Supporting improved responses to self-harm: A reflection and improvement tool

Reflective Questions Across the Three Priority Areas of the Action Plan

Please see supporting document Appendix 1 for fillable form

Priority 1 : Continue to expand and deepen knowledge and embed compassionate understanding of self-harm, and tackle stigma and discrimination.

• What professional learning, development or training provision is available to you/your team that supports compassionate and non-discriminatory approaches to self-harm?
• Do these learning opportunities provide up to date, evidence based information on self-harm, including definitions, functions, and non-stigmatising approaches that align with the National Self-Harm Strategy and Action Plan and the principles of Time, Space, Compassion?
• To what extent is this training undertaken and embedded into practice as appropriate to individual roles? Are there any barriers to this taking place?
• What mechanisms are in place to evaluate the extent in which the training is embedded into regular practice within your team/service?
• Has appropriate self-harm awareness training been incorporated into core or continuous learning and development, and can this be further improved?
• Can local communities easily access appropriate reliable information on self-harm, and are there opportunities to make this more accessible?
• Have you considered how to share information and training on self-harm with services which support groups that are at an increased risk of self-harm or face additional barriers to accessing support? For example, ensuring information on available support is shared with local LGBT+ organisations.

Priority 2 : Continue to build person-centred support and services across Scotland to meet the needs of people affected by self-harm.

• Giving consideration to learning from service delivery and the views of lived experience, how effective is your approach in supporting people who have self-harmed?
• If your service specifically provides or commissions self-harm support has consideration been given to identifying groups or individuals who may be excluded from accessing support for self-harm due to current service design or gaps in provision? How can this be improved?
• Are pathways to support for self-harm clearly laid out and well understood by all relevant partners? If sign posting on to elsewhere for support, do your staff know where to signpost to?
• Is the process for making referrals to support and information sharing as seamless as possible? Is this easily understood by those making referrals and those accessing services?
• Is your service responding to self-harm in a compassionate and trauma-informed manner? (including first responders and longer-term supports)
• Are quality resources on self-harm easily accessible locally for those potentially most at risk (and those that support them) including care experienced children and young people, LGBT+, neurodivergent and those experiencing homelessness? Are there means by which this might be improved?
• Can staff easily access wellbeing and self-harm support for themselves without concern of stigma or discrimination? Are all staff who are working with people who self-harm able to access appropriate supervision? How can this be improved?
• If your service specifically provides or commissions self-harm support, are supports and services based on current evidence on self-harm and able to take account of new evidence as it emerges. Is there an awareness of current gaps in evidence and are appropriate safeguards in place to address this?

Priority 3 : Review, improve and share data and evidence to drive improvements in support and services for people who have self-harmed, or are at risk of doing so.

• If you provide or commission self-harm support, is service design and approach to provision informed by the most up to date and reliable national and local data and evidence, including views from those with lived and living experience of self-harm?
• Are there mechanisms that should be put in place to improve this?
• Are agreements in place, where appropriate, for data sharing to minimise re-traumatisation e.g. through having to retell story to multiple staff?
• How is action to support people who self-harm monitored to support continuous improvement?
• Based on national and local data available to you, what change can you make now to support improvement in self-harm support?
• How can continued improvement be sustained?