide Before producing any materials or communications about suicide, it is important to consider the language that we use when talking about this incredibly sensitive topic.

For example, certain ways of talking about suicide can be alienating, or in some instances could inadvertently contribute to suicide being seen by someone as a viable option for their immediate problem.

That’s why the use of appropriate language and terminology in communications and conversations with customers is so important.

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TALKING ABOUT SUICIDE: AN ADVISER’S GUIDE

To help financial advisers, set out below are four key guidelines that should be considered in every conversation about suicide, and in accompanying materials: Don’t refer to someone ‘committing suicide’ This is a familiar term but isn’t very sensitive. Suicide is not a crime, and the term ‘commit’ comes from a time when it was. Using this language can lead to stigma around suicide and some people can find it upsetting and inappropriate. ‘Taking your own life’ or ‘death by suicide’ or simply ‘suicide’ are more appropriate terms to use.

Stick to the facts Simple information is best. Don’t go into too much detail and refer on to qualified sources of help if needed.

Be careful when stating that life insurance could pay out for a death from suicide You don’t want to encourage suicide or make it seem like a possible solution to people’s troubles, so avoid terminology such as ‘don’t worry, life insurance does pay out for suicide’. Again, factual information is best, just as you would give if talking about another cause of death.

Consider your choice of imagery Even if a picture seems appropriate to you, think about whether it could spark emotions in someone looking at your company’s content, such as website, flyer, or email. For example, however beautiful a landscape is, it will not be appropriate if it includes areas or structures known to be where suicides often take place.

ASPiiN

PROTECTION DISTRIBUTORS GROUP

SESAME BANKHALL GROUP

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Insuring suicide There are many reasons why you may need to talk about protection insurance and related issues such as suicide in your conversations with customers, and in your promotional materials such as leaflets, brochures, or website.

You might want to match the level of information provided by competitors; it might form part of a package of information on a variety of health issues that affect your customers; or it might be something that you get asked questions about.

Whatever the reason, there are some things you should bear in mind when talking about suicide in any of your materials.

Where to start?

Assuming you know there is a need for information about suicide and you want to make it as relevant as possible, your next question will probably be…

Why might a customer want to learn more about suicide and insurance?

They might have lost someone to suicide and are trying to understand what happens next, or they might want to understand the details of what is covered in their own policy – whether they’re a new or existing customer. We may never really know which of these applies so it’s important to produce materials that cover the information from both perspectives.

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TALKING ABOUT SUICIDE: AN ADVISER’S GUIDE

People who have lost a loved one to suicide It is natural that after someone has taken their own life, family members will have questions about whether any insurance is valid and what processes they will need to go through to make a claim.

As you will know, any bereavement is extremely distressing, and bereavement by suicide can be particularly difficult. It is important that you signpost to sources of support and specialist bereavement services early in your conversations and materials. There are also specialist agencies dedicated to helping people in this situation such as the Support After Suicide Partnership.

If your customer could have access to support services via their policy, such as RedArc, Morgan Ash, Health Claims Bureau, Square Health, Teledoc Health or an Employee Assistance programme, then you will need to include prominent details about this in any literature or communication materials.

Dispelling the myth that insurance never pays out is an important first step, followed by a discussion of: •

The circumstances in which an insurer pays out for death by suicide.

•

The typical suicide exclusion clause and why it is there.

•

Where customers can find sources of independent help.

If it is appropriate, you can also provide links to further detailed information such as: •

The typical questions and information that the customer will need to provide to support a claim.

•

The possibility that the insurer will obtain medical records and the consent required for this to happen.

•

How long it will take.

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What happens if the company does not pay the claim and the typical appeals process that follows?

It may be that there is no claim involved but, having experienced the loss of someone close to them, the person seeking information is an existing policyholder looking to clarify their own cover.

Explaining how to do this and providing appropriate contact information is also important.

ASPiiN

PROTECTION DISTRIBUTORS GROUP

SESAME BANKHALL GROUP

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People who are seeking to understand whether suicide is covered in their existing policy Of course, it is possible that someone who is seeking this kind of information may be thinking of suicide and might be looking to understand whether their life insurance will be paid if they take their own life. This could be an existing customer with a policy already in place, or it could be a new customer looking to arrange insurance.

So, the very first thing your materials should do is signpost prominently and upfront to sources of help.

External charities should include national suicide prevention organisations, but if your customer base is local, you might also want to research local initiatives and include them in your materials. Getting to know them and asking for a review could also help you to check that your materials have the right tone and contain the right details.

You may even want to consider getting some training yourself before attempting to draft the information. For more information about this, head to the final section in this guide which contains a comprehensive Directory of Training Resources, providing information about free online training as well as more substantial courses.

