Agenda item

Self-harm and West Sussex Suicide Prevention Strategy Priorities

Report by Director of Public Health.

 

The report outlines current activity to address self-harm in the county and additional proposed strategic priorities to be included in the updated West Sussex Suicide Prevention Strategy.

Minutes:

46.1   The Committee considered a report by the Director of Public Health (copy appended to the signed minutes) which was introduced by Amanda Jupp, Cabinet Member for Adults & Health and Daniel MacIntyre, Public Health, who told the Committee: -

 

·         The Suicide Audit showed that a third of people who committed suicide had also self-harmed and that suicide and self-harm were priority areas of focus for Public Health

·         Emotional wellbeing and mental health issues should be considered as to why people self-harmed

·         Although there were links between self-harming and suicide, most people that self-harmed were young women, whereas most people that committed suicide were middle aged men

·         The West Sussex Self-harm Needs Assessment gave a good overview of self-harm in the county

·         Significant resource was being allocated to targeted interventions to reduce self-harm

 

46.2   Summary of responses to the Committee’s questions and

comments: -

 

·         Public Health now had an officer working on an 18-month project to educate pupils and parents about the risks of self-harming

·         The project covered primary schools to colleges and had identified the need for training for both those at risk of self-harming and teachers so that they knew how to spot signs and speak to pupils/students

·         Guidance would be introduced on how to manage self-harming in educational settings including a digital offer

·         A mental health support team was being piloted in two areas to help with emotional wellbeing amongst young people

·         Work was going on with West Sussex Parent Carer Forum to support parents of children who self-harmed

·         Healthwatch West Sussex would be issuing an information pack for young people on 24 March after a review showed that there was a need for peer support and continued communications amongst this age group

·         Figures for self-harming were higher in West Sussex than the rest of England possibly due to more referrals of low-level incidents or a shortfall in community services

·         Access to services could also be a reason – a combination of psychiatrist vacancies in Worthing and high referral rates meant that there could be a delay of up to two months for patients to be seen

·         There was no evidence that children were self-harming as a result of watching videos on social media

·         Apps are available that prevent children from sending certain messages and ask if they need support

·         The number of patients with mental health issues presenting at A&E had increased sharply as had those who needed psychiatric admission

·         It might be possible to share psychiatric staff between Worthing and Brighton, which was fully staffed

·         Public Health was engaging with workplace settings to promote mental heath awareness and would have a dedicated resource for this next financial year

·         Find It Out was one of the few services for low level need whereas more was available for higher needs

·         The number of children looked after affected by self-harming wasn’t known due to lack of data

·         There were data protection issues around sharing personal information from NHS and social care which meant it couldn’t be used for targeted interventions

·         It was difficult to stop people buying products that could be harmful to them as they could get them from more than one source

·         A better understanding of the issues would lead to better performance data

 

46.3   Resolved – that the Committee asks that: -

 

     i.        Early intervention for those showing signs of mental distress should be prioritised as well as an understanding of what has led to behaviours

    ii.        There is a focus on community services and lower level support pathways

   iii.        There is creativity in the use of social media to interact with young people

  iv.        That services develop the use of peer support and put measures in place in this process

    v.        There is understanding of what the current waiting times are for accessing the Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service and asks what is being done to support children and young people while they wait by asking Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust for this information

Supporting documents: