Creating Hope Together: suicide prevention strategy 2022 to 2032

Investment

Direct funding

In the 2021-22 Programme for Government the Scottish Government committed to double the specific funding available for suicide prevention over the course of the current Parliamentary term, from £1.4 million to £2.8 million. The funding will directly support the ambition set out in this strategy, which is intended to create positive change across all our communities – both communities of place, and communities of interest.

The types of activities we anticipate supporting includes:

• National advice and support services – for example, piloting bereaved by suicide support, developing online digital resources
• National events, campaigns and wider engagement and participation with the public
• Learning resources for leaders, workforce and communities
• Resources and learning opportunities to facilitate service improvement and empower communities to respond to suicide – for example, suicidal crisis responses in services and communities
• Facilitating and supporting lived experience insight – for example, through the Lived Experience Panel and Youth Advisory Group
• Research and data – for example, through our Academic Advisory Group and with data experts, undertaking research and data projects to address key gaps in our understanding (such as help seeking, effective interventions, risk factors for particular groups, and also wider expertise on interpreting and using research and data)
• Innovation – for example, designing and testing new approaches to reach and support people at suicide risk
• Delivery resource and expertise – for example, national delivery lead team, expertise on areas such as project planning, communication, and participation
• Implementation support and capacity building – for example; team to facilitate change on the ground, working to support local areas to develop, deliver and evaluate their local activity, whilst creating opportunities to exchange learning across Scotland
• New and innovative approaches – for example, the new areas of peer support and tests of change set out in the action plan.

Indirect funding

We will ensure suicide prevention is considered across all mental health policy and programmes, including those focussed on early intervention and prevention. The Mental Health & Wellbeing Communities funding for adults (£15 million in 2022-2023) is a good example where suicide prevention is already a priority.

The whole of Government and society policy approach also draws upon non-mental health funding and resource to support suicide prevention, for example, policies aimed at child poverty, substance use, and debt. We will continue to develop this approach.

Investment decisions

In developing the detailed work plan to take forward the action plan, we will scope existing and new actions to support delivery of our long term outcomes. This will include identifying delivery options and expected resource requirements (direct and indirect) for each.

Resourcing will be considered and agreed with affected partners, nationally and locally. This will ensure actions are delivered in ways that are affordable, achieve value for money, and are sustainable.

The Scottish Government will provide an indicative annual funding for suicide prevention activity, to the Delivery Collective. This will allow for the production of a draft annual budget by the Delivery Collective – using the outcomes framework as a tool to prioritise activity. The Scottish Government and COSLA will be consulted on the proposed budget, and it will be approved by Scottish Government, as budget holder.