This petition begins with a personal story. On the 10th of December, 2023, my father Jason Rydon took his own life aged just 50. My father suffered from mental health problems which were diagnosed. This in my eyes makes him a vulnerable tenant to Clarion Housing.

My father had an accidental fire in his original flat February 2023 which quickly spread, resulting in a lot of damage and losing most of his personal belongings. Clarion then put him in hotels, moving him pillar to post across the county whilst they sorted his flat. Sometimes he would have to travel by public transport for more than an hour to just be turned away by the hotel as they didn’t have a booking for him. During this time my father’s mental health declined drastically. After living in different hotels from February 2023 until July 2023,  he was then given a temporary bungalow near to his best friend, mother, and me and my brother. During this time my father’s mental health improved. He was then given false hope by Clarion Housing on the 6th December 2023, told he could stay in the bungalow. However, he was later informed that this was a mistake and that he couldn't stay in the promised property due to another couple moving in. My father pleaded and begged Clarion not to make him go back to his original flat. This did not change Clarions decision and heartbreakingly later that night my father took his own life as he couldn’t face going back to somewhere he felt so uncomfortable, unsafe and isolated.  

This tragic incident highlights the urgent need for mental health training among housing association employees. It is crucial that they understand how their actions can impact vulnerable individuals who rely on them for support.

In England alone, one in four people experience mental health problems each year (Mental Health Foundation). Yet many organizations lack adequate training programs to equip their staff with necessary skills to handle such situations effectively.

• 5284 suicides were registered in 2022*. This is 65 more than in 2021.
• The overall suicide rate was 10.5 per 100,000**, which is the same as the previous year.
• Males aged 50-54 were found to have the highest suicide rate (23.1 per 100,000). (Samaritans) 

Please see below an article that has been in the news recently November 2023. Another vulnerable tenant who also sadly took his life due to Clarions negligence. 

https://amp.theguardian.com/society/2023/nov/03/family-of-tenant-who-killed-himself-housing-firm-clarion

We are calling on Clarion Housing - one of the UK's largest housing associations - to implement mandatory mental health training for all its employees. This would ensure they are equipped with knowledge about various mental health conditions and understand how their decisions can profoundly affect those struggling with these issues.

By signing this petition you're urging Clarion Housing to take responsibility for their role in supporting residents' mental wellbeing and prevent any more tragedies like ours from happening again.