Scottish Government: Suicide Prevention Strategy 2013 - 2016

Annex 2

Background to the production of this strategy

In late 2012, the Scottish Government set up a Working Group to consider future strategy and action on prevention of suicide and self-harm, in the context that the Choose Life strategy and action plan was ending its 10-year lifetime. The Working Group was supported by a Reference Group. The Working Group had nine meetings from November 2012 to October 2013. The Reference Group held four meetings from December 2012 to October 2013.

Engagement process

To help inform the development of a new strategy, the Working Group prepared an engagement paper in order to prompt discussion at public engagement events on key areas. The aim was to gather views for consideration in the development of a new national strategy on preventing suicide and self-harm.

Eight engagement events were run in February, March and May 2013 to allow stakeholders and members of the public the opportunity to discuss the engagement paper and their aspirations for future strategy and action on prevention of suicide and self-harm. Some 400 people attended these events in total.

Some 95 written responses to the engagement paper were received. A summary note of all the written comments, and summaries of themes and issues which emerged at the engagement events, were prepared for consideration by the Working Group and Reference Group at meetings over summer 2013. These summaries and the engagement paper are available on the Scottish Government website.^[30]