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Saving Young Lives: Preventing Suicide in Children and Young People will focus on the urgent national priority of reducing preventable deaths by suicide and improving mental health support for children, young people and families. The conference comes at a critical time. In May 2026, the Department of Health and Social Care launched a call for evidence to inform a new cross-government Mental Health Strategy for England, setting a clear direction towards prevention, earlier intervention, faster access and whole-system support. DHSC has highlighted the need to shift mental health care from crisis response to earlier, more proportionate help, with particular focus on children and young people, school and college-based support, community services, neurodivergent children and young people, and groups experiencing inequalities in access and outcomes.
“This government believes that mental health should be treated with the same seriousness as physical health, yet too many people across the country are struggling to get the support they need, when they need it… this strategy will give mental health the attention it deserves and set us on a new direction — one that focuses on earlier help, faster access and a whole-system approach.”
Baroness Merron, Minister for Mental Health, Department of Health and Social Care, May 2026
Children and young people’s mental health remains under severe pressure. DHSC has confirmed that demand has risen rapidly, particularly among children and young people, and that too often support remains reactive, fragmented and inconsistent, with people only receiving help once they reach crisis point. The new strategy is intended to support a move towards earlier help, prevention and more joined-up support across health, education, social care, housing and wider public services.
“75% of mental health problems are established by age 24. This strategy provides an opportunity to establish children and young people’s mental health as a national policy priority, reducing the treatment gap facing children and young people and ultimately bringing down mental health need by supporting children and young people earlier and better.”
Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition, quoted by DHSC, May 2026
The most recent national suicide data underline the continuing need for sustained prevention. ONS figures show that 6,190 suicides were registered in England and Wales in 2024, a rate of 11.4 deaths per 100,000 people, similar to 2023. ONS has also highlighted that suicide remains one of the leading causes of death in children and young people, with concerning increases among children and young people over recent years.
“A death by suicide is devastating for those affected. While rates of suicide are highest in middle age, and particularly in men, there have been concerning increases among children and young people over recent years.”
Office for National Statistics, February 2025
The conference will also reflect the major shift in suicide prevention practice set out in NHS England’s Staying Safe from Suicide guidance. NHS England has made clear that static risk stratification into “low”, “medium” or “high” risk is flawed and should be replaced by collaborative safety assessment, formulation, safety planning and relational therapeutic engagement. This is particularly important for services working with children and young people, where distress, self-harm, suicidal thoughts and crisis can change rapidly.
Through national updates, expert sessions, lived experience insight and practical case studies, this conference will examine how services can move from prediction and risk labelling towards compassionate, evidence-based prevention. Sessions will explore how to recognise and respond to suicidal distress, improve safety planning, strengthen multi-agency working, support young people with self-harm, improve information sharing, and build earlier routes to help across CAMHS, schools, colleges, universities, primary care, voluntary sector services and crisis pathways.
The conference will also examine the impact of online harms. The Online Safety Act is now in force, and Ofcom has confirmed that platforms must prevent children from encountering suicide, self-harm and eating disorder content, using highly effective age assurance where required. This is an important update to the previous wording — it should now say Online Safety Act, not Online Safety Bill.
The day will include practical learning on supporting high-risk groups, including children and young people with autism, ADHD, special educational needs, care experience, trauma, bereavement, LGBTQ+ young people, and those from ethnic minority communities. The programme will also consider how services can support parents, carers, siblings, bereaved families and staff following a suicide or serious self-harm incident.
Benefits of attending. This conference will enable you to:
Network with colleagues working to reduce preventable suicides and save young lives
Understand the latest national policy direction, including the 2026 Mental Health Strategy call for evidence
Review current suicide data and evidence relating to children and young people
Move beyond “low/medium/high risk” stratification towards safety formulation and collaborative safety planning
Reflect on lived experience and bereaved family insight
Understand the impact of online suicide and self-harm content, and the implications of the Online Safety Act
Improve early intervention and preventative support in CAMHS, schools, colleges, universities and community settings
Learn how Early Support Hubs, Young Futures Hubs and Mental Health Support Teams can strengthen access to timely help
Improve support for children and young people in crisis
Strengthen multi-agency working across health, education, social care, safeguarding, police and voluntary sector partners
Improve information sharing to prevent suicide in children and young people
Understand the relationship between self-harm, suicidal distress and suicide prevention
Develop approaches for supporting high-risk groups, including autistic and neurodivergent children and young people
Improve support for parents, carers, siblings and bereaved families
Support staff wellbeing before, during and after serious incidents
Self-assess and reflect on your own practice
Support CPD and professional development, with 5 hours’ training subject to peer group approval for revalidation
