Meeting: Torbay Health and Wellbeing Board	Date: 6 March 2025

Wards affected: All

Report Title: Suicide prevention annual update

When does the decision need to be implemented? March 2025

Cabinet Member Contact Details: Hayley Tranter, Cabinet Member Adult & Community Services, Public Health & Inequalities Hayley.Tranter@torbay.gov.uk

Director Contact Details: Lincoln Sargeant, Director of Public Health Lincoln.Sargeant@torbay.gov.uk

Author: Rachel Brett, Public Health Specialist, Rachel.brett@torbay.gov.uk

1.	Purpose of Report

1.1	This report provides an update on the Torbay suicide prevention action plan 2024-27 and recommends a proposal to develop a One Devon ICS suicide prevention action plan.

2.	Reason for Proposal and its benefits

2.1	The information and priorities outlined in this report will help us to collaboratively deliver improvements in the lives of residents in mental health distress, will help to reduce the number of suicides in our community and support those bereaved by suicide.

3.	Recommendation(s) / Proposed Decision

1.	Note progress since last year’s suicide prevention action plan.

2.	Note the difference between national and local statistics and why this is the case

3.	Endorse the development of a One Devon ICS suicide prevention action plan

4.	Consider the governance process of members respective organisations to enable the development of a One Devon ICS suicide prevention plan.

Background Documents

Torbay Multi-agency Suicide Prevention Plan

National suicide prevention strategy

National suicide prevention action plan

Torbay Joint Strategic Needs Assessment suicide profile

Torbay Joint Strategic Needs Assessment self-harm profile

Supporting Information

1.	Introduction

1.1	A death by suicide is a tragic and traumatic event. Its most fundamental impact is the loss of the opportunity for that person to experience all that life holds. It is also a devastating bereavement for family and friends and the pain and grief can be immense and long lasting. The impact also extends into the wider community, workplaces and to all services involved.

The causes of suicide are complex and individual. There is rarely a single cause, but suicide is more often the result of a complex combination of risk factors and stressing events. These risk factors often reflect wider inequalities in social and economic circumstances.

Suicide can be preventable, but it is essential that the preventative approach addresses the complexity of the issue. No one organisation is responsible for suicide prevention and there are no simple measures to prevent suicide. Suicide prevention is broad and includes measures to improve emotional wellbeing, support for people with mental health issues (from early intervention through to crisis care) and support for people who are bereaved by suicide.

Suicide prevention is everyone’s business. A whole systems approach is required between national and local organisations, communities and individuals so that partners are working in collaboration towards the same priorities.

2.	Multi-agency suicide prevention plan update

2.1	The Torbay Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Alliance has now been replaced by the Torbay Suicide Prevention Plan Group (TSPPG) to avoid duplication of agendas and membership. This is the strategic group that monitors our suicide prevention action plan as well as related mental health and wellbeing workstreams.

2.2	The infographic on the following page outlines some of our achievements since last year.

2.3	Of significant note is our successful application to the national Baton of Hope charity to host the South West leg of the 2025 tour on Tuesday 30th September. This has really pushed forward priority three of our plan – Harness passion, commit to collaborate and pool resources to reduce suicides.

2.4	Other actions include showcasing what emotional and mental health support is already available for children and young people via an online webinar as well as mapping and gapping current provision. Sharing suicide audit and self-harm admissions intelligence with key stakeholders and highlighting the suicide risk of gambling harm through free training.

Continued to see a decline in our local suicide rate	Continued to flexibly support people who are feeling suicidal via the Torbay Community Helpline
Co-delivered a successful Domestic Homicide Review/Suicide Prevention conference to 137 Devon delegates (more online).	Successfully applied to be the South West host location for the Baton of Hope 2025 tour. UK’s biggest ever suicide prevention initative
Shared our suicide audit and self-harm admissions intelligence with a range of relevent stakeholders	Continued to invest in community grants (CLASP) for creative and innovative local suicide prevention projects
Collaborated with multi-agency colleagues on the procurement of the Devon Emotional Health and Wellbeing Service for Children and Young People	Hosted a successful webinar on emotional health and wellbeing support for children and young people for 164 Devon and Torbay professionals (more retrospective views)

.	Data and intelligence

3.1	Encouragingly our ONS suicide rate has continued to decline since our last reporting at the Health and Wellbeing Board. In 2022 our suicide rate was 16.6 per 100,000. This is a positive trend, however, rates are still significantly above national and regional rates as shown in the following chart.

Our suicide rate for 2023 has been reported to show a radical reduction to 12.5 per 100,000 – similar to the regional suicide rate. Dramatic shifts in population rates are uncommon. On further investigation lengthy coronial delays mean that the number of deaths registered within the year are not reflective of the number of deaths that we would expect (3 deaths registered in 2023 compared to an average of 20 deaths per year). This has been triangulated with local real time surveillance data which indicates that the number of suspected suicides is not out with our norm. The Health and Wellbeing Board is therefore advised to base prioritisation and decision making on previous ONS data from 2022 and to assume a similar rate and review when future figures are available.

