× Search rightsnet
Search options

Where

Benefit

Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction

From

to

Forum Home  →  Discussion  →  Access to justice and advice sector issues  →  Thread

Jobcentre Plus staff given “suicide” threat guidance

Paul Treloar
forum member

Head of Policy, LASA

Send message

Total Posts: 842

Joined: 6 January 2011

A rather disturbing story from today’s Guardian about staff working for jobcentres and Department for Work and Pensions contractors being given guidelines on how to deal with suicide threats from claimants as the squeeze on benefits takes hold. The document, sent to jobcentre staff in April, details what it calls a “new policy for all DWP businesses to help them manage suicide and self-harm declarations from customers”.

The guidelines include a “six-point plan” for staff to follow which says: “Some customers may say they intend to self-harm or kill themselves as a threat or a tactic to ‘persuade’, others will mean it. It is very hard to distinguish between the two … For this reason, all declarations must be taken seriously.”

Jobcentre staff ‘sent guidelines on how to deal with claimants’ suicide threats’

dbcwru
forum member

Darlington Welfare Rights, Darlington Borough Council

Send message

Total Posts: 114

Joined: 22 June 2010

There might not have been written guidance but there has always been formal guidance about suicide threats-they should all be taken seriously and ive not worked in the DSS for 6 years, so this is not a new thing by any means.