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Hairdressers trained to deal with suicidal clients
Date Added: 2009-09-08
A new training progamme, dealing with suicide prevention, is set to be rolled out in Northern Ireland to capitalise on the unique relationship between client and hairdresser.
To kickstart the programme, a specialist event, led by the Belfast-based Public Initiative for the Prevention of Suicide and Self-harm (Pips) is set to take place on 27th September at a local salon and will feature advice and information for hairdressers and barbers about how to spot vulnerable people who might be contemplating taking their own lives.
A spokeswoman for Pips said the idea came about after volunteers conducted some anecdotal research suggesting that hairdressers were often told intimate secrets by their clients. "Quite often people find it ok to open up to people they don't know well," She said.
Pips are also planning to roll out the programme to include a wider geographical area. Originally launched in Belfast last year, the training is now being piloted by Hair Traffic, a 500-strong student hairdressing academy.
"At the moment we don't have any funding, but we have applied for it and if succesful we would hope to push the programme forward and take it further a-field", the spokeswoman added.
The scheme involves training staff to notice when someone is vulnerable so they can suggest counselling and pass on cards and leaflets from organisations that might help.
Northern Ireland has the fourth highest youth suicide rate in Europe, with more than 700 people taking their own lives last year. Philip McTaggart established Pips in 2003 after his son, Pip, killed himself and he discovered that there was little help available for families in his situation.
