Extra funding to prevent suicide

Derbyshire County Council is set to receive £137,000 of funding from NHS England for extra suicide prevention work in the county.

The Suicide Prevention and Trailblazer funding has been awarded to several areas across England and will fund work to prevent suicides across Derbyshire.

This includes a new service to promote suicide prevention among local sports and leisure clubs, as well as continuing to fund suicide prevention training to GP practices and other organisations.  

The news comes on World Mental Health Day (Thursday), with this year's theme being suicide prevention.  

Cllr Carol Hart, DCC's Cabinet Member for Health and Communities, said: "The effects of self-harm and suicide can be devastating.  Many people – friends, family, professionals, colleagues and wider society will feel the impact.

"The NHS England Trailblazer funding will be used on a variety of projects aimed at reducing suicides in Derbyshire. We’ll be working with a range of partners including Derbyshire Police, the Coroner’s service and voluntary sector organisations to help make suicide prevention everyone’s business."

People who are bereaved by suicide may be at higher risk of suicide themselves and it’s estimated that up to 80 people are affected by each suicide.

Suicide rates in Derbyshire remain similar to the national average. However after three years of declining rates, early indications for 2018 are that rates have increased nationally and locally. 

Derbyshire County Council, on behalf of Joined Up Care Derbyshire - Derbyshire’s Sustainability and Transformation Partnership - successfully applied for Suicide Prevention and Trailblazer funding from NHS England earlier this year. 

It resulted in £201,000 of funding, which will be shared out between Derbyshire County Council and NHS Derby and Derbyshire CCG to further progress local plans to reduce the number of suicides in Derbyshire. 

Trailblazer funding is designed to raise awareness, improve skills and increase confidence to reduce suicide rates across the county. 

Derbyshire County Council, as hosts of the Derbyshire Self-Harm and Suicide Prevention Partnership Forum, will manage £137,000 of the funding. 

The authority say it will be used on the following projects:

• Suicide Prevention and Bereavement Resources. Resources will be developed to raise awareness and provide information
• Suicide Prevention Training. Derbyshire County Council is currently partnering with Derbyshire Healthcare Foundation Trust and local GP’s to deliver suicide prevention training to GP Practices across Derbyshire and will extend this arrangement to include other organisations
• Targeted Intervention. The creation of a service focusing on vulnerable groups, those most in need, young people and middle aged men. Working with organisations including Active Derbyshire and Healthy Workplaces Derbyshire the service will engage with local sports and leisure clubs, organisations and businesses, to raise awareness, offer training and provide practical support.

The remaining funding will be used to support two local charities - Harmless and Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide (SOBS) to provide services for those bereaved or affected by suicide.

This will form part of a more joined-up offer of support for people bereaved by suicide across the police, coroners service, Derbyshire healthcare and local voluntary organisations.