Ministerial Accountability Board: progress report - September 2025

7. Theme: Suicide Prevention

Recommendation 9 (Katie & William FAI): SPS should provide a 24 hour helpline for family members to report suicide concerns to prison staff.

RAG Ratings:

June - Blue - September - Blue

Progress:

• Complete:
  • In February 2024, SPS strengthened the ability to raise a concern by introducing a dedicated 24-hour concern line for all prisons in Scotland.
  • This concern line can be utilised by anyone to raise a concern about someone in SPS custody. The telephone numbers are readily available on the SPS website in the Family and Friends section.
  • The webpage also details how to raise a concern about an individual’s mental health and wellbeing and what action SPS will take following receipt of such information.

Recommendation 14 (Katie & William FAI): Review and overhaul of 'Talk to Me'; and

Recommendation 4 (Jack McKenzie FAI): Suicide risk assessment to be completed for chronic/habitual drug-users when removed from MORS; and

Recommendation 5 (Jack McKenzie FAI): Review and overhaul of 'Talk to Me' to reflect enhanced risk for chronic/habitual drug use.

RAG Ratings:

June - Amber-Green - September - Amber-Green

Progress:

• Complete:
  • Updated guidance has been implemented where a young person on admission will be placed on Talk to Me during the first 72 hours in custody.
• Ongoing:
  • Independent Talk to Me reviewers appointed through a procurement exercise.
  • Public call for evidence closed on the 1st July. Establishment visits carried out towards the end of May.
• Planned:
  • Following the completion and publication of the Talk to Me review, SPS will be able to progress the overhaul and replacement of Talk to Me.

Recommendation 15 (Katie & William FAI) & Recommendation 3 (Jack McKenzie FAI): Where a prisoner has died by suicide, the DIPLAR process must consider, and if so advised make recommendations, in relation to the safety of their physical environment with Polmont and the means by which they were able to complete suicide.

RAG Ratings:

June - Blue - September - Blue

Progress:

• Complete:
  • SPS has reviewed and implemented revised DIPLAR paperwork and guidance in October 2024 which requires staff to include details of the environment in cases where the death was suicide by ligature, including recording the fixture point and ligature used.
  • It is required as part of the DIPLAR process, to consider and where appropriate, make recommendations, in relation to the safety and condition of the physical environment, the means by which a person dies by suicide and if by ligature the nature and availability of the item used.

Action 1 (Cabinet Secretary Commitment): All Death in Prison Learning and Audit Reviews (DIPLAR) reviews should have an independent chair.

RAG Ratings:

June - Green - September - Blue

Progress:

• Complete:
  • A procurement exercise was undertaken for applications to appoint an Independent Chair.
  • This work has concluded with 4 individuals identified to ensure that DIPLARs always have an independent chair.