National Suicide Prevention Advisory Group minutes: June 2024

Attendees and apologies

• Prof Rory O’Connor (Acting Chair for this meeting), Chair of Scotland’s Suicide Prevention Academic Advisory Group (AAG)
• Cath Denholm, Acting Chief Executive, Equality and Human Rights Commission
• Dr Linda Findlay, Royal College of Psychiatrists Scotland
• Dr Douglas Hutchison, Past President, Association of Directors of Education Scotland
• Catherine McWilliam, Nation Director for Scotland, Institute of Directors
• Brendan Rooney, Chief Executive, Healthy n Happy Community Development Trust
• Prof Andrea Williamson, Professor of General Practice and Inclusion Health, University of Glasgow

Apologies

• Rose Fitzpatrick CBE QPM, NSPAG Chair
• Peter Kelly, Director, Poverty Alliance
• Louise Hunter, Chief Executive, Who Cares? Scotland
• Sheriff David Mackie, Board Member, Scottish Association Care and Rehabilitation of Offenders (SACRO)

Agenda Item 2

• Haylis Smith, Scotland’s National Delivery Lead for Suicide Prevention

Secretariat

• Morag Williamson, Scottish Government
• Jane McAteer, Scottish Government
• Craig Wilson, Scottish Government

Items and actions

Welcome

Ms Fitzpatrick (the Chair) was unable to attend this meeting, Prof. O’Connor, as Acting Chair, welcomed everyone to Atlantic Quay, Glasgow for the fourth meeting of the National Suicide Prevention Advisory Group (NSPAG) (“the group”). The group welcomed Ms McAteer to her first meeting and it was noted that Ms Smith would be present for agenda item 2 only.

Apologies

Other apologies were noted.

Minutes

The Acting Chair noted that the minutes from the group’s meeting in January had been circulated for comment and requested that any further comments be collated by the Secretariat and sent to him to sign off. ACTION 4.1

Update From National Delivery Lead

Ms Smith gave an update on the Suicide Prevention Scotland 2023/24 annual report and the Creating Hope Together 2024/26 Delivery Plan.

Suicide Prevention Scotland 2023/24 Annual Report 

It was reported that the Suicide Prevention Scotland annual report would provide a record of delivery progress and key achievements, whilst reflecting on challenges and learning from 2023/24. The report was intended to assist the group in producing the first NSPAG annual report, and it was proposed that it should be annexed to the NSPAG annual report as source material. It was clarified that the Suicide Prevention Scotland annual report had been signed off by the COSLA Health and Social Care Board and COSLA leaders, and would soon be sent to the Scottish Government. 

Creating Hope Together 2024/26 Delivery Plan

Members had the opportunity to contribute to the development of the Delivery Plan through engagement sessions and events earlier in the year, and the draft Delivery Plan had been circulated to them for comment in May 2024. The Delivery Plan had been approved by Scottish Government and COSLA and would be published in July 2024. The group heard that the Delivery Plan had been developed through engagement with stakeholders and partners. It would highlight progress made in 2023/24, and the strong foundations that had been put in place to support the continuation of delivery for 2024-26, along with a breakdown of budgetary spend. Milestones for years two and three of the Suicide Prevention Action Plan 2022-2025, would be included and a review of progress would be undertaken at the end of year two to inform year three. 

It was noted that, whilst the 2023-24 Delivery Plan set out ten priorities, the 2024-26 Delivery Plan would be aligned to the four outcomes set out in Creating Hope Together. Suicide Prevention Scotland would continue to deliver work aligned to the guiding principles set out in the Suicide Prevention Strategy, and would continue to tackle key priorities around stigma, discrimination, and inequalities.

The group were invited to ask questions and offer advice on the Delivery Plan. This included highlighting opportunities they saw to support delivery within their sector and through their networks, and how to engage with other partners. During a broad discussion, the following points were made:

• Work around recovery should be broadened to include a wider range of organisations such as those supporting homelessness and young women, as well as other grassroots hubs. It was noted that Samaritans are undertaking work around addiction, poverty and homelessness as part of their whole of government work. It was highlighted that there should be more connections in the education sector to improve engagement with children and young people. Dr Hutchison undertook to connect the group with the National Association of Principal Educational Psychologists Action 4.2. It was reported that the Inspiring Futures campaign is bringing together a number of young people charities, and Ms McWilliam undertook to make connections with the group. Action 4.3
• Work around inequalities remains a priority area and a clear definition of the markers of inequalities would be required. Work would be getting underway with the Scottish Community Development Centre (SCDC) to look at groups/areas such as LGBT+, migrants/asylum seekers, care experienced, the neurodiverse community and those impacted by poverty. It was noted that there was an overlap between many groups and it would be important to shape work that is relevant across different groups.
• More engagement needed to be made with Medical Academies/Royal Colleges for professional groups such as nurses, GPs and community pharmacists as they have the ability to influence and put pressure on Health Boards. Work between the Royal College of Psychiatrists and NCISH, and on mental health unscheduled care was cited as a positive example of working together. Dr Findlay undertook to connect the group with the British Psychiatric Society Action 4.4. Prof Williamson reported that she would be taking part in a roundtable with General Practitioners on mental healthcare and would be raising their role around suicide prevention to help feed into and start conversations with the national colleges.
• The group should continue to reflect on learning from the Lived and Living Experience Panel and Youth Advisory Group, and further reflect on its own learning from the past year in their role as critical friends and advisors.

