Amparo: the safe haven for those affected by suicide which is filling a 'missing link'

The word ‘amparo’ means shelter or safe haven in Spanish.
Charley Alvis of AmparoCharley Alvis of Amparo
Charley Alvis of Amparo

Through their Amparo service, the charity Listening Ear offers those affected by suicide an invaluable safe haven in their time of need, providing support on a one-to-one basis, to families, and to friends and colleagues to help people cope with the impacts of suicide.

Listening Ear was founded in 1993 to help those who have been bereaved, suffered loss, or experienced separation. Providing those in need with invaluable practical support rather than counselling, Amparo is geared towards helping people with things like dealing with police and coroners, helping with media enquiries, preparing for and attending inquests, and accessing other support services.

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“My work background has always involved supporting others, so I wanted to find a role that fitted with my values,” explains Sammy Ashley, the Amparo Team Leader who has worked at the charity since February. “I wanted to work with Amparo because of their ethics and values and because I knew there was a lack of suicide postvention support from my previous work, which was predominantly with middle-aged men, who are the highest-risk group for suicide.

Sammy Ashley, an Amparo Team LeaderSammy Ashley, an Amparo Team Leader
Sammy Ashley, an Amparo Team Leader

“Amparo fills a missing link because before there was just no service for people after suicide,” adds Sammy, who is from Parbold. “We’re there to explain the practical processes of what happens after a sudden death, offering support with coroners, inquests, and arranging funerals.

“It’s all about reducing pressure on people because they are often struggling. We offer guidance and support at their pace.

“When we receive a referral or self-referral, we make contact within 24 hours and offer the person a follow up appointment within 7 days,” Sammy explains. “It’s bespoke support which can remove pressure and reduce isolation.”

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And releasing that pressure is not only morally right, but an invaluable help to other services, as well. According to Public Health England, a single suicide is estimated to cost £1.67m in terms of the impact on the wider health, social care, and employment networks, and so Amparo’s efforts to alleviate elements of the stress experienced by those exposed to or bereaved by suicide are critical.

An Amparo memorial event in 2019An Amparo memorial event in 2019
An Amparo memorial event in 2019

“Amparo acts as a prevention service because people impacted by suicide are three times more likely to take their own lives and so we allow people to talk openly, which is crucial,” says Sammy, 53. “There’s still a stigma attached to suicide; people avoid the ‘elephant in the room’, so having contact with people who are there to listen and talk openly can help to reduce social isolation as well.”

The charity’s efficacy is laid bare by the fact that, following contact with Amparo, 100% of people said they either felt better or partly better as a result of the support provided.

What is more, the charity conducts basic risk assessments of their clients and, to this day, no direct Amparo beneficiary has gone on to take their own life.

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“During Covid, we’ve offered telephone support and, generally, everybody was just really happy that we were still there,” says Sammy. “It’s obviously not the same as face-to-face, but some people - particularly men - have been a lot more open over the phone, so I think it’s been valuable. We’ve had to support people for longer, however, because inquests have been cancelled or delayed due to the pandemic.”

Now operating across Merseyside, Cheshire, Lancashire, South Yorkshire, and Suffolk, Amparo is continuing to meet a need which can often be forgotten.

“Our footprint is growing as we realise that the service we provide is needed in more and more places,” says Sammy, “But, when you see comments like ‘you really helped me’ or ‘I wouldn’t be here without you’, you get a massive boost because we’re working with clients who are at their most vulnerable.

“My whole career has been spent supporting others,” she adds. “There’s a lot of pride when you get a positive outcome or good feedback.”

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To contact Amparo, call 0330 088 9255, email amparo.service@listening-ear.co.uk, or go to www.listening-ear.co.uk/amparo/The Lancashire Post is more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription to support our journalism. For unlimited access to Lancashire news and information online, you can subscribe here: https://www.lep.co.uk/subscriptions

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