How Storm training aligns with the new British Standard
November 2025 marked an important milestone for workplace safety and wellbeing with the publication of British Standard (BS) 30480: Suicide and the workplace by the UK’s national standards body, the British Standards Institution (BSI).
As the world’s first national standard focused on suicide in the workplace, this represents a significant step toward creating safer, more supportive work environments for everyone.
Before reading the blog:
This report mentions topics related to self-harm and suicide which may potentially lead to distress. Before you read the guidance, check in with yourself. How are you feeling today? If you were negatively impacted or affected, who would you contact for support? Support is available from Samaritans, for free, 24/7. Phone 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org.uk.
“When suicide affects a workplace, its impact often ripples wider than expected, leaving people unsure how best to respond - what to say, what not to say and where to get help. Drawing on over 30 years of Storm Skills Training’s experience in suicide and self-harm prevention training, we want to support all teams to build the confidence, knowledge and skills needed to respond well, safely and compassionately. No matter your level of experience, knowledge or field of work – we are here to help”
— Bianca Romanyk, CEO, Storm Skills Training CIC
BS 30480 is intended to support organisations and managers in addressing suicide in the workplace, from prevention and early response through to supporting people affected by suicide. It brings together guidance on organisational policies and systems with practical approaches that help workplaces respond safely and appropriately when people are experiencing distress, supporting someone else, or affected by suicide.
The standard provides a flexible, evidence-based framework that organisations of all sizes can adopt. It supports teams to take meaningful and proportionate steps towards suicide awareness, intervention, and support.
The guidance is clear and practical, helping people to recognise risk, respond appropriately, and offer support in ways that are appropriate for workplace contexts.
With over 30 years of experience, Storm Skills Training CIC provides high-quality, evidence-based training in suicide and self-harm prevention, including assessment and safety planning. Our latest package, Version 5 (V5), incorporates the most up-to-date research, best practices, and insights from lived experience.
For most workplaces, we recommend our Foundation or Intermediate level courses.
The Foundation course is designed for people who are new to talking about suicide and self-harm, while the Intermediate course is suited to those in roles and or settings where the team member has some responsibility for the wellbeing of individuals, this may be line management, human resources, or wellbeing.
Both courses support staff to build the confidence, knowledge and skills needed to respond well, safely and compassionately, no matter their level of experience, knowledge, or field of work. Whilst we cover suicide and self-harm directly, we also cover many other skills that are useful for engaging and responding to someone who is stressed or distressed.
How Storm Skills Training meets BSI's principles for commissioning suicide prevention training
Below, we show how Storm Skills Training meets the principles for commissioning suicide prevention training set out in Annex A of BS 30480. The sections that follow describe how our Version 5 training is designed, delivered, and continually evaluated to support safe, effective practice across a range of workplace contexts.
A) Trauma-informed practice
How Storm Skills Training meets this
Storm Skills Training embeds trauma-informed principles throughout the entire learning experience, grounded in clarity, containment, and compassion.
This begins before the course, through clear pre-course information and our Full Participation Policy, supporting learners to assess emotional readiness, plan self-care, and request adjustments where needed.
At the start of training and throughout, facilitators explicitly acknowledge that suicide and self-harm content may be emotive, establish expectations around emotional safety, and emphasise a skills-focused (not personal disclosure-focused) approach.
Facilitators actively and sensitively limit personal disclosure, redirect discussion where necessary, and provide timely, compassionate support if distress arises.
Participants are empowered to prioritise their wellbeing, including stepping back from learning if the timing is not right for them.
B) Use of externally recognised guidance and standards
How Storm Skills Training meets this
Storm Skills Training Version 5 (V5) aligns with key national guidance and standards, including:
- NICE Guideline NG225 (Self-harm: assessment, management and preventing recurrence)
- Health Education England Self-Harm and Suicide Prevention Competence Framework
- NHS England Staying Safe from Suicide Guidance
- BS 30480: Suicide and the workplace by the UK’s national standards body, BSI
All courses delivered directly by Storm Skills Training hold CPD accreditation through The CPD Certification Service.