Again, your existing customers may have access to personal sources of help through their policy. For example, this could include RedArc, Morgan Ash, Health Claims Bureau, Square Health, Teledoc Health, or an Employee Assistance programme. Whatever you have available, remind customers up-front that it is there and tell them the easiest possible route to access it.

“

The training has given me a valuable insight to be able to identify key triggers, behaviours, and patterns in not only family, friends, and colleagues, but complete strangers too. Hopefully having this knowledge will help me if I’m in the position to notice these patterns and be able to prevent someone from taking their own life.

Mental health and suicide have always been a somewhat triggering subject for me throughout my life. I really wanted to learn more and be able to help, if and where I could. I think that by doing this I’ll be more vigilant and talk up should I feel someone needs this support. Through the training I found that using real scenarios and language were very touching and really made me think about what I would do in that situation.

I have recently lost a friend to suicide, which has been so difficult for myself and so many others. I think that if more people have this valuable training it could help prevent more heartbreaking losses. I would urge anyone who can spare the time to undertake training – it really could save a life.

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Kellie-Louise

TALKING ABOUT SUICIDE: AN ADVISER’S GUIDE

Access to insurance for customers A lot of people seek information about suicide and insurance because they believe that they will have difficulty obtaining the cover they need due to a current or past medical issue.

So, after ensuring that information about the relevant products are available to your customers, the next priority should be to dispel some myths and provide accurate factual information about the process of applying for cover.

This should include a discussion of: •

The circumstances in which an insurer pays out for death by suicide.

•

The typical suicide exclusion clause and why it is there.

•

Where customers can find sources of help and specialist brokers.

If it is appropriate, you can also provide links to further detailed information such as: •

Confirmation that a past suicide attempt does not always mean that a customer can’t get insurance.

•

Confirmation that past or current mental illness does not always mean that a customer can’t get insurance.

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Confirmation that a family history of suicide or mental illness is not likely to affect their own chances of getting cover or the terms of that cover.

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The typical questions a customer will be asked when applying for insurance.

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Why it is important to give full and accurate information on application forms.

•

The possibility that the insurer will obtain medical records and the consent required for this to happen.

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How long it will take.

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What happens if the chosen company does not offer insurance, or offers terms that the customer is not happy with?

ASPiiN

PROTECTION DISTRIBUTORS GROUP

SESAME BANKHALL GROUP

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Directory of suicide prevention training About this directory For financial advisers and brokers involved in recommending insurance products, it may not be immediately obvious that knowledge of suicide prevention awareness and training could be worth adding to an already extensive skillset.

However, we know from claims experience that people sometimes do take their own lives and that they may have engaged in planning with the idea that insurance proceeds will help their families out of debt. That planning can involve phoning or writing to an adviser for advice on what might happen in the event of suicide.

We hope you never come across this situation, but if you do, being prepared and having the confidence to deal with the situation as professionally as possible may save a life.

What follows is a list of UK organisations that provide training and resources, much of it free and readily accessible. This is a starting point for what’s most applicable to your business and whether you are an individual or a large organisation, we hope you find the right fit for your needs in the sections below.

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TALKING ABOUT SUICIDE: AN ADVISER’S GUIDE

Free, online programmes The Zero Suicide Alliance The Zero Suicide Alliance is a collaborative of National Health Service trusts, businesses and individuals who are all committed to suicide prevention in the UK and beyond. The alliance is ultimately concerned with improving support for people contemplating suicide by raising awareness of and promoting free suicide prevention training that is accessible to all.

The aims of this training are to: Enable people to identify when someone is presenting with suicidal thoughts/behaviour, to be able to speak out in a supportive manner, and to empower them to signpost the individual to the correct services or support.

Access the Zero Suicide Alliance training

The Prince’s Responsible Business Network Business in the Community is the oldest and largest business-led membership organisation dedicated to responsible business, founded by Prince Charles 40 years ago.

They have partnered with Public Health England to produce an online interconnected suite of toolkits to help every organisation support the mental and physical health and wellbeing of its employees.

These materials are freely available and relevant to all employers, irrespective of your size, sector, or familiarity with the subject. They are designed to help employers take positive actions to build a culture that champions good mental and physical health and provide a greater understanding of how to help those who need more support. For larger organisations, the toolkits are also useful resources to share with businesses in your supply chain and across your network.

Access the Business in the Community toolkit

ASPiiN

PROTECTION DISTRIBUTORS GROUP

SESAME BANKHALL GROUP

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Training in the workplace Samaritans The Samaritans are possibly the best-known suicide prevention organisation and offer training, advice and services to business and individuals nationwide. They have several standard programmes but can also discuss bespoke training as needed.

The standard courses These usually run from 10am – 4pm on a single day and can accommodate up to 20 people.

Typical courses are: Conversations with vulnerable people: this course will benefit anyone whose role brings them into contact with vulnerable customers or colleagues.

