The Zero Suicide Alliance (ZSA) has signed a contract with the Government to provide funding for their award-winning suicide prevention training and development of future digital resources.

Joe Rafferty, Chief Executive of Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust and one of the founder members of the ZSA, put pen to paper on the contract today, which has been supported by Jackie Doyle-Price MP, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention.

This important milestone means the ZSA is able to continue to progress its three main aims:

  • to train a million people in suicide prevention
  • to develop a world-leading ‘go-to’ digital resource of best practice suicide prevention learning accessible to all
  • to develop a culture change awareness training package for Boards to encourage understanding of the impact of a Just and Learning Culture on suicide prevention.

The contract signing follows an announcement by the Government which encouraged all 1.2 million NHS staff to take the ZSA suicide prevention training, which has been developed with clinical expertise of Mersey Care staff, experience of those who have lived through suicide and leading e-learning provider Relias UK.