Priority 3: Impact

Our challenge

As decisions are increasingly taken at a local and regional level that impact on suicide prevention, we lack the resources and systems to make effective change at national, regional and local levels.

Our ambition

To make suicide prevention a priority nationally, regionally and locally for governments, public services and businesses, so that fewer people die by suicide.

Scottish objectives:

1. We will develop our positive, informed engagement with local multi-agency groups to influence suicide prevention services effectively in Scottish communities.
2. We will increase our work with local organisations in Scottish communities to deliver greater impact in collaboration, particularly focusing on strengthening local relationships that promote equity, diversity and inclusion.
3. We will provide research, intelligence, and creative ideas to policy makers to help ensure new or reviewed national strategies on suicide, self-harm and mental health meet the needs of the people of Scotland and support our aim that fewer people die by suicide. We will increase focus on upstream interventions, so more people avoid crisis.
4. We will share insights and research from Samaritans’ services to support evidence informed developments in crisis response in Scotland – and we will learn from others. We will bring our expertise and learning in non-judgemental listening to support the delivery of Scotland’s Time, Space, Compassion recommendations.
5. We will continue to embed our suicide prevention work with the rail industry in Scotland and will explore partnerships with new sectors to further our reach.
6. We will continue to actively promote responsible reporting and public portrayal of suicide and self-harm to support positive, well-informed discussion that reduces harm.