Suicide Prevention Update August 2024
Perth and Kinross Council · 23 October 2024
Back to Learning and Families Committee — 23 October 2024 and its agenda
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Perth and Kinross Council Learning and Families Committee 23 October 2024 SUICIDE PREVENTION UPDATE AUGUST 2024 Report by Strategic Lead – Education and Learning (Report No. 24/290) 1. PURPOSE 1.1 This report provides an update on the activity in relation to suicide prevention within Education and Learning. 1.2 The previous Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Work (Report No. 23/130 refers) which went to the Learning and Families Committee on 3 May 2023 gave a full overview of mental health and suicide prevention work across the then Education and Children’s Services (ECS). It described that through the Health and Wellbeing Strategy, ECS had supported mental health improvement actions and worked on a Tayside framework to set up the Scottish Government funded programme of Counselling in Schools. To supplement this work, the Community Mental Health Fund programme funded a Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Co-ordinator post within Perth and Kinross Council (PKC). 1.3 This update report summarises the current context, considers some of the inherent challenges, details the actions since last year and summarises the onward plans. 2. RECOMMENDATION 2.1 It is recommended that the Committee: • Notes the contents of the report and that this work will be reported into the Children, Young People and Families Partnership on an ongoing basis. 3. STRUCTURE OF REPORT 3.1 This report is structured over the following sections: • Section 4: Background • Section 5: Current Actions • Section 6: Next Steps • Section 7: Conclusion • Appendices
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4. BACKGROUND 4.1 The ‘Suicide Prevention Update, August 2024’ (Appendix 1) has been written to give an update on current suicide prevention and mental health work within PKC. The PKC Education Service have historically supported mental health in schools through programmes such as Bounce Back and Community Link Workers group work. There is now a clear focus on supporting relational approaches in schools through the Nurturing Relationships framework. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the focus turned to supporting responses of staff, parents, and children and young people in areas such as anxiety management, self-harm and suicide prevention. 4.2 To support this work, funding was agreed through the Scottish Government Community Mental Health Fund programme in 2021 to appoint an ECS Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Co-ordinator post within PKC, who was appointed in early 2022. 4.3 The Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Co-ordinator reports into the Community Mental Health Fund Programme Board and works with the Principal Educational Psychologist to agree strategic actions and priorities. The mental health strategy for Education and Learning has been overseen by the Mental Health and Wellbeing Overview group, a sub-group of the Children, Young People and Families Planning Partnership. 4.4 The Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Co-ordinator works closely with the Suicide Prevention Co-ordinator for Adult Services. A structure for the overall strategic direction of suicide prevention work within PKC is now in place through a Perth and Kinross Suicide Prevention steering group. Both of the Suicide Prevention Co-ordinators support, where appropriate, the implementation of the Scottish Government’s Creating Hope Together: Suicide Prevention Strategy 2022-2032 and the Creating Hope Together: Suicide Prevention Action Plan 2022-2025. 4.5 Since starting the post in March 2022, the Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Co-ordinator has supported staff through many operational situations and has worked on key areas of need, as detailed in Appendix 1. The areas covered are themed into systems work to support effective practice, guidance for staff and professional learning. Priority actions were agreed following a survey undertaken with school staff in April 2022 on staff perceptions of suicide ideation in young people. 5. CURRENT ACTIONS 5.1 In respect of systems work, a ‘Mental Health delivery Group’ has completed two years of work with two secondary school communities and delivered improvements in school based practices and knowledge as a result. Additionally, a pilot with NHS Tayside is underway to ensure good practice in the exchange of information for situations involving medical intervention. Partners are working to review whether needs are being met at the right level of intervention.
