Suicide prevention action plan 2026 - 2029: equality impact assessment
Equality impact assessment (EQIA) for Creating Hope Together: Scotland’s suicide prevention action plan (2026 to 2029).
Engagement During Development
As this is the second action plan under the long-term strategy—and continues to work towards the same vision, guiding principles, and outcomes—we have taken a proportionate approach to engagement compared to the extensive consultation undertaken during the strategy’s original development.
The engagement during the development phase builds on the existing evidence and intelligence that we have gathered over the last 3 years including:
- Building Connections Events
- Conversation Cafes
- Conferences and feedback
- Children and young people’s insight report and conversation toolkit
- Community lead action research
- Evidence from the Academic Advisory Group
- Feedback from our Youth Advisory Group and Lived and Living Experience Panel
- Engagement with Suicide Prevention Scotland including the wider delivery collective and Strategic Outcome Leads
- Feedback from Our National Suicide Prevention Advisory Group
- Recommendations from the Scottish Parliament’s Equality, Human Rights and Civil Justice (EHRCJ) Committee inquiry into the Scottish Government and COSLA's Suicide Prevention Strategy 2022-2032
- National Records of Scotland Annual Probable Suicide Statistics
Throughout the process, we engaged with those responsible for delivery within Suicide Prevention Scotland at key stages of development. As joint owners of the strategy, both Scottish Government and COSLA also consulted internally with relevant policy areas through our Whole of Government work and additional engagement to identify priorities for inclusion.
In addition, we sought input from equality groups through the Equalities and Human Rights Forum ensuring the action plan reflects the needs of communities who may face elevated risk of suicide.
Our final piece of engagement centred around testing a near complete draft of the Action Plan with key stakeholders and equality groups. Feedback was sought to refine the final draft that was cleared by both the Minister for Social Care and Mental Wellbeing and COSLA’s Health and Social Care Board.