C) Competent and appropriately qualified trainers
How Storm Skills Training meets this
Training delivered by Storm Skills Training is facilitated by experienced training consultants, and frontline mental health practitioners.
Facilitators combine clinical expertise with advanced facilitation skills, enabling training to be delivered sensitively, safely, and effectively.
Our consultant team is professionally diverse and unified by a shared commitment to Storm Skills Training’s mission of losing fewer lives to self-harm and suicide.
D) Evidence-based content
How Storm Skills Training meets this
In addition to our training meeting key national guidance and standards as outlined above, we keep our training updated to reflect the latest research, best practice, and insights from lived experience.
Storm Skills Training originated from peer-reviewed academic research, and research remains central to our work.
Peer-reviewed studies over more than 20 years demonstrate improvements in practitioners’ confidence, skills, knowledge, and attitudes following Storm Skills Training.
In addition to evidence demonstrating the efficacy of our training, our content is rigorously developed to ensure quality. Version 5 (V5) was developed through:
- robust evidence review
- academic consultation
- lived experience input
- stakeholder advisory consultation
- pilot testing to ensure alignment with current best practice.
We routinely collect and use evaluation data to support continuous improvement.
This level of rigour supports organisations to commission training with confidence, knowing that their staff are receiving high‑quality, evidence‑based learning.
E) Involvement of lived experience
How Storm Skills Training meets this
Lived experience has informed the development of Storm Skills Training for many years and was integral to Version 5 (V5). We worked with the National Suicide Prevention Alliance and lived experience contributors during development. Their perspectives were represented across all V5 advisory groups and were part of the pilot sessions. We also delivered a Version 4 session specifically asking for their feedback on what they would like to see in Version 5.
Ongoing lived experience input is maintained through our Training Quality and Evaluation Advisory Group.
F) Focus on practical, transferable skills
How Storm Skills Training meets this
Practical skills development is central to the Storm Skills Training model.
Our courses focus on what to say, how to say it, and how to respond safely and confidently to distress, self-harm, and suicide risk.
In our Intermediate Level training, nearly 50% of learning time is dedicated to skills development, including observed and filmed roleplay, feedback, and reflection.
G) Support for participants
How Storm Skills Training meets this
Participant support is embedded at every stage of training.
Pre-course guidance supports emotional readiness and self-care planning. During delivery, facilitators check in regularly and respond sensitively to distress.
Clear, compassionate options are available if participants need to step away, with appropriate signposting and support offered.
H) Cultural, contextual and individual sensitivity
How Storm Skills Training meets this
Storm Skills Training adopts a person-centred, culturally curious approach, supporting participants to explore how social context, identity, culture, neurodiversity, and lived experience shape expressions of distress.
Bias, inequality, and assumptions are part of the content. Training scenarios can be tailored to organisational and population-specific contexts.
Neurodiversity is an area of active development, informed by our Advisory Group and partner organisations.
I) Sustainability and ongoing development
How Storm Skills Training meets this
Storm Skills Training offers tiered learning pathways, enabling organisations to build sustainable suicide prevention capability across roles and responsibilities.
Refresher training is recommended every three years for participants and required every three years for Version 5 facilitators.
As a not-for-profit organisation, all income is reinvested into training quality, evaluation, and development aligned with our mission.
BS 30480 provides organisations with clarity about what good practice looks like when addressing suicide in the workplace. Annex A builds on this by supporting employers to commission training that is safe, evidence‑based, and proportionate to their context.
The standard is relevant to organisations of all sizes and across all sectors. It is particularly useful for those with responsibility for people, wellbeing, learning and development, health and safety, and organisational culture. For HR professionals, wellbeing leads, line managers, senior leaders, and those involved in commissioning or procuring training, BS 30480 offers clear guidance on selecting suicide prevention training that is appropriate for workplace settings.
Storm Skills Training CIC is proud to align with these principles. Through our Version 5 training, we support organisations to build confidence, capability, and care in responding to suicide risk and supporting people affected by suicide at work.
You can download this information as a flyer outlining Storm’s alignment with BS 30480, read more about the standard on BSI’s website, or contact us to discuss training options suited to your organisation’s needs. We would love to hear from you – enquiries@stormskillstraining.com.
