Suicide prevention leadership group: annual report 2019

Summary of Recommendations

Recommendation 1: We recommend to the Scottish Government and COSLA that the progress and effectiveness of Every Life Matters and its 10 actions are evaluated, in line with World Health Organization advice.

Recommendation 2: We recommend to the Scottish Government and COSLA that the provision of timely and accessible data about suicides must improve. Suicide prevention planning at a local and national level is dependent on good information and the ability to share it appropriately. The development of ScotSID as an interactive and local resource should be supported with appropriate engagement and barriers to sharing information should be tackled with vigour.

Recommendation 3: The Scottish Government should fund local test-sites to develop, deliver and test local suicide prevention activity in line with the guidance being developed under Action 1 of Every Life Matters. This will contribute to continuous development of that guidance, identifying good practice and learning across all areas of the Suicide Prevention Action Plan.

Recommendation 4: The Scottish Government and COSLA should enhance the learning from locally developed and delivered suicide prevention action plans by introducing a consistent evaluation model, based on academic research and an outcomes based approach, through which learning can be identified and shared.

Recommendation 5: COSLA should support the introduction of multiagency reviews of all deaths by suicide which take place in a community setting. We consider that Chief Officers responsible for public protection in each local area would be best placed to be ensure that these are undertaken, with the support of guidance developed under Action 10 of Every Life Matters.

Recommendation 6: The Scottish Government determine how best to put in place multiagency reviews to be undertaken of all deaths by suicide which occur during a defined period after being discharged from prison or police custody.

Recommendation 7: The Scottish Government and COSLA should determine how best to put in place reviews of all deaths by suicide of young people which occur during a defined period after leaving the care system. This should include identifying an appropriate national body to work with local authorities to ensure effective scrutiny and dissemination of learning.

Recommendation 8: The Scottish Government and COSLA should provide strong support for work to transform and modernise suicide prevention branding and identity in Scotland, so as to support the delivery of the Suicide Prevention Action Plan and to build a social movement in which suicide prevention becomes everyone's business.

Recommendation 9: The Scottish Government should make funding available to pilot a new model of care for those bereaved by suicide which is effective in reducing distress, self-harm and suicide. It should include evaluation and appropriate mechanisms to ensure that learning is shared.

Recommendation 10: The Scottish Government and COSLA should consider how the crisis support for children and young people and their families to be taken forward by the Children and Young People's Mental Health Implementation Board can be made available to people of all ages across Scotland.

Recommendation 11: The Scottish Government should fund additional engagement targeted at groups of people with characteristics and experiences which may indicate elevated risk of suicide.