The document discusses a partnership approach to providing support for self-harm among young people. It summarizes research findings from exploratory research and feedback surveys on a website providing resources on self-harm. The research found that young people experienced barriers to seeking help such as stigma and a lack of understanding. Partners from different organizations collaborated to create the website and resource hub to provide peer support, advice, and help in a non-judgemental way. The partnership model allowed each organization to contribute their expertise to create a comprehensive resource that individual organizations could not have achieved alone.

1. ‘Self-Harm: Recovery, Advice and Support’ - helping young people affected by self-harm through partnership work December 1st, 2009

2. Today’s presentations: ‘Truth Hurts’: National Inquiry into Self-harm among Young People – the need for better support.Catherine McLoughlin CBE ‘Self-Harm: Recovery, Advice and Support’ – exploratory and evaluative research findings. Sarah McCoy, Research Manager, YouthNet 3. Partnership work – how a consortium approach to self-harm provision can provide greater benefits for young people. Paul Marriot – CEO, Depaul UK 4. Question & Answer session Led by Martyn Lewis CBE

3. ‘Truth Hurts’: National Inquiry into Self-harm among Young People – the need for better support. Catherine McLoughlin CBE Chair of the National Inquiry panel

4. Exploratory and evaluative research Sarah McCoy Research Manager, YouthNet

7. 398 respondents (25th November 2009)

8. Self-selecting sample

9. Online discussion

10. Seven participants recruited through feedback survey

12. Care for researcher

13. Aftercare

15. Experience of seeking help

17. Disclosure Secrecy Trust “I think I talked to my mum first. She raided my room and took everything away that I could do any harm with. I didn’t see the point because if you want to hurt yourself you can find anything – there’s loads of potential stuff. Her reaction made things worse. Just the reaction. It was like maybe I should keep this stuff secret!” Nessie, 21

18. Finding help Pigeon-holing and stereotypes Access Barriers Negative attitudes and lack of understanding Intimidating environments

19. Finding help Pigeon-holing and stereotypes “I don’t think I would have started self-harming if I had not had to wait 18 months! Self-harming was a way of communicating when something got worse, although it was not something I showed anyone. For me it became a way to acknowledge a was feeling crap.” Maeve, 24 Barriers Negative attitudes and lack of understanding Intimidating environments

20. Finding help “There are some aspects I fit quite well with but lots of aspects I don’t fit, so this is why they are confused. There is no clear diagnosis because some of the symptoms contradict each other. They just want to put you in a box with a label – “You’ve got that. Here’s the medication to help”. Maeve, 24 Access Barriers Negative attitudes and lack of understanding Intimidating environments

21. Finding help Pigeon-holing and stereotypes Access Barriers Recording from focus group in Liverpool, October 2009

23. Non-judgemental

25. Facts

26. Distraction strategies

27. Focus on general wellbeing

29. Questionnaire design

31. Experience of section

33. Pages viewed - 25,000+ each month since launch

34. Average session duration – Approx. 3.5 minutes

35. 80% of visitors from the UK

37. Three in ten (31%) had clear intentions to take further action

38. Four in ten (39%) thought their visit would help their situation“The website has given me further understanding of why my friend self-harms. This will be very useful for when I talk to her in the future as it has removed my misconceptions.” “I have made an appointment with my GP to seek help and get my self-harming habits and depression under control.” “I will encourage my partner to ask for help for his problem.” “Employ some of the distraction methods suggested.” “Visit the site more often when I’m feeling down, depressed or suicidal.”

39. Exceeding expectations “Other sites tend to have little information, but here it looks inviting and there’re so many links to really helpful areas that other sites just don’t have. I’d say it’s the only place that really helped me stop when I had nobody else to turn to. My first impression was positive, all the vibrant colours and the fact it just looks normal doesn’t make you feel like you shouldn’t be reading up on self-harm. Other sites tend to be plain with small writing and it puts you off a little. But here it invites you to read more and makes you feel in a way accepted.” Female, 17

41. Artwork and ‘look and feel’

43. “Don’t ask me to stop”

44. Focus on promotion

45. Development of key aspects of TheSite.org/selfharm

46. Facilitation of experience sharing

47. Breaking down stereotypes

48. Damage minimisation

50. The partners YouthNet 42nd Street Depaul UK New media Communicating and connecting with young people Experience of communicating with young people who are at a particular disadvantage 24/7 infrastructure Provision of age appropriate advice and information on mental health issues including self harm Delivery of therapeutic Interventions EXPERTISE Youth engagement and consultation Technical infrastructure and web functionality Day-to-day operational work DELIVERY

52. Video and podcasts

53. Confidential Q&A service

54. Public Q&A archive

55. Peer support via moderated discussion boards

56. Chat sessions

59. The partners YouthNet Depaul UK 42nd Street New media Communicating and connecting with young people Experience of communicating with young people who are at a particular disadvantage 24/7 infrastructure Provision of age appropriate advice and information on mental health issues including self harm Delivery of therapeutic Interventions EXPERTISE Youth engagement and consultation Technical infrastructure and web functionality Day-to-day operational work Provision of IAG on askTheSite Creative content created by young people Moderation of the self harm discussions boards DELIVERY

61. The partners YouthNet Depaul UK 42nd Street New media Communicating and connecting with young people Experience of communicating with young people who are at a particular disadvantage 24/7 infrastructure Provision of age appropriate advice and information on mental health issues including self harm Delivery of therapeutic Interventions EXPERTISE Youth engagement and consultation Technical infrastructure and web functionality Day-to-day operational work Provision of IAG on askTheSite Content created by young people Moderation of the self harm discussions boards DELIVERY Scoping and delivery of editorial content, community and service provision, consultation with, and involvement of, young people affected by self harm, strategic governance

63. Clearly defined governance and reporting to funder

65. Open and regular communication

67. Infrastructure

70. Online communication

73. Outreach and signposting

76. New funding opportunities

77. Gain of some profile

79. Take the time to build a strong consortium

80. Adopt a project management culture

81. Define clear roles and responsibilities for each partner involved

82. Mutual respect is crucial

83. Embrace and managing risk

84. Recognise collaboration costs money

85. Adopt a learning culture

86. Open and regular communication

87. Collaboration often starts at the top but should be operational too

88. Set excellence as a standard for everything you do

90. Question & Answer session

91. Thank you!