Andy Burnham, speaking at prime minister’s questions, indicated support for extending mandatory suicide prevention training to all local authorities in England following the case of Matilda Davis, a 36-year-old parent-carer who died by suicide. Davis, a former art teacher, had been caring full-time for her seven-year-old son while struggling with anxiety about an impending divorce. She died on 3 October last year, minutes after meeting with social workers who had not received suicide prevention training.
Manuela Perteghella, the Liberal Democrat MP representing the constituency where Davis lived, raised the case at prime minister’s questions and called for mandatory training across local authorities. She cited University of Birmingham research indicating that 41% of parent-carers have contemplated suicide. Burnham replied that he agreed with the proposal and would arrange for a minister to meet with Perteghella to discuss the matter further.
At Davis’s inquest in March, social workers acknowledged that they failed to ask her about suicidal thoughts despite being aware she was experiencing significant distress, and they did not refer her to crisis support services. The coroner issued a rare prevention of future deaths notice ordering Warwickshire council to implement mandatory suicide prevention training for 600 staff members, primarily social workers.
Davis’s brother stated that the family was reassured by Burnham’s response and believed the training would have prevented his sister’s death. He emphasized that direct questioning about suicide is critical, citing guidance from the mental health charity Mind that recommends asking clear questions rather than avoiding the topic when someone appears at risk. He also advocated for making such training mandatory nationally rather than allowing councils to decide independently, to prevent inconsistent standards across different regions.
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