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Section 6: Responding to concerns, confidentiality and intervention

This section provides practical guidance on responding to concerns, maintaining confidentiality, escalating appropriately, and supporting all parties involved.

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Purpose

When a manager, supervisor, or colleague becomes aware of a concern about a staff member’s mental health or wellbeing, it is important to respond in a way that is: 

  • Proportionate to the level of concern
  • Respectful of confidentiality and privacy
  • Compassionate and non-judgmental
  • Clear about escalation pathways and when external help is required

6.1 Core principles

Listen without judgment: Approach with curiosity and compassion, not criticism or suspicion

Maintain confidentiality (within limits): Respect privacy, but be clear about limits if there is risk of harm

Take concerns seriously: Treat disclosures of mental health concerns with the same seriousness as physical health concerns

Empower and signpost: Help the person access support, but do not take sole responsibility for their care

6.2 What constitutes a ‘concern’

A concern may be:

Low-level: Changes in behaviour, mood, or attendance; expressions of stress or dissatisfaction; withdrawal from team activities 

Moderate: Disclosure of mental health difficulties; expressions of hopelessness or worthlessness; increased alcohol/substance use 

Acute: Direct statements about suicidal thoughts or plans; expressions of intent to harm; signs of imminent risk 

Post-incident: Following a suicide attempt, self-harm incident, or disclosure of past attempt

Note: Not all concerns will require escalation or external intervention. The response should be proportionate to the level and nature of the concern.

6.3 Responding to concerns: a proportionate approach

1. Initial response

  • Approach the person privately and in a calm manner
  • Express your concern using specific examples (for example, ‘I’ve noticed you haven’t joined us for lunch this week, is everything okay?’)
  • Listen actively without judgment; do not interrupt or minimise
  • Ask clarifying questions if appropriate (for example, ‘Are you having thoughts of harming yourself?’ if there are indicators)

2. Confidentiality and its limits

  • Explain that you will keep the conversation confidential, but there are limits: if there is an immediate risk of harm, you may need to involve others (management, occupational health, emergency services)
  • Be honest about what you can and cannot keep confidential; do not make promises you cannot keep
  • Explain the escalation process clearly so the person understands what will happen next

6.4 Escalation and intervention

If a concern is disclosed, the response should follow this escalation pathway:

Level 1 (support and signposting): Manager listens, validates, signposts to support (EAP, occupational health, GP, helpline), follows up.

Level 2 (occupational health involvement): If the person is not accessing support or if concerns persist, involve occupational health for assessment and advice.

Level 3 (external services): If there is concern about imminent risk or if occupational health recommends, involve external mental health services or emergency services (999).

6.5 Documentation and record-keeping

Document conversations appropriately:

  • Keep brief, factual notes of the initial concern and response
  • Record what was discussed, who was involved, and what actions were agreed
  • Store records securely and confidentially (separate from personnel file unless escalation requires)
  • Include a date and time, and sign the record

Note: Documentation should be confidential but accessible to those who need to know (manager, occupational health, external services). Balance confidentiality with the need to share information for the person’s safety.

6.6 Supporting all parties

Suicide prevention involves supporting: 

  • The person at risk: through listening, signposting, and ongoing check-ins
  • The staff member who raised the concern: through reassurance that they did the right thing and support for their own wellbeing
  • The wider team: through debrief and normalisation of discussing mental health 

Ensure that staff feel supported and not blamed for raising concern

6.7 What practices are not expected to do

  • Veterinary workplaces are not expected to provide ongoing mental health counselling or therapy
  • Veterinary workplaces are not expected to manage risk entirely independently; external services should be involved for significant concerns
  • Veterinary workplaces are not expected to maintain supervision of a person at risk 24/7; responsibility is shared with external services
  • Veterinary workplaces are not expected to diagnose mental health conditions or prescribe treatment

6.8 Review and learning

  • After a concern has been raised and resolved (or escalated), the veterinary workplace should review what happened
  • Identify what worked well and what could be improved
  • Use this learning to update procedures and training
  • Share learning with the team (without breaching confidentiality)

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Section 5: Creating a supportive and safe working environment

This section provides guidance on how veterinary practices can create working environments that actively support staff wellbeing and reduce factors that may contribute to psychological distress. It focuses on practical, proportionate actions that can be embedded within existing practice operations.
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Section 7: Training, review and continuous improvement

Training, periodic review, and continuous improvement are essential to sustaining suicide prevention efforts over time. This section provides guidance on training requirements, how to review and update procedures, learning from incidents, and building a culture of continuous improvement.