Managing suicidal conversations: anyone whose role may bring them into direct contact with people who have suicidal feelings should attend this course.

Building resilience and wellbeing: this course is aimed at organisations that are committed to promoting emotional health and resilience in the workplace.

Managing vulnerable situations: this course is aimed at front-line support staff e.g. security guards and customer service personnel who support vulnerable people within a retail setting.

Open courses: whether you’re an individual or an employer who requires training for a small number of people, Samaritans has a choice of dates throughout the year.

Access the Samaritans training

Storm Skills Training Storm Skills Training are a not-for-profit social business committed to enhancing knowledge and skills in suicide prevention and self-harm mitigation.

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TALKING ABOUT SUICIDE: AN ADVISER’S GUIDE

Regional specialists Every region has a plethora of specialist organisations that are implementing the national strategies and resources outlined earlier. They can be found via internet searches using search terms such as the location you are looking for together with ‘suicide prevention’, ‘suicide awareness’, etc. A couple of examples are included below by way of illustration.

Grassroots (South East) Grassroots provides training to help promote mental health awareness, suicide alertness, and positive wellbeing. The training aims to help provide practical support within local groups, organisations, and communities.

Clients include both large and small organisations across South East England as well as individuals in Brighton & Hove and the surrounding areas.

Access the Grassroots training

Healthier Lancashire and South Cumbria Healthier Lancashire and South Cumbria have commissioned Lancashire MIND to deliver a range of training to help professionals and community members across Lancashire and South Cumbria grow in confidence and skills around talking about suicide and helping to prevent it. The training ranges from an initial Suicide Awareness Seminar, intermediate training, and Advanced Suicide Prevention Training. The training is offered free of charge to the public and voluntary sector but is chargeable to the private sector.

To book training, please contact admin@lancashiremind.org.uk Access the Healthier Lancashire and South Cumbria employers page

ASPiiN

PROTECTION DISTRIBUTORS GROUP

SESAME BANKHALL GROUP

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Additional national resources Time to Change Time to Change is a UK campaign to end discrimination and promote understanding of mental health. Employers can sign up to support the campaign and to access training resources.

LivingWorks Many local and national organisations are accredited to deliver the ASIST model of training. This was developed by LivingWorks and stands for Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training. Use the Find a Training link below to locate accredited providers.

Find accredited providers with LivingWorks

Suicide First Aid Suicide First Aid teaches the theory and practice of suicide intervention skills that can be applied in any professional or personal setting, captured in a oneday event accredited by City and Guilds of London. The content is delivered by experienced suicide prevention trainers for anyone seeking greater understanding and the confidence to intervene with people at risk of suicide.

Access a Suicide First Aid training course

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TALKING ABOUT SUICIDE: AN ADVISER’S GUIDE

Mental Health First Aid Mental Health First Aid deliver a variety of training on a range of mental health issues. These programmes are run by different organisations depending on where you are based.

Access Northern Ireland training programmes Access Wales training programmes This organisation holds the licence for MHFA delivery in Wales.

NSPA NSPA is an alliance of public, private, voluntary and community organisations in England who care about suicide prevention and are willing to take action to reduce suicide and support those affected by suicide. They offer a variety of resources, toolkits, and guides via the links below.

Access the NSPA resources

Give Us A Shout Give Us A Shout is a text-based intervention service for people in crisis. It offers an alternative way to communicate for those intimidated by making a phone call at a time of need.

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PROTECTION DISTRIBUTORS GROUP

SESAME BANKHALL GROUP

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ASPiiN

About ASPiiN Action for Suicide Prevention in Insurance (ASPiiN) is a voluntary industry group that has been set up to identify opportunities within our industry to contribute to preventing suicide, to support those affected by the impact of suicide and to act as a hub for sharing knowledge and engaging with groups within society who share our aims. The members of the working group come from a variety of operational roles including underwriting and claims. All have professional experience of the devastating impact of suicide and, supported by their companies, want to give their time to doing something about it. The people involved are: Jen Oakey, David Banks, Catherine Lyons, Danielle Archer, Fraser Ballantine, Helen Morris, Simon Corley, Vicki Livingstone and Karin Lloyd.

About PDG The Protection Distributors Group (PDG) is a group of protection distributors who focus on helping the protection industry to deliver better consumer outcomes by working with insurers, charities and other industry bodies.

The PDG has been involved in various industry initiatives, such as Access to Insurance, The Funeral Pledge and The Claims Charter.

About SBG Sesame Bankhall Group (SBG) brings together Sesame Network, Bankhall, and PMS Mortgage Club, and through our three brands, we reach over 10,000 professional financial advisers.

Together, we are one of the most influential voices in financial services in the UK. SBG is committed to providing exceptional service and support, going above and beyond to drive industry excellence, and empower advisers to reach their true potential.