Highlights from our resource library (3)
Welcome to this week’s highlights from our resource library, where I share three valuable resources that can inspire, inform, or support you in your work and life. Each Friday, I choose resources that I’ve found meaningful, helpful, or thought-provoking – and I hope you find them just as useful.
1. Zero Suicide Alliance – Free Online Suicide Awareness Training
Suicide remains a major public health issue. In England and Wales, suicide is three times more common among men than women, and the gap between sexes has widened over time. In 2023, 7,055 deaths in the UK were recorded as suicide.
(Source: House of Commons Library, 2025 – Suicide Statistics)
Any death is a tragedy, but reaching the point where ending your own life feels like the only option is even more so. I’ve been at that crisis point twice in my life, so I know the desperation and loss of hope that can accompany such thoughts. I’m deeply grateful for the support that enabled me to step back from the brink and now live a happy, fulfilled life.
Often, all it takes is the right intervention at the right time by the right person. The Zero Suicide Alliance offers an excellent, free 30‑minute online training to help you recognise the warning signs of suicide and know how to respond.
The training covers:
· Suicide risk factors and warning signs
· Real‑life scenarios showing how to talk to someone in crisis
· Powerful videos of people sharing lived experiences
· Guidance on where to find support
In addition to the generic suicide awareness course, ZSA provide free specialist training for those working in the fields of autism, prisons, probation, taxi and private hire, university and veterans’ services.
👉 Start the free training here – It could help you save a life.
2. Autism and Homelessness Toolkit – Homeless Link
Through both personal and professional experiences with autistic young people, I’ve seen the additional challenges they face in daily life. However, until recently, I hadn’t truly considered how they might experience homelessness.
Life on the streets is incredibly hard for anyone – but for autistic individuals, the sensory overload, lack of structure, and barriers to accessing services can make it even more overwhelming and isolating.
The Autism and Homelessness Toolkit has been created for homelessness service providers to better understand and support autistic people experiencing homelessness. It’s an invaluable resource for anyone working with vulnerable individuals who want to create more accessible and effective support.
👉 Read the Autism and Homelessness Toolkit
3. Sociopath: A Memoir – Patric Gagne (2025)
This honest and powerful memoir tells the story of Patric Gagne, a woman navigating life with sociopathy while trying to understand her emotional detachment. It’s a fascinating, moving account that challenges many assumptions about sociopathy.
One of my roles is as an associate trainer, delivering online safeguarding sessions for Probation Officers on behalf of the Ministry of Justice. I always start sessions by asking for book or film recommendations – and this memoir was one of those suggestions.
A good friend once joked that my heart is “nothing more than a swinging brick!” While I’m not the most outwardly affectionate person, my closest family would agree that I can be highly emotional (and not just after a glass of wine!). I have no doubt that my own Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have shaped my emotional intelligence, and I sometimes wonder how much of that may carry through my family line.
Patric’s story resonated deeply with me. Her insights into emotional detachment are both enlightening and heartbreaking – and the book offers a rare, unfiltered perspective on a condition that is often misunderstood.
👉 Discover Sociopath: A Memoir
Final Thoughts
I hope these resources give you something valuable to explore this week. If you try any of them, I’d love to hear your thoughts or recommendations.
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