Agenda item

The purpose of this report is to present the results of the audit of deaths by suicide as recorded by the York Coroner Service during 2010-2014. The audit was conducted in order to better understand suicide in York and to help inform the development of a local suicide prevention action plan which will support the aspiration for York to become a Suicide-Safer Community.

Consideration was given to a report and a Powerpoint presentation (attached) which informed Board Members of results of an audit of deaths by suicide as recorded by the York Coroner Service during 2010-2014.

The Council’s Suicide Prevention Lead presented the report and informed the Board that there had been 60 deaths by suicide in the city between 2010 and 2014 and that middle aged men were at particularly high risk of suicide. Self harm and mental ill health were also indicators of risk, as was loss in its various forms, social isolation and drug and alcohol misuse.

The nature and causes of suicide were wide ranging and complex and the opportunities to tackle it were also wide ranging and complex however; suicide could be reduced at an individual and population level and was largely preventable.

Conducting research through a suicide audit was a starting point and has helped identify some of the risks and issues associated with suicide. Using the information gathered all stakeholders, partners and organisations have a responsibility to work with our communities to reduce suicide. Whilst Public Health can provide the leadership in relation to suicide prevention it requires input and commitment from all partners. York’s Director of Public Health now chairs the countywide North Yorkshire and York Suicide Prevention Task Group which gives partners, as a collective, the opportunity to make real progress in relation to suicide prevention across the county as a whole, not just in York.

Current rates of suicide and in particular student suicides were comparatively high and recent figures from the Department of Health suggest that suicides in York were high compared with the majority of places in the country. There were a number of national strategies, guidelines and support for local authorities and partner organisation which were useful when trying to structure work around suicide prevention. Whilst York was doing reasonably well in terms of background work and building the foundation for suicide prevention work, there wasn’t room to be complacent, particularly about the numbers of suicides there have been.  The Task Group were beginning to work towards Safer Suicide Community accreditation and would like to work with all partners to put a framework in place to achieve this status. The ambition was to develop a suicide prevention plan, a framework where all stakeholders could bring their expertise, their specific areas of knowledge and resources to look at where they can help save lives. Collaborative working, information sharing and organisational expertise were absolutely crucial in successful suicide prevention work.

Other recent work around suicide prevention, which is detailed in the report, included holding a conference at York University and implementing Safetalk training sessions.

Board members discussed the report and presentation and made the following comments:

·        In relation to student suicide rates clarity was sought on whether the students the audit referred to were over 18 and what responses had been received from higher and further education providers. It was confirmed that all were adult students over 18 and with one exception all were students at York University. Partners were working closely with both universities and the University had increased their investment in support services for students.

·        Whilst, this had been identified as a cluster, with the exception of the similarity in organisation and living arrangements, there was no suggestion of contagion when one death had led to another. It is hoped that this was very much an isolated series of incidents.

·        Healthwatch York informed board members that Safetalk training was now compulsory for their staff

·        Clarity was sought around the reference in the audit report to a lack of contact with substance misuse services. It was reported that this did seem unusual but an assumption was made, when analysing the information in the Coroner’s files, that some were dependent on alcohol.

·        Clarity was sought on the regularity of future suicide audit work and it was confirmed that this would be undertaken as regularly as possible.

·        The work of the City of York Children’s Safeguarding Board was highlighted as having a direct relationship to the early intervention element of the suicide prevention work.

·        As part of the Suicide Safer Communities work Safetalk training would be offered to City of York Council staff and some sessions had already been provided. It was hoped that the organisations represented at the Health and Wellbeing Board would encourage their staff to attend the Safetalk training and support the Task Group further to develop this. Longer term it was hoped that, working with CVS and other partners, Safetalk training could be made available to anyone who wanted to access it.

 Resolved: That the;

(i)           City of York Suicide Audit 2010-2014 report be received and its publication as one of a suite of documents supporting the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment for York be approved.

(ii)          The intention to repeat the audit process to review death by suicide in the City of York over the period 2015-2019 be noted.

(iii)        The recommendation from the suicide audit that the findings be used to inform a local suicide prevention action plan for the City be supported and that the responsibility for this be delegated to the Chair of the North Yorkshire and York Suicide Prevention Task Group.

(iv)        The vision and direction of travel for the City of York to become a Suicide Safer Community be endorsed.

(v)         Annual reports detailing progress on implementation of the local suicide prevention action plan be received by the Health and Wellbeing Board, highlighting any key areas of concern.

Reason:   To support the work on suicide prevention and the vision for York to become a Suicide Safer Community.