Agenda item

Report of Jane Fowles, Consultant Public Health

Juliet Grainger, Public Health, introduced the report which set out the current position of the work programme delivered as part of the Coventry Suicide Prevention Strategy 2016 -2019 and the Coventry and Warwickshire NHSE funded suicide prevention programme between 2018 – 2021. Reference was made to the refresh of the strategic oversight arrangements for Suicide Prevention across the Coventry and Warwickshire Health and Care Partnership and emerging Integrated care System. The report also informed of the intentions to develop the future strategy for Coventry.

The report indicated that NHSE funding from the national suicide prevention programme was awarded to Coventry and Warwickshire during 2018 – 2021 as a Wave 1 site due to sub regional prevalence rates being above the national average. A comprehensive programme of activity was overseen by the Coventry and Warwickshire Health and Care partnership and delivered through the local Suicide Prevention partnerships. Details of the suicide prevention initiatives were set out at an appendix to the report. The Board were informed that the most recent Suicide data showed that the rates in Coventry dropped slightly from 2017 – 2019 at 10.6 per 100,000 (England 10.1) to 2018 – 2020 at 10 per 100,000 (England 10.4).

Legacy activity from the programme had now been devolved to the Coventry and Warwickshire suicide prevention steering groups. Local strategies, partnership arrangements and action plans were being reviewed to incorporate the NHSE programme evaluation and the real time suicide surveillance data insights.

The report set out the local context and priorities. Feedback from the respective Coventry and Warwickshire suicide prevention multi agency steering groups during November and December 2021 identified that organisations found value in the partnership meetings, communications and networks however many were attending meetings in both areas which they felt could be amalgamated. Further details in terms of priorities from the feedback which highlighted what the plans should include were detailed.

It was the intention to develop a single Coventry and Warwickshire Suicide Prevention Strategy to:

·  Provide an overview of the national / regional context

·  Outline the shared strategic ambitions for suicide prevention

·  Reflect system, place (city and county) and local priorities

·  Outline mechanisms for delivery, impact and governance

·  Acknowledge the role and contribution of all system partners in delivering the ambitions of the Strategy.

To deliver the strategy it was proposed to develop a new and evolving joint Coventry and Warwickshire Suicide Prevention Delivery Plan. The report set out the requirements for this plan. Reference was made to the partnership arrangements and the proposal to develop a joint Coventry and Warwickshire Strategic Steering Group. The responsibilities for the Group were detailed.

Other proposals highlighted in the report included exploring the option for a joint Coventry and Warwickshire Suicide Prevention Network; the ongoing development of the Coventry and Warwickshire Suicide Prevention Learning Panels; and participating in the regional suicide prevention leads peer support network (West Midlands).

The Deputy Chair, Dr Raistrick expressed support for the future arrangements for suicide prevention and for the initiatives that were already in place. The Chair, Councillor Caan expressed his thanks for all the good work that was taking place.

RESOLVED that:

(1) The successful outcomes of the NHSE funded Coventry and Warwickshire Health and Care Partnership suicide prevention programme between 2018 -2021 be noted.

(2) The proposal to develop a single Coventry and Warwickshire Suicide Prevention Strategy by the Autumn 2022, overseen by a joint, strategic steering group supported by a delivery plan and multi-agency network forum, be endorsed.