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Crisis supports, through The Lighthouse for Perth, are now available to every secondary school and work continues to support the promotion of resilience and wellbeing. 5.2 In relation to guidance work, the ‘PKC Suicide Prevention Risk Management Framework’ is being developed and trialled, primarily through discussion with staff teams. The PKC Child Protection guidance has been updated and suicide behaviours and self-harm given a prominence. 5.3 Professional learning has taken place in the areas of trauma informed practice, the suicide prevention ‘ASIST’ intensive training and self-harm work. 6. NEXT STEPS 6.1 Each area of work has ongoing actions. Some actions will be determined in detail once finalised and/or evaluative feedback is gathered. This reflects the importance of continuing to drive forward and adapt activity in the area of suicide prevention. 6.2 Following the development of the Suicide Prevention Risk Management Framework, each secondary school, and any primary school seeking support, will be supported through consultation with the Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Co-ordinator to review practice in relation to the framework and plan individual school based next steps, which could include bespoke professional learning input. Evaluative feedback will be sought during Term 3 of this academic session 2024/2025. 6.3 The work to collate information on the continuum of need, that is, which needs are met at which level and any consequent gaps, will be completed and reviewed. The information sharing pilot with NHS Tayside will be jointly evaluated and next steps agreed. 6.4 The pilot of the group work aspect of Counselling in Schools will be reviewed and the development of the Mental Health Ambassadors will be evaluated over the course of this session with The Lighthouse for Perth. Feedback will be used to support secondary schools wishing to use the Bounce Back curricular resource. 6.5 Over the coming two sessions, attention will turn to aligning this work with and promoting practices around ‘Mentally Flourishing’ schools, enhancing further resilience and problem-solving skills work. 7. CONCLUSION 7.1 The work on mental health in Education and Learning has benefited from the establishment of the role of Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Co- ordinator. The focus and pace of the work has led to a better understanding of the needs within schools and supported the development of a risk management framework to guide suicide prevention in schools, supported by
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professional discussions and professional learning. This has been strengthened by highly effective partnership working. 7.2 The drive to prevent tragedy focuses on improvements in practice and knowledge, and this work continues. Our children and young people need both effective responses to distress and a culture that can simultaneously focus on building up their coping skills and wellbeing, expecting not the worst but the best for them. As our practice around responding to concerns becomes more embedded, we will marry this with building excellent practice in promoting positive mental health. Author Name Designation Contact Details Susie Turner Principal Educational Psychologist/ Inclusion Manager FBSCommittee@pkc.gov.uk 01738 475000 Approved Name Designation Date Sheena Devlin Strategic Lead – Education and Learning 5 September 2024
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ANNEX 1. IMPLICATIONS, ASSESSMENTS, CONSULTATION AND COMMUNICATION Strategic Implications Yes/None Community Plan/Single Outcome Agreement Yes Corporate Plan Yes Resource Implications Financial N/A Workforce Yes Asset Management (land, property, IST) N/A Assessments Equality Impact Assessment N/A Strategic Environmental Assessment N/A Sustainability (community, economic, environmental) N/A Legal and Governance N/A Risk N/A Consultation Internal Yes External Yes Communication Communications Plan N/A 1. Strategic Implications Community Plan/Single Outcome Agreement 1.1 This section sets out how the proposals relate to the delivery of the Perth and Kinross Community Plan/Single Outcome Agreement in terms of the following priorities: (i) Giving every child the best start in life; (ii) Developing educated, responsible and informed citizens; (iii) Promoting a prosperous, inclusive and sustainable economy; (iv) Supporting people to lead independent, healthy and active lives; and (v) Creating a safe and sustainable place for future generations. This report relates to Objective No. (ii) and (iv). Corporate Plan 1.2 This section sets out how the proposals relate to the achievement of the Council’s Corporate Plan Objectives: (i) Giving every child the best start in life; (ii) Developing educated, responsible and informed citizens; (iii) Promoting a prosperous, inclusive and sustainable economy; (iv) Supporting people to lead independent, healthy and active lives; and (v) Creating a safe and sustainable place for future generations.
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This report relates to Objective No. (ii) and (iv). 1.3 The report also links to the Education and Learning; and the Children, Families and Justice Services Vision, Values and Priorities in respect of the following key Priority area: • Health and Wellbeing 2. Resource Implications Financial 2.1 Funding is provided for the Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Co-ordinator post through the Scottish Government Community Mental Health Fund, until March 2025. Workforce 2.2 Implications for the workforce would only concern wellbeing as part of carrying out their general duties. Asset Management (land, property, IT) 2.3 Not applicable. 3. Assessments 3.1 Under the Equality Act 2010, the Council is required to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations between equality groups. Carrying out Equality Impact Assessments for plans and policies allows the Council to demonstrate that it is meeting these duties. 3.1.1 The proposals have been considered under the Corporate Equalities Impact Assessment process (EqIA) with the following outcome: (i) Assessed as not relevant for the purposes of EqIA. Strategic Environmental Assessment 3.2 The Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 places a duty on the Council to identify and assess the environmental consequences of its proposals. 3.2.1 The proposals have been considered under the Act; however, no action is required as the Act does not apply to the matters presented in this report. This is because the Committee are requested to note the contents of the report only and the Committee are not being requested to approve, adopt or agree to an action or to set the framework for future decisions. Sustainability
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3.3 Under the provisions of the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003, the Council has to discharge its duties in a way which contributes to the achievement of sustainable development. Under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 the Council also has a duty relating to climate change and, in exercising its functions must act: • In the way best calculated to delivery of the Act’s emissions reduction targets. • In the way best calculated to deliver any statutory adaption programmes. • In a way that it considers most sustainable. 3.3.1 Not applicable. Legal and Governance 3.4 The Head of Legal and Governance Services has been consulted in relation to the content of this report. There are no legal implications arising from this report. 3.5 Not applicable. Risk 3.6 Risks related to the content of this report are being addressed through the actions outlined in Appendix 1. 4. Consultation Internal 4.1 The Mental Health Delivery Group included representation from schools, Educational Psychology and the Inclusion Service. External 4.2 The Mental Health Delivery Group included representation from the Children Young People and Families Service, Police Scotland, NHS Scotland and the third sector. 5. Communication 5.1 Not applicable. 2. BACKGROUND PAPERS 2.1 No background papers, as defined by Section 50D of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (and not containing confidential or exempt information) were relied on to a material extent in preparing the above report. 3. APPENDICES 3.1 Appendix 1 – Suicide Prevention Update, August 2024