New guidelines for councils in bid to tackle suicide in Scotland

NEW guidance aimed at preventing suicide has been issued to all local councils in Scotland in a bid to create a consistent approach across the country.

The toolkit, developed by the National Suicide Prevention Leadership Group (NSPLG), will help authorities to create action plans for their communities, including taking action on suicide hotspots and targeting those most at risk.

It is hoped the guide will ensure that local action plans align with the national strategy on suicide prevention and are based on the best available evidence.

Rose Fitzpatrick, chair of NSPLG, said: “Our vision is of a Scotland where suicide is preventable, where help and support is available to anyone who is contemplating suicide and to those who have lost a loved one to suicide.

“No death by suicide should ever be considered inevitable, and this means we all have a part to play.

“We believe suicide prevention is everyone’s business and the launch of this guidance will help to support local communities who have such an important role in keeping people safe from suicide.”

Figures show that 833 people died by suicide in Scotland in 2019 – more than two people every day.

Research suggests that each suicide affects at least 135 people and has an economic cost of around £1.67 million.

In 2018, Every Life Matters: Scotland’s Suicide Prevention Action Plan was published with a target of reducing suicides by 20 per cent by 2022.

The new guidance builds on that plan and provides local councils with a range of resources that will help officials identify the needs of their community and ensure there is effective oversight of the proposed local plan.

It also offers advice on how to tackle suicides in high risk groups such as men who are three times more likely to die by suicide than women, those living in deprived communities and those who have previously self-harmed.

The toolkit also aims to ensure that people at risk of suicide or who have been bereaved by suicide are signposted to skilled, co-ordinated support when they need it.

COSLA’S director of People Policy, Jane O’donnell, said: “The NSPLG’S approach confirms that local support is crucial to preventing suicide and local authority suicide prevention leads – and their partners – have a critical role to play in supporting this ambition. This excellent new guidance provides a very useful framework and resources to support local authorities.

“By implementing this guidance in our communities – and sharing our experiences across areas – we will continue to learn what actions help reduce the likelihood of someone dying by suicide in Scotland.”

The guidance also encourages councils to seek advice and expertise from people with lived experience of attempted suicide or self-harm and those who have been bereaved by suicide.

Liam Hayman, from Glasgow, who has attempted suicide in the past, believes the new guidelines could have a significant impact across the country.

The 28-year-old, who is a member of the NSPLG Lived Experience Panel, said: “This toolkit will help to create a consistency in the way we help people with experience of suicide.

“Many things, such as the restriction of prescription drugs, could be implemented across the country and have a massive positive impact.

“Signposting has not always been good in the past so having a toolkit like this means that local authorities can direct people to the right place at the right time, and that’s so crucial.”

Steve Platt, professor of Health Policy Research at Edinburgh University, added that the guidance fills a gap in tailored advice at a local level “comprehensively and authoritatively”.

He added that it will ensure that suicide prevention within local communities is “even more focused, effective and sustainable in the future”.