Implementing a personalised approach to risk

We are supporting mental health organisations to implement a personalised approach to suicide risk assessment. This is part of NHS England’s Culture Change Improvement Programme.  

We will be:  

• Providing expert advice to support mental health organisations to move away from using risk assessment scales and tools, and towards a personalised approach to risk.  
• Bringing together evidence and guidance specific to suicide risk assessment and management. 
• Promoting and sharing learning to help staff working in mental health services to understand the benefits of personalising risk assessment.  

On this page:

• Useful videos
• Examples of good practice
• Learning events
• Workshops
• Evidence and guidance

Useful videos

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Examples of good practice: adopting a personalised approach to risk

These infographics summarise work within mental health organisations to adopt a personalised approach to risk: why action was undertaken, what changes were made and what the outcomes were.

You can also watch presentations from mental health organisations who have implemented or are moving towards a personalised approach to risk. 

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Learning events

Our learning events include contributions from:

• People with lived experience of being assessed for suicide risk.
• Experts in neurodiversity, learning disability, racial equity, trauma and quality improvement who are helping to deliver the Culture of Care programme.
• Organisations that have adopted a personalised approach to suicide risk assessment.

Recordings and resources for each learning event can be found below:

• 22 October 2024 – Carer involvement in self-harm and suicide prevention
• 17 December 2024 – Menstrual health, premenstrual dysmorphic disorder: self-harm and suicide prevention
• 11 February 2025 – The integrated motivational–volitional model of suicidal behaviour
• 8 April 2025 – Safer care, deconstructing the diagnosis of ‘personality disorder’, and considerations for assessment
• 10 June 2025 – Safety plans for self-harm and suicide
• 22 October 2025 – Racial equity, self-harm, and suicide prevention
• 10 November 2025 – Observation, self-harm, and suicide risk: the importance of emotional and psychological safety
• 29 January 2026 – Domestic and sexual violence
• 27 March 2026 – Enabling advocacy and positive cultural change for self-harm and suicide prevention

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Workshops

The aim of the workshops is to share learning and experiences across all organisations on the personalised approach to risk programme. The recording, slides and agenda for each workshop can be found below. 

• 29 July 2025 – Year 1 and Year 2 shared learning
• 9 December 2025 – Emotional co-regulation and relational care, self-harm, suicide and assessments
• 12 January 2026 – Coroners and suicide prevention 
• 17 February 2026 – Whole organisation personalised approach to risk transformation, pilot sites and change ideas in action

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Evidence and guidance around personalised risk assessment

• Clinical guidelines on risk assessment 
• NCISH evidence on suicide risk assessment in UK mental health services 
• Risk assessment scales, categories and tools should not be used to predict suicide risk 
• The role of health professionals in assessing suicide risk 
• The importance of psychosocial assessment following self-harm 
• Prompt aftercare to psychological therapies following self-harm 
• Cost-effectiveness of psychosocial assessments 

Other evidence and perspectives on risk assessment

Many colleagues are engaged in wider work across the NHS with related online resources.

This NHS Futures webpage, for example, has a library of resources with information related to risk assessment, safety planning and the Staying Safe from Suicide guidance.

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