Priority 3: Impact

Our challenge

As policymaking becomes increasingly de-centralised, we lack the capacity or systems to be effective changemakers locally, and the capacity to influence change as much as we would like at national 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.

We will push harder to make suicide prevention a priority nationally, regionally, and locally across Ireland, working collaboratively to make changes that save lives. We will listen to people affected by suicide or suicidal thoughts and identify key areas that need more research, in order to help us make the greatest change.

Samaritans Ireland objectives:

1. Define policy priorities for both RoI and NI, leveraging existing Policy, Partnerships and Research Committee (PPRC), SCC or Nations work where relevant, identifying Ireland specific priorities as appropriate. Develop Ireland policies.
2. Define and deliver an Ireland research and evidence roadmap, leveraging existing SCC plans where possible, secure funding, commission high quality research and integrate outputs into an Ireland policy and influence plan, framed within an intersectional Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) & Human Rights context.
3. Develop and deliver an influencing plan and policy priorities for both RoI and NI, and identify opportunities to increase impact through partnerships.
4. Ensure the voice and experiences of people with lived experience are core to our policy, research and influencing work in Ireland and consider the intersectionality of their experiences.
5. Define a partnership strategy for Ireland, including partnership purpose (eg access, influence, service delivery, etc) and a clear approach to defining partnership selection criteria (eg impact, reputation risk/opportunity, values alignment, EDI commitment) to deliver on Samaritans Ireland goals. To include recommendations on how best to benefit from existing partnerships (eg GAA).
6. Strengthen existing service delivery partnership with the HSE to reflect the positive impact of Samaritans Ireland’s contribution to Connecting Ireland and our goal of reducing deaths by suicide, broadening out HSE funded delivery beyond current helpline services.
7. Set up NI Advisory Board to strengthen Samaritans Ireland’s links to NI community, supporting implementation of NI Regional Plan alongside the NI branches, and including NI policy and influencing priorities.