Key announcements as first year suicide prevention priorities are revealed

At the end of September, the Scottish Government and COSLA launched a new long-term strategy for suicide prevention, Creating Hope Together.

Today the next, important step in that journey takes place with a Go Live event taking place at Borders College in Galashiels.

Working in partnership is the only way we can prevent suicide.

And so, an important part of the new strategy and action plan is our innovative model which we’re calling Suicide Prevention Scotland which will drive delivery of the action plan.

The model is actually really simple. We’re a community of people working together across different parts of Scotland to prevent suicide across our country. We will be developing strong partnerships, and using these to learn from best practice

Whether at local or national level, or within a key sector, we’re working as one group, to deliver a range of meaningful programmes of work as set out in the action plan.

Everything we do will be informed by the critical insight of lived, academic, professional and practice experience.

There’s lots being announced today, so let’s take you through the details:

Appointment of National Delivery Lead for Suicide Prevention

Haylis Smith has been appointed to lead delivery of the action plan on behalf of the Scottish Government and COSLA, as the Suicide Prevention Scotland National Delivery Lead.

This is a new role, and Haylis brings more than two decades of experience leading work to prevent suicide.

Strategic outcome leads announced

Creating Hope Together has four key outcomes. These are the areas the strategy sets out where real change is needed to prevent suicide. To develop a partnership approach to the work, a strategic partner(s) has been appointed to drive delivery. They are:

• Creating a safer environment that protects against suicide - Samaritans
• Improving understanding of suicide and tackling stigma - SAMH
• Providing compassionate support for anyone affected by suicide - Penumbra & Change Mental Health
• Working in a connected way, that always draws on evidence and lived experience - Public Health Scotland

As we move forward, we expect even more new partnerships and alliances to be created to deliver the action plan. This is an important part of the culture we’re creating in our Suicide Prevention Scotland.

Outcomes framework

The Scottish Government and COSLA today publish an outcomes framework.

This sets out how our actions will build over the next ten years to achieve our vision of reducing suicide, whilst tackling the inequalities which contribute to suicide. It will support how we plan, measure and report the difference we are making on the ground.

You can read the document here.

Year one priorities

With a new innovative delivery partnership in place, the Scottish Government and COSLA have identified priorities for the first year of the strategy, with a real focus on reaching people with a higher risk of suicide.

These have been informed by people with professional, academic, lived and practice experience.

They are:

1. We will activate the whole of Government and society policy package — so that a wide range of Government policies and their delivery on the ground — are working to prevent suicide. We will make the strongest connections possible with policies which address the social determinants of suicide, such as poverty and homelessness. We will also make sure we use all the touch points that people have with services to proactively be alert to suicide risk and offer compassionate support.
2. We will focus on improving safety at key locations of concern for suicide.
3. We will build on the Time Space Compassion approach, to keep improving the way people are supported and cared for when they are suicidal. We will focus our work in primary care, unscheduled care, and community settings.
4. We will support new peer support groups right across Scotland.
5. We will build more understanding of suicide risk and behaviour amongst children and young people and use that to improve responses.
6. We will keep raising awareness and improving learning about suicide. We will target our work so we build this understanding in sectors that support groups with a higher risk of suicide. Our current work in West Highlands and Skye will help us build greater understanding of what encourages particular groups to seek help.
7. We will develop an online portal which hosts information and advice on suicide, to help people who may be suicidal and anyone worried for someone, as well as professionals.
8. We will roll-out suicide reviews and improve data to help redesign the way support is given to people who are suicidal — ensuring that support is both timely and effective.
9. We will work with partners in high-risk settings for suicide, to build effective and compassionate suicide prevention action plans.
10. And last but not least, we will step up our United to Prevent Suicide social movement with a new focus on boosting employer engagement and reaching groups most likely to be affected by suicide. We will continue to be creative, using different mediums, such as sport and social media, to tackle stigma and create ways for people to talk safely about suicide.

A new advisory group

The new National Suicide Prevention Advisory Group will play a vital role.

They will provide independent assurance and advice to the Scottish Government and COSLA on progress, informed by the new outcomes framework.

Rose Fitzpatrick CBE QPM will chair this new group. Its members represent many of the sectors leading work on the social determinants of suicide, including poverty, as well as partners who are working in key sectors affected by suicide — such as the criminal justice sector.

