Deputy Prime Minister Andy Burnham has expressed support for mandatory suicide prevention training for social workers across England following the death of Matilda Davis, a parent-carer who took her own life shortly after meeting with professionals.
According to The Guardian, the 36-year-old former art teacher died on 3 October last year, just minutes after an emotional meeting with social workers who had not received suicide prevention training. Davis had been caring full-time for her seven-year-old disabled son whilst struggling with her looming divorce and feeling “completely exhausted” by England’s social care system.
The case was raised at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday by Manuela Perteghella, the Liberal Democrat MP for Stratford-upon-Avon, where Davis lived. Perteghella told the House of Commons that her constituent had provided round-the-clock care but “received almost no support leaving her physically and emotionally exhausted”.
Social workers failed to ask crucial question
At Davis’s inquest in March, social workers admitted they did not ask whether she had thoughts of suicide, despite being aware she was in significant distress. They also failed to direct her to crisis organisations, the inquest heard.
The coroner, Deborah Sewell, responded by issuing a rare prevention of future deaths notice ordering Warwickshire council to make suicide prevention training mandatory for 600 members of staff, primarily social workers.
Perteghella highlighted University of Birmingham research showing that 41 per cent of parent-carers have contemplated suicide, and asked Burnham to meet her and Davis’s family to discuss mandatory training across all local authorities.
Burnham replied that he would ensure a minister meets the MP to discuss the proposal, adding: “I find myself in agreement with it.”
Family calls for national change
Davis’s brother, Joel Harley-Davis, said the family was “really reassured” by Burnham’s response and that his sister would have been “proud” to make a positive difference.
“We all believe that this training would have been enough to save Matilda’s life. If those social workers had asked her [whether she was considering ending her life] Matilda was so honest she would have said yes,” he said.
Harley-Davis, 30, warned that allowing councils to decide whether to implement the training would create a “postcode lottery”. He emphasised that his sister felt “failed and let down” by England’s social care system and was passionate about advocating on behalf of other parent-carers.
Guidance issued by the mental health charity Mind states that it is best practice not to “skirt around the topic of suicide” and instead ask direct questions such as “Are you having suicidal thoughts?” when speaking to someone who might want to kill themselves.
Burnham praised Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey for his campaigning on behalf of unpaid carers, noting that these individuals often gave up work and other commitments whilst saving the government billions of pounds to look after severely disabled loved ones, but could “sink under their responsibilities and find it very, very difficult”.
What this means for Poles in the UK
Polish families in the UK caring for disabled children or relatives may face similar pressures to those experienced by Matilda Davis. If you are an unpaid carer struggling with mental health difficulties, it is important to know that social workers and other professionals should be trained to identify suicide risk and offer appropriate support.
Parent-carers can access support through local authority social services, which should conduct assessments of both the person being cared for and the carer’s own needs. If you feel you are not receiving adequate support, you can request a carer’s assessment from your local council.
Mental health support is available through the NHS via your GP, or in a crisis you can contact the Samaritans on freephone 116 123. Polish-speaking support is available through organisations such as Polish Psychologists (polishpsychologists.co.uk). If you are a parent-carer and feel overwhelmed, it is crucial to seek help early rather than waiting until you reach a crisis point.
