Suicide remains one of the leading causes of death in the UK, with many having contact with public sector services before they die. Most workers receive no training on suicide and don’t feel confident asking about it or connecting someone to help.

A person's safety shouldn't be up to luck on whether they happen to come across a trained staff member or not. According to Samaritans, suicide costs the UK £1.5 million per life lost, totalling £9.58 billion in 2022. Providing training to all frontline public-sector workers would cost only a fraction of this, making it both morally and financially beneficial.