The Public Health Agency (PHA) is holding eleven stakeholder engagement events in March 2018 throughout Northern Ireland that will inform the future procurement of services to implement the pending Protect Life 2 - Suicide Prevention Strategy in Northern Ireland.
This engagement process hopes to gather a wide range of views that will help shape what and how services should be commissioned in the future.
This survey has been developed to gather the widest possible views from all stakeholders. It can be completed by those attending local events or by those who are unable to be in attendance, but who would like the opportunity to share their perspectives.
The current situation is that the final version of the Protect Life 2 Strategy requires Executive endorsement. However, