How to create a safety plan with children and young people

← Back to Self-Harm Professional Resource Hub home page

Making safe decisions in a crisis can be difficult and overwhelming. A safety plan is a practical, personalised plan that helps a child or young person to stay safe when they’re experiencing the urge to self-harm. It means they don’t have to think about what to do in the moment, and it can help them feel in control during a scary time.

A safety plan covers areas like:

How to recognise triggers and warning signs.
Helpful coping strategies and distraction techniques they can use when they start to feel distressed.
Safe alternatives to self-harm.
Safe, trusted people they can talk to about their feelings.
Support services where they can ask for help.
Harm minimisation strategies if they do self-harm.

How to make a safety plan

A safety plan can be completed by the child or young person alone or with a trusted adult (parent, teacher, mental health support worker, etc). You can use the following resources and templates for ideas to support children and young people in safety planning.

For professionals

Safety Planning Resources | CAMHS | Information, guidance and templates for professionals.

For children and young people

My Safety Plan | Grassroots Suicide Prevention | A downloadable safety plan template to help manage and de-escalate a potential suicidal crisis.
Mental Health First Aid Kit | Childline | A guide to help young people build a set of strategies they can turn to during challenging times.
Suicide Safety Plan | Papyrus | A practical plan to help young people when thoughts of suicide become overwhelming.
Creating a Safety Plan | Samaritans | Editable and printable templates.
Autism Adapted Safety Plan | Autistica | An adapted plan to help young people with autism plan for difficult times.