Members have all been selected to help us understand suicide better.

They will help us sharpen focus on the complexity, intersectionality and inequality of suicide.

Doing so will help us deliver impactful actions. We are sure their collective professional insights and passion for the mission, will also make a great difference to our work.

The new group’s membership is:

• Rose Fitzpatrick CBE QPM — Chair
• Cath Denholm — Executive Director, Equality and Human Rights Commission Scotland
• Dr Linda Findlay — Chair, Royal College of Psychiatrists Scotland
• Louise Hunter — Chief Executive, Who Cares? Scotland
• Dr Douglas Hutchison — President of the Association of Directors of Education Scotland
• Peter Kelly — Director, Poverty Alliance
• Sheriff David Mackie — Board Member, Scottish Association for the Care and Rehabilitation of Offenders
• Catherine McWilliam — Director of Nations, Institute of Directors
• Brendan Rooney — Executive Director, Healthy n Happy Community Development Trust
• Dr Andrea Williamson — Professor of General Practice and Inclusion Health, University of Glasgow

Creating Hope in the Scottish Borders

As part of today’s Go Live event in Galashiels, we’ve published a new film that explores suicide prevention work in the Scottish Borders. It tells the story of how the local approach has been refreshed in light of the new national strategy’s approach.

Highlighting the range and depth of partnerships across the area, we hear powerful stories of how a community is coming together to prevent suicide.

Watch: Creating Hope in the Scottish Borders

Reflecting on today’s updates

Suicide Prevention Scotland’s new National Delivery Lead Haylis Smith has welcomed today’s announcements.

“There has been a huge amount of detailed work over the last eight months to operationalise the Creating Hope Together strategy and action plan,” she explained.

“Our delivery collective, Suicide Prevention Scotland, is an innovative approach to working together as a suicide prevention community.

“It includes people working across the public, private, and third sectors as well as community groups. Importantly, it also includes many people with lived experience of suicide. This approach builds on the work of the last five years.

“The shared goal is — of course — to prevent suicide, but we’re also focused on how we’ll do this. We will create safer environments, understand better the factors which contribute to suicide, and provide support to those affected. And we will work collaboratively, using evidence and the insight of those with lived experience.

“It’s also important to stress that our work will also focus on addressing inequalities and the needs of those at higher risk of suicide. This will include work to address the needs of children and young people. Our Youth Advisory Group will play a key role in supporting this.”

Minister for Mental Health Maree Todd MSP said:

“Together with COSLA we are fully committed to reducing suicide deaths in Scotland.

“This announcement of our year one priorities is a real milestone in delivering our new ambitious strategy Creating Hope Together, and we are focusing on reaching people who may be at risk of suicide and working to tackle the inequalities which can lead to suicide.

“Our new innovative partnership model is now in place to deliver this ambition programme of work, and our new Advisory Group brings great expertise and impartiality to oversee and champion the work, making sure our work leads to real change on the ground right across Scotland.

“I am pleased to say that the Scottish Government is well on track to doubling the suicide prevention budget by 2026, with funding last year well over £2 million.

“I would like to pay real thanks to the Suicide Prevention Lived Experience Panel and Youth Advisory Group, and all partners. I look forward to undertaking this incredibly important work together.”

COSLA’s Health & Social Care spokesperson Councillor Paul Kelly said:

“I am delighted that COSLA is part of the newly announced suicide prevention delivery collective, ‘Suicide Prevention Scotland’.

“We were proud to launch Creating Hope Together — an ambitious Suicide Prevention Strategy — with the Scottish Government last year.

“The announcements today represent a key milestone for the strategy, and one which recognises that we can ultimately support more people who are affected by suicide when we work in partnership.

“The National Suicide Prevention Advisory Group’s membership brings a broad range of expertise and experience which will also help us understand how we can better address the inequalities people experience.

“The strategy outcomes are ambitious and rightly so — together we can and will reduce the number of suicide deaths in Scotland.

“We thank those working in suicide prevention in Scotland for their ongoing commitment, and are looking forward to continuing this vital work.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health or feeling suicidal, please don’t hesitate to ask for help by contacting your GP, NHS24 on 111, Samaritans on 116 123 or Breathing Space on 0800 83 58 87.