Agenda item

Purpose: To provide an update on the Berkshire Suicide Prevention Strategy.

Zoe Campbell (Interim Service Lead Public Health and Wellbeing) and Professor John Ashton (Interim Director of Public Health) presented the report on the Berkshire Suicide Prevention Strategy (Agenda Item 9).

The following points were raised in the debate:

·       Members asked if the West Berkshire Suicide Prevention Action Group (SPAG) had been consulted on the report. It was confirmed that the previous Consultant in Public Health had liaised with the SPAG Chairman, but it was not known if he had been consulted on this report.

ACTION: Zoe Campbell to confirm if SPAG had been consulted and to ensure that SPAG and the Volunteer Centre were involved in future.

·       The importance of bereavement counselling was highlighted in terms of providing short and long-term support to those affected by suicide. It was also noted that other areas had established Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (SoBS) groups to provide mutual support. It was confirmed that both options would be explored by the new Director of Public Health and that SPAG was already looking at establishing a SoBS group.

·       Members asked why female suicides were a priority when the rate of male suicides was three times higher. It was highlighted that female suicides were often victims of domestic abuse. Different factors affected different groups of people, so interventions had to be targeted. Suicide levels were highest amongst men in their 40s and this was often linked to a crisis in male identity.

·       It was suggested that farmers may need particular support, since they had higher than average levels of suicide and poor mental health. There were also issues with deaths from farm accidents. It was suggested that a strategy for rural health may be appropriate in West Berkshire. Data analysis was underway to consider issues across West Berkshire. It was noted that Sweden had an ambition of zero farm deaths and had adopted a system of peer inspections, which had proved effective. Provision of support to gay men in rural communities was also flagged as being more difficult than in urban areas. It was suggested that all HWB sub-groups could consider rural aspects as part of their work.

ACTION: April Peberdy to consider how rural issues could be addressed.

·       Members stressed the importance of marketing of services so people were familiar with the support that was available, as well as being able to provide that support within a reasonable timeframe. However, the strategy did not mention support or timelines for providing that support.

·       Also, it was noted that the report focused on adults and did not mention children and young people. Voluntary sector organisations providing mental health support to young people had waiting lists of up to 18 months.

·       It was suggested that a person taking their own life was a sign of system failure, and so the strategy needed to be more pro-active and focused on engagement.

·       Officers acknowledged that there was more work to be done on the Strategy, but highlighted that there was lots of information on the Council’s website and social media channels about the mental health support available in West Berkshire. It was suggested that the Mental Health Action Group and SPAG could work more closely in future.

·       It was noted that the Berkshire Strategy was aligned with the National Strategy, which had children and young people as one of the five core areas.

·       It was highlighted that Volunteer Centre West Berkshire ran mental health first aid and suicide prevention training courses.

·       Members felt that the action plan needed additional work before it could be agreed.

ACTION: Officers to update the Suicide Prevention Strategy Action Plan in consultation with SPAG and bring this back to a future meeting for approval.

RESOLVED to:

·       Request a progress report on the development and delivery of the 2024/25 West Berkshire action plan and proposal for a 2025/26 refresh in March 2025.

·       Request assurance from Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board (BOB ICB) that the spending plan for all age mental health transformation and service provision (now that the NHS England suicide prevention funding has ceased) is aligned to the Pan-Berkshire Suicide Prevention priorities, particularly bereavement support.

·       Health and Wellbeing Board members to offer support for involvement of their organisations in the emerging West Berkshire multi-agency Suicide Prevention Group (currently the Suicide Prevention Action Group) to develop and implement the local action plan.