RPC becomes first UK law firm to deploy mental health support tool R;pple on World Suicide Prevention Day 2022

• International law firm will deploy 'life-saving' browser extension to all corporate devices from 9 September 2022

• R;pple is a browser extension that provides support to anyone experiencing a mental health crisis

• Tool was developed by cyber security specialist Alice Hendy, who lost her brother to suicide in 2020

RPC will become the first law firm in the UK to deploy an online intervention tool that helps prevent self-harm, ahead of World Suicide Prevention Day 2022.

R;pple is a browser extension that deploys a pop-up screen featuring positive messages and links to a selection of mental health resources whenever a user searches for harmful content on the internet relating to self-harm or suicidal ideation.

The digital tool, which will be deployed across the firm's corporate devices from 9 September, is the brainchild of Alice Hendy, a cyber security specialist at RPC's client, QBE Insurance Group.

Hendy tragically lost her brother, Josh, 21, to suicide in November 2020. 

She subsequently discovered her sibling had been accessing online content to research techniques on how to end his life, prompting her to use her skills and develop a tool that can provide pro-active help and support for people experiencing a mental health crisis. 

Since launching R;pple Suicide Prevention last September, the tool has been downloaded more than 800,000 times and won 17 awards in mental health, technology services and innovation. 

R;pple has also been credited with saving lives, with 24 people informing R;pple that the intervention helped them at their most vulnerable point. 

Online searches for suicide methods have increased by 50% in the last two years, according to the latest data from Semrush, while one in five people have admitted to accessing sites which provide information on how to hurt or kill themselves.

Charitable organisation Samaritans reveals the male suicide rate is 15.3 per 100,000 – more than three times higher than the female rate of 4.9 per 100,000 - with men aged 45 to 49 more likely to end their lives.

RPC's Chief Operating Officer Alistair Johnson said: "This World Suicide Prevention Day, RPC reinforces our pledge to promote good health and mental wellbeing with the introduction of R;pple in our UK offices.  

"We are committed to promoting a healthy culture across the firm and providing adequate mental health support for everyone. 

"R;pple provides much-needed help, guidance and hope for anyone who may need it."

Rachel Pears, RPC's Head of Responsible Business, said: "Supporting the health and wellbeing of our people is a key strand of our Responsible Business / ESG strategy and this tool is such a valuable resource for anyone who may need it. 

"We have always been committed to implementing resources and programmes that are meaningful and this is certainly another example of that. 

"The R;pple tool is one that we hope others in the market will consider investing in and introducing to their people to help prevent death by suicide."

Hendy, CEO and founder of R;pple Suicide Prevention, said: “I am absolutely thrilled that RPC has come on board as the first law firm in the UK to deploy R;pple. 

"Working with the team at RPC in the lead up to World Suicide Prevention Day has shown me how much they value and prioritise their employee’s mental health. 

"R;pple goes significantly beyond a wellbeing initiative - it’s a crisis intervention tool. 

"I urge all other employers to follow RPC’s lead and integrate this simple but lifesaving tool within your IT systems. 

"Don’t wait for a suicide to happen in your organisation before you act. The impact of this silent killer is catastrophic.”