Concern over jobs at Londonderry and Belfast suicide-prevention service

The head of a suicide-prevention service has said that over 100 jobs are at risk in its call centres across Northern Ireland.

Lifeline employs 134 people in two offices in Londonderry and Belfast, but a contract for the 24/7 helpline is due to expire at the end of this year.

Fergus Cumiskey, managing director of the charity, Contact, who manage Lifeline, has told the BBC he believes all Lifeline jobs across Northern Ireland were now at risk.

Mr Cumiskey’s concerns stem from a consulation on Lifeline’s future being adminsitered by the Public Health Agency (PHA).

He said: “From our read of the PHA outline business model for Lifeline, the changes are so radical that we believe all jobs associates with the current model are in jeopardy.”

Mr Cumiskey said that job losses would also have a “grave impact” for those who rely on the service.

The PHA propose to maintain the 24 hour, seven days a week telephone helpline, and the consultation offers several alternative models for delivery of the service, including maintaining the status quo.

Brendan Bonner, the PHA lead on the Lifeline service, said: “The Public Health Agency is keen to engage with the public and relevant stakeholders to ensure that the future Lifeline service specification is appropriately informed and the future services are fit for purpose.

“This is an essential service and forms an important element of our work with many partners to reduce the risk of suicide in our community. We would encourage those who have an interest to submit a response to the public consultation.”

Last year Lifeline said there had been a large increase in the number of people contacting the service and said calls to its crisis response service had risen by a third.

The closing date for responses to the consultation is 19 November 2015 and details on options under consideration can accessed on the PHA’s website here: http://bit.ly/1LCPn08