Glasgow City Suicide Prevention Training evaluation showcased at National NHS Scotland Event

Glasgow City's commitment to suicide prevention has been showcased on a national stage after the Glasgow City Suicide Prevention Partnership’s Training Subgroup was selected to present its poster, Suicide Prevention Training – Evaluating the Impact, at the recent, national NHS Scotland Event.

Held on 21 September at the Technology and Innovation Centre, University of Strathclyde, the national event brought together healthcare professionals and partners from across Scotland to share innovative practice and learning.

The Glasgow City poster was one of only 100 submissions selected from 340 abstracts, highlighting the significance of local work to evaluate the impact of suicide prevention training delivered across the city.

Every day, two people die by suicide in Scotland. Evidence shows that many people experiencing thoughts of suicide communicate their distress in some way, and that early intervention can help prevent suicide when staff and caregivers have the confidence and skills to respond effectively.

As part of Glasgow City's ongoing commitment to reducing suicide, and in support of Scotland's national suicide prevention strategy, Creating Hope Together, the Glasgow City Suicide Prevention Partnership delivers Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) and safeTALK training to frontline, interprofessional staff.

The poster showcased findings from the 2025 evaluation of these programmes, demonstrating how evidence-based training supports both local and national suicide prevention ambitions. The evaluation explored how participation in ASIST and safeTALK training influences confidence, willingness and capability to support someone experiencing thoughts of suicide. It also examined how participants apply the ASIST intervention model, the PAL framework and safeTALK techniques in practice.

Findings highlighted the positive impact of training in strengthening suicide awareness, intervention skills and organisational capacity, helping to build a workforce that is better equipped to support people in distress.

Larry Callary, Suicide Prevention Training Coordinator for Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership, said: “We are delighted that our poster was selected for presentation at this year’s NHS Scotland Event. Being chosen from such a large number of submissions reflects the importance of evaluating the impact of suicide prevention training and ensuring that our approach is informed by evidence.

“ASIST and safeTALK provide staff with practical skills and confidence to have potentially life-saving conversations. The evaluation demonstrates the value of investing in training that helps create a more suicide-aware and suicide-responsive workforce across Glasgow City.

“Suicide prevention is everyone's business, and by continuing to build knowledge, skills and confidence across our services and communities, we can help support those experiencing thoughts of suicide and contribute to saving lives.”

The poster showcase remains available online. Staff wishing to view the presentation can search for Larry Callary or Suicide Prevention Training – Evaluating the Impact within the NHS Scotland Event poster gallery.

Suicide prevention training continues to be available to staff across Glasgow City HSCP.

For further information, contact Larry Callary at larry.callary@nhs.scot