Responding to self-harm: a documentary analysis of agency policy and procedure

This paper reports on the findings of a documentary analysis of policies and procedures relating to self-harm from a range of organisations working with young people in the UK. It identifies the extent to which policies and/or procedures relating to self-harm are available for service providers and offers a wider understanding of the concepts of self-harm and approaches to helping as incorporated into service guidance and delivery. It highlights the prevalence of self-harming behaviours in a climate of stigma and the need to define appropriate and supportive agency responses from a trained staff that is both sensitive and individualised.