The group thanked Ms Smith, the policy team and all partners involved in the Suicide Prevention Scotland delivery collective for all the work undertaken, and achieving so much in the first year.

NSPAG Annual Report

The group’s annual report was due to be submitted to the Scottish Government and COSLA in June 2024, however due to the need to rearrange this NSPAG meeting, and the timing of the upcoming General Election, the Scottish Government and COSLA were comfortable with it being submitted in July 2024. 

The Chair would lead on drafting the report using feedback received from members and share the draft report with the group for comments. The Secretariat would keep the group fully updated with the plans and timescales for submitting the report to the Scottish Government and COSLA.  

Through discussion on the content of the NSPAG annual report, members were asked to consider and seek to agree overarching messages, key opportunities and challenges, recommendations and views on the overall tone of the report.

Points raised in the discussion included:

• It would be important to get the tone of the report right and be broadly positive about the strategy whilst being realistic about the resourcing – It would be more useful to refer to ‘investment’ instead of funding. Lived experience input was also needed in the report. Much had been achieved and delivered in year one with limited resource, and there had been lots of positive engagement and buy in across stakeholders. It was noted that that this wasn’t just about services but the interaction between these investment into long term resources such as Strategic Outcome Leads should be applauded, and the groundwork undertaken in year one to join the dots across Government and sectors had been a key achievement. The work around Time Space Compassion was cited as one of the biggest successes.
• Challenges from year one included limited funding to third sector organisations, and frustration across primary care workers due to lack of people to deliver services. The Whole of Government and inequalities work had been the most challenging to progress, and the language around “whole government/society” was too vague. It would need to be explicitly recognised how challenging Outcome 1 would be to deliver. It was further noted that that the outcomes framework was innovative as no other suicide prevention strategy had one, but how would it work in practice? It was highlighted that one year was a short space of time to see progress, and it would be important to keep the momentum of year one going for the remaining nine years of the ten year strategy.
• There should be broader engagement with sectors that are at higher risk of suicide, such as criminal justice and education. More thought should be given to the bigger picture and changing the narrative for future generations by helping create safer environments to live in, and more work needs to be done in communities to give them knowledge and confidence to ask/talk about suicide. It was noted that tests of change to address issues where people live would be taking place in communities of interest and place through the SCDC work, and that views from lived experience are valued as much as the advisory group’s. There was a need to consider areas/opportunities where connections had still to be made such as provision of resource in General Practice and CAMHS, and think about where effort needs to go; trauma should be considered throughout all work as all touchpoints are trauma informed. Environmental design was also cited as being important as a way of allowing communities to connect more effectively. 

Arrangements would be made for capturing input from the members who were unable to attend this meeting, and the group were invited to send any further thoughts to the policy team Action 4.5.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Leadership Board

Ms Williamson reported that a new Mental Health and Wellbeing Leadership Board was being set up to oversee the delivery of the Scottish Government’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy and Delivery Plan and would consider suicide prevention as part of its role. The Board would be chaired by Ms Todd, Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport, and Cllr Kelly, COSLA Health and Social Care Spokesperson, and membership of the Board was currently being finalised. It was noted that Ms McWilliam had been approached to join the Board. Ms Williamson undertook to share the Board’s membership and terms of reference when available Action 4.6.

Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee (EHRCJ) Inquiry

The Scottish Parliament’s Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee had initiated an inquiry on the progress of the Suicide Prevention Strategy. Four evidence sessions had taken place in April and May 2024 and included contributions from the Ms Todd, Cllr Kelly, Prof O’Connor, Ms Smith and members of the suicide prevention network. Ms McAteer reported that the committee was due to publish its report and recommendations before Parliament went into recess towards the end of June, and a clearer timescale would be available in the coming weeks.

Any Other Business

NSPAG Chair

It was reported that Ms Fitzpatrick would be stepping down from the role as NSPAG Chair in August 2024 after serving her contracted term of office. Ms Williamson reported that plans to recruit a new chair were underway and would involve an open recruitment process. The advert was being drafted and members were invited to contact the policy team if they wished to be involved the recruitment process Action 4.7. The policy team would keep members informed of progress.

NSPAG Meetings

This meeting was the last in the current cycle, and the policy team would consider the sequencing/pattern of meetings for 2024/25.

National Records of Scotland (NRS) Statistics

It was reported that the annual NRS statistics on deaths by suicide in 2023 were due to be published in August 2024. These were expected to reflect the impact of covid and the cost of living crisis.

Member Update

It was noted that this would be Ms Denholm’s last meeting with the Group. Members wished her every success with her new role and thanked her for her contributions over the last year.