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  3. COVENTRY AND WARWICKSHIRE ORGANISATIONS COME TOGETHER AT SUICIDE PREVENTION AND HARM REDUCTION EVENT (current)

COVENTRY AND WARWICKSHIRE ORGANISATIONS COME TOGETHER AT SUICIDE PREVENTION AND HARM REDUCTION EVENT

12 February 2026

In October 2025, professionals and partners from across Coventry and Warwickshire came together at Benn Hall, Rugby, for the Coventry and Warwickshire Suicide Prevention Network’s Annual Event that focused on improving outcomes for people with co-occurring mental health, alcohol and drug (COMHAD) needs.

The event, held in partnership with the local Reducing Drug and Alcohol Related Deaths and Harms sub-group, brought together around 60 delegates from across health, local government, Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sectors.

Organisations represented included Coventry City Council (CCC), Warwickshire County Council (WCC), Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust (CWPT), Coventry, Warwickshire and Worcestershire Mind (CWWM), and Change, Grow, Live (CGL).

The day-long programme was opened by Sam Starling (CWWM), Chair of the Coventry and Warwickshire Suicide Prevention Network and featured a range of presentations exploring how to bridge the gap between mental health and alcohol and drugs support services.

Speakers included experts such as Laura Pain (WCC), James Baker (CWPT), Iulia Boldis (CCC), Molly Cox (CGL), and Michela Hughes (CWWM). Their talks covered topics from data surveillance and language use to co-occurring care and harm reduction strategies.

Attendees also participated in a tabletop exercise analysing real-life case studies to identify opportunities for improving multi-agency responses. The discussions highlighted key priorities such as:

  • Strengthening joint working across health, social care, and community organisations.
  • Tackling stigma and ensuring person-centred, respectful language.
  • Improving access to services, especially in rural areas, through outreach and “no wrong front door” approaches.
  • Developing one-stop community hubs to streamline support for those in crisis.

Participants were asked to make commitments that they would take away from the event and there was a real sense of a consensus around the need to improve collaboration and accessibility across services. Individual pledges included:

  • Promoting respectful, person-centred language
  • Sharing COMHAD policies and best practice
  • Building stronger professional relationships between mental health and alcohol and drugs support services
  • Increasing staff confidence in discussing suicide prevention

Feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive. One participant from Kairos Women Working Together described the day as: "Amazing! Very informative, and we made some great connections.” A representative from Warwickshire Police added:

“A great event – some interesting discussions and new connections made.”

Following the event, the insights and commitments from the day have helped to shape future plans. The lessons from the day have also been fed into local strategies and wider suicide prevention work, strengthening access to mental health and alcohol and drugs support services for people across Coventry and Warwickshire.

Councillor Anne-Marie Sonko, Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and Health at Warwickshire County Council said:

"We know that one in four of us will experience suicidal thoughts at some point in our lives. Events like this are crucial because they bring together expertise and compassion to ensure that people in our communities can access the right support when they need it most. By working collaboratively, we can reduce stigma and save lives."

Cllr Kamran Caan, Cabinet Member for Sport and Public Health at Coventry City Council, said:

“This event demonstrated the strength of partnership working across Coventry and Warwickshire, as well as the commitment there is to continue to look at ways we can all improve support to those who might be at risk of suicide. Early intervention is key, and events like this are key to ensuring that we are delivering person-centred care in a way that meets local people’s needs.”

You can read a full report on the event here. A video has also been created that gives an insight into the event and features a number of attendees talking about their reflections, you can watch that below: 

 


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