4.	One Devon ICS suicide prevention plan

4.1	Our vision is for every suicide to be seen as a tragedy from which learning and understanding can be taken and that suicide prevention is everyone’s business. Our system aspires to make Devon, Plymouth and Torbay suicide safer communities that builds personal and community resilience and supports people in times of crisis. We hope to deliver a consistent reduction in the suicide rate for all areas of Devon, Plymouth and Torbay so that they are at least in line with the national average, with an ambition to be below the national average.

4.2	Currently, each Local Authority in the Devon ICS area has its own suicide prevention action plan that is accountable to their respective Health and Wellbeing Boards. Each local plan is based on the priorities of the national suicide prevention strategy for England: 2023 to 2028 and therefore there is significant overlap between the plans

4.3	We recommend moving to a single, Integrated Care System (ICS) wide, strategy action plan with core system partners. This shared action plan would continue to be based on the national strategy and, importantly, it would maintain the focus on the local elements of each area based on local priorities. The national suicide prevention strategy provides a platform and framework to facilitate a One Devon Suicide Prevention Action Plan, with local collaboration across key partner organisations, including NHS, voluntary, community and social sectors (VCSE), employers and individuals.

4.4	There are several benefits of a transition to a single, ICS-wide, integrated plan:

Coordination of interconnected actions through oversight of a single plan (including opportunities for joint work, mutual support and innovation). This will reduce duplication of effort and maximise impact of limited resources.

Enhanced collaboration with core system partners (such as, but not limited to: Police, NHS Devon, Devon Partnership Trust / Livewell South West, Devon Mental Health Alliance, Network Rail, Highways England, Pete's Dragons). Many organisations that are key to suicide prevention work across larger footprints than local authorities. Engaging these organisations once, rather than three times across Devon ICS, would improve engagement.

A stronger collective voice in advising and identifying priority action with respect to suicide prevention within the Devon system.

4.5	Mapping of the three existing suicide prevention action plans from Plymouth, Torbay and Devon local authorities has demonstrated the feasibility of a shared plan and highlighted:

All existing actions plans align to the priority areas of the national strategy

Some areas of local work are mentioned across all three plans, highlighting existing effective collaboration, but areas of duplicated reporting.

Overlap in membership of locality suicide prevention partnerships placing increased demands on some roles and organisations who work across boundaries.

4.6	To achieve this goal, we are seeking to:

Confirm core partnership member agreement to transition to a One Devon Suicide Prevention action plan.

Confirm approach to this transition, including identification of the essential stakeholders required to develop the plan, and to ensure that the governance processes for this action plan are robust.

4.7	Devon, Plymouth and Torbay each have local suicide prevention partnerships, which bring together a wide range of statutory and voluntary organisations to understand local challenges and influence suicide prevention activity. These partnerships have strong engagement from across the system and are crucial to local suicide prevention activity and making suicide prevention everyone’s business.

Under this recommendation these local suicide prevention partnership will play a key role in the development of the shared plan, ensuring that local priorities are captured. Furthermore, the local partnerships will continue to provide a forum for delivery of the plan at a local authority level.

4.7	There is a precedent for single plans across an ICS:

Dorset ICS has a single suicide prevention strategy that is a partnership between the two local authorities, NHS commissioners, service providers, VCSE organisations and other statutory services, that reports to their respective Health and Wellbeing Boards.

The Peninsula Health Protection Committee works collaboratively across the Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly health protection system, providing one set of strategic priorities and annual reports to their respective Health and Wellbeing Boards.

4.8	A single One Devon ICS suicide prevention action plan would maintain local elements key to suicide prevention as well as accountability to each Health and Wellbeing Board and would provide annual reports to the boards. Local partners would continue to inform the development of the plan and to lead local implementation.

5.	Financial Opportunities and Implications

5.1	None.

6.	Engagement and Consultation

6.1	The Torbay Suicide Prevention Plan has engagement from a wide range of local partners who continue to be involved through the strategic and working groups. Devonwide colleagues are involved through the Devon Suicide Prevention Oversight Group.

7.	Tackling Climate Change

7.1	Tackling climate change is an ongoing agenda item of groups directly associated with the Torbay multi-agency suicide prevention action plan.

8.	Associated Risks

8.1	The risk that suicide prevention is not owned by the wider system, and of a fragmented approach, will be mitigated by co-developing a One Devon ICS suicide prevention plan.

8.2	The risk that local priorities and local engagement is reduced with the development of a single integrated plan will be mitigated with inclusive co-development of the plan and the continuation of existing local authority strategic and operational groups.

9.	Equality Impacts - Identify the potential positive and negative impacts on specific groups

Positive Impact	Negative Impact & Mitigating Actions	Neutral Impact
Older or younger people	Y
People with caring Responsibilities	Y
People with a disability	Y
Women or men	Y
People who are black or from a minority ethnic background (BME) (Please note Gypsies / Roma are within this community)	Y
Religion or belief (including lack of belief)	Y
People who are lesbian, gay or bisexual	Y
People who are transgendered	Y
People who are in a marriage or civil partnership	Y
Women who are pregnant / on maternity leave	Y
Socio-economic impacts (Including impact on child poverty issues and deprivation)	Y
Public Health impacts (How will your proposal impact on the general health of the population of Torbay)	Y

10.	Cumulative Council Impact

10.1	None.

11.	Cumulative Community Impacts

11.1	None.