Adviser network Sesame Bankhall Group is supporting publication of a new guide which will help support advisers talking about suicide-related issues with their clients. 

The publication has been timed for today which is World Suicide Prevention Day.

The guide was developed by Action for Suicide Prevention in Insurance (ASPiiN), a voluntary group of individuals working in the protection insurance sector who have a professional or personal experience of the impact of suicide. 

The guidance includes:

• Why a customer may want to talk about suicide when discussing insurance
• Signposting to sources of information and support
• Access to insurance for customers
• Language to use

The guide has been developed by ASPiiN and published in partnership with the Protection Distributors Group (PDG) and Sesame Bankhall Group (SBG), with guidance and support from the Samaritans.  

Sesame says suicide is a major global issue with one person taking their lives around the world every 40 seconds, resulting in more than 700,000 deaths every year.

Sesame says: “For every suicide, there’s a partner, a family, a friend, a colleague devastated by their loss.”

ASPiiN’s research indicates an increasing demand for suicide prevention training. With this in mind, a Directory of Training Resources has been compiled to help provide practical support, including a list of where firms and individuals can get training.

The aim of the guide is to help financial advisers and the wider financial services community increase their understanding of issues relating to suicide. This includes becoming more confident in identifying and supporting customers, or potential customers, who may be suicidal.

Fraser Ballantine, chair, Action for Suicide Prevention in Insurance (ASPiiN), said: “I learned the heart-breaking, very personal impact of suicide when my best friend took his own life. Through ASPiiN’s work we know that financial advisers can find themselves in difficult conversations with customers and want help on how to respond. ASPiiN’s aim is to help advisers to have empathetic, clear, and open conversations about mental health challenges and suicide with customers. 

“Working with the Samaritans, we’ve produced guidance that we hope will help financial advisers create content for websites and digital communications that talk about suicide and raise awareness. There’s also a suicide prevention training directory filled with organisations and resources that can help. Our aim is to help develop a valuable resource for the whole industry. By working together, we can hopefully help prevent suicide from affecting more customers and friends.”

Alan Knowles, managing director at Cura Financial Services, and chair of the Protection Distributors Group (PDG) added: “As advisers, many of us are also the first port of call for a claim. This means that we may receive calls from people who have just lost a parent, partner, or child. We may find ourselves speaking to customers in some of their most vulnerable times. We wanted to support ASPiiN in this important work, as we believe that advisers have a duty in helping to identify clients, who may be at risk.”

Michele Golunska, CEO at Sesame Bankhall Group (SBG) said: “The suicide of a family member, colleague or a friend causes great distress, and casts a very long shadow for those who are left behind. Financial advisers might find themselves in a situation where they have real concerns over a customer’s health and welfare. Financial advisers are professionals in what they do, but they are not trained counsellors.

"We need to help equip them with the right information, so they can signpost customers to the right sources of expert assistance. SBG’s support for this initiative builds on the extensive work already undertaken by ASPiiN in partnership with the PDG. It’s an initiative that’s been developed by a range of industry experts with knowledge of this subject working collaboratively. If it has a positive impact on just one person’s life, then the effort will be worthwhile.” 

• The guide can be viewed here: https://issuu.com/sesamebankhallgroup/docs/suicide-prevention-brochure-online?fr=sODQwZjQyMTMzNjM 

• If you find yourself needing any help with suicidal or harmful thoughts you can contact the Samaritans – day or night, 365 days a year. You can call them for free on 116 123, email them at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.