The Service Children In State School (SCISS) National Executive Advisory Committe (NEAC) commissioned Tiller Research Ltd to undertake a consultation with schools who have Service children on roll. The purpose of the consultation was to ensure that the group’s forthcoming action plan truly reflects the areas of most importance for schools. The key lines of enquiry were: • To identify current areas of successful school-based practice, and effective external resources, in relation to support for Service children; • To identify current challenges faced by schools in relation to support for Service children; • To identify key priorities/messages for stakeholders (e.g. government departments and local authorities), with a focus on developing policy and services that optimise the quality of support that schools can provide to Service children. This report presents the findings of the consultation, based on over 500 responses from headteachers and school leads for supporting Service children.
Abstract: The U.S. Army’s Ask, Care, Escort (ACE) suicide gatekeeper training has been the annual requirement for all personnel since 2009; however, this training has never been formally evaluated. The present study evaluated three updated versions of ACE: a training for Army leaders (ACE-Suicide Intervention), a training for basic combat trainees (ACE for Basic Combat Training and One Station Unit Training), and a standard training for all personnel (ACE for the Force). Self-report surveys measured pre- to posttraining changes in objective and subjective knowledge and stigma, as well as preparedness, self-efficacy, and likelihood to engage in gatekeeper behaviors. Implementation outcomes, such as training acceptability, suitability, and usability were also assessed. Across these evaluations, participants reported that knowledge and gatekeeper behaviors significantly improved from pre- to posttraining. Implementation metrics revealed a high degree of acceptability and relevance for all three ACE trainings. Overall, the findings of these evaluations suggest important changes in key suicide prevention outcomes following the ACE suite of trainings. Further longitudinal assessment is needed to establish the full effectiveness of gatekeeper interventions in the Army.