Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 11 October 2022 be confirmed and signed by the Chair as an accurate record.

Councillor Debbie Armiger wished it be noted she was employed by Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (LPFT)

Councillor Calum Watt, Chair of the Community Leadership Scrutiny Committee, opened the meeting and provided the Committee with a brief introduction to guest speakers and the topic of discussion which was Suicide Rates in Lincoln.

The Committee received a presentation from Dr Lucy Gavens (Consultant in Public Health, Lincolnshire County Council), Sarah Connery (CEO, Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust) and Fiona Bone (Suicide Prevention and Self-Injury Reduction Lead, Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust). During consideration of the presentation, the following points were noted: -

• Suicide was a loss of hope and was not always related to ill mental health. Every suicide was preventable
• 1 in 3 deaths, as a result of suicide were individuals that had never had contact with mental health services
• The National suicide rate was 10.5 per 100,000 population. Lincolnshire’s suicide rate was above the national average at 12.6 per 100,000 population.
• As a district, the City of Lincoln had the highest suicide rate across the country of 21.3 per 100,000 population
• Suicide prevention work and an understanding of suicide locally derived from annual releases from the Office for National Statistics, Real Time Surveillance from Lincolnshire Police and Coroner Data
• It was noted that coroner data was delayed. It took approximately 200 days for an inquest to be completed in Lincolnshire
• Collaborative work with Lincolnshire Police provided information on scenes attended where an individual may have taken their life through suicide
• Local intelligence provided information on suspected ‘clusters’ and additional support would be placed within communities where suspected suicide clusters had been identified
• Upon completion of a coroner’s inquest, a ‘deep dive’ was undertaken to identify services that an individual had been in contact with and potential reasons that may have been an underlying cause of the suicide
• Causes regularly identified from coroners’ information included relationship breakdown, financial hardship, and gambling as a national issue
• Lincoln’s mortality rate due to suicide in Lincolnshire between 2018-20 and 2019-20 had dropped by 3.4 per 100,000 population. Lincoln was twelfth equal across the country
• 4 in 5 suicides were among men and 1 in 4 were aged 50-59
• 70% of suicides occurred in the individual’s own home and 2 in 5 had made at least one previous suicide attempt
• ‘Reaching Out and Saving Lives’ (2020-2023) was developed and delivered by the multiagency steering group who lead suicide prevention activity in Lincolnshire
• Suicide prevention within Lincolnshire included work in the following areas:

1)    Core Offer

a.    Suicide Bereavement Support Service and Suspected Suicide Cluster Response Plan

b.    A bespoke Suicide Bereavement Support Service was launched in November 2021. Coroners could refer family and close friends

c.     Targeted communications and training offered to local organisations

d.    Consideration of high-performance areas such as Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire and what we did differently

2)    High Risk Groups

a.    Funding was available through NHS England for community-based suicide prevention work to support broader wellbeing

b.    Ensuring that funding targeted high-risk groups

c.     Data from coroners formed part of the annual audit work

3)    Children & Young People

a.    There  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22.

Consideration was given to the Committee’s work programme. The Democratic Services Officer confirmed amendments to the work programme further to scoping discussions. The focus of the Committee’s work programme for the remainder of the municipal year would include an update on the Cost-of-Living Crisis, an update on the Cultural Consortium and consideration of Assets of Community Value.

The Chair confirmed that the Committee’s work would include a further focus on Suicide Rates within Lincoln. It was agreed that this item would be brought before the Committee in January 2023. The Democratic Services Officer added that attendance would be sought from Kerry Stocks, Operations Manager, Shine Lincolnshire. The Chair requested that officers work with the communications team to arrange a press release for the meeting.

The Chair confirmed that the Committee’s work would include an update on the Cost of Living Crisis. It was agreed that this item would be brought before the Committee in January 2023.

Discussion took place regarding an update on the Cultural Consortium and it was agreed that the update would be brought before the Committee in March 2023.

Further to scoping discussions, the Chair confirmed that the Committees work would focus on Assets of Community Value and it was agreed that the item would be brought before the Committee in March 2023. The Democratic Services Officer confirmed that attendance would be sought from Councillor Neil Murray, Portfolio Holder for Economic Growth.

Further to a request received from Charlotte Brooks, Director, LocalMotion, it was agreed that an update on the Poverty Truth Commission would be brought before the Committee in June 2023 after the Commissions launch in March 2023.

Date of Next Meeting: Tuesday 24 January 2023.