Agenda item

This report provides a summary of progress with implementation of the 2019- 2023 B&NES Suicide Prevention Strategy.  It also provides an outline of next steps with the refresh of the local strategy and an update on the BSW Suicide Prevention Strategy. 

Councillor Eleanor Jackson addressed the Panel, a copy of her statement is attached as an online appendix to these minutes and a summary is set out below.

‘Quite a few years ago now I attended a wake at St Nicholas Church, Radstock for a 20 year old NEET, who had taken his own life out of loneliness and depression. A grant had been found through our then in house youth services for some art therapy for the bereaved young people, but a long term solution was needed. I asked around the group, ‘What can BANES do?’ The answer was unanimous. The youth clubs are doing great work for children, but we feel we are being abandoned when we turn 18.

Reading the report, which is a good systematic approach to the problem (but suicide is not like knife crime or growing food. It has a myriad network effect, scarring families and communities), I am not really sure that there is a grasp of recent changes, and the challenge of social media abuse and bullying. Not to mention the ease with which young people can gain information about methods.

There is no mention of the side effects of some drugs, such as a well-known anti high blood pressure prescription medication producing suicidal thoughts.

One fact re our young people: whether at home or school – or the youth clubs, they need stability and continuity. They need to know where and how they can get professional help if they need it. Labelling won’t help. This council making sure that such expertise, and local knowledge is available is crucial.

Suicides are more than statistics, and whatever their age or background, there needs to be effective prevention now.’

The Associate Director of Public Health addressed the Panel and explained that he was also Chair of the BSW Suicide Prevention Group. He said that he would like to emphasise that a lot of work is carried out within schools and with young people on this matter.

He said good relationships were in place with the Transport Police and Samaritans and that training had taken place with their staff. He added that locally it was a low number of deaths that occur on the trainline, but that these can often happen away from the station areas.

He said that he was also aware of the many local organisations that are working hard on the stigma of this issue and felt that people were now more able to talk about things more openly.

He stated that they do recognise the impact that each death will have on the family and friends of those involved.

Councillor Alison Born commented that this was a complex issue and said that the report shows the breadth of work in place to attempt to address it. She also wished to thank all those involved in these service areas.

The Associate Director of Public Health introduced the report to the Panel and informed them that the number of deaths locally from suicide had fallen over the past three years and was below the national average.

He said that a new national strategy had been launched last year which has led to a refresh of our own strategy. He added that online safety was of course more of an issue now than 10 years ago when the last national strategy was published.

He stated that collaboration work takes place across the BSW area and that the action plan shows the work that takes place across many themes.

Councillor Joanna Wright referred to section 3.10 of the report and asked what was meant by ‘surveillance data’.

The Associate Director of Public Health replied that there is a national programme relating to real time surveillance and that differs from the information that is received from the Office for National Statistics which can take a year to be published. He added that the surveillance data referred to in the report is about receiving a notification of an event in real time, or at least within a day, to see if any patterns are occurring and to make a referral for bereavement / support services to the family and friends involved.

Councillor Wright spoke of the impact of social media and the practice of catfishing can have on young people.

The Associate Director of Public Health replied that in these cases it was not always easy to get information as Police involvement could be ongoing. He said that in such cases it was important to work with schools with regard to online safety.

Councillor Lesley Mansell referred to the Equality Impact Assessment of the report and asked how the risks towards people with mental health issues who are LGBTQ+ have been identified.

She also highlighted some of the other groups considered to be of risk, including; Children & Young People, middle aged men, Farmers and those who self-harm.

She said that there was also a link between food insecurity and mental health and that she would welcome more information on this matter within a future report.

The Associate Director of Public Health replied that the data they use regarding LGBTQ+ was national data that showed higher levels of poor mental health and self-harm. He added that good evidence was in place nationally to confirm that middle aged men are a cohort to monitor.

He added that Farmers were considered to be among the high risk occupational groups alongside Nurses and Teachers and that these were being addressed both locally and nationally.

He informed the Panel that a refresh of the Council’s own Suicide Prevention Strategy was ongoing and that a stakeholder event was planned to take place at the end of the month. He added that he would be happy to return to the Panel to discuss the new strategy.

Kate Morton commented that the 3^rd Sector were working closely with the Council and other organisations to provide a co-ordinated approach. She added that they were looking to develop plans to address the needs of both individuals and those identified at risk cohorts.

Councillor Liz Hardman commented that she felt that the current strategy and action plan were thorough, but asked for more detail in terms of how the success of the strategy is measured. She asked how mental health support is co-ordinated in schools, especially Multi-Academy Trusts.

The Associate Director of Public Health replied that he acknowledged the point made about metrics and said it was a case of being able to prioritise the time to document in more detail how specific measures have worked.

He added that in relation to schools, from a Public Health perspective, the work goes through the Schools Hub to deliver a whole school approach to mental health.

The Chair, on behalf of the Panel, thanked him for the report and asked when he could likely return with the new version of the strategy.

The Associate Director of Public Health replied that March 2025 could be a possibility.

The Panel RESOLVED to note the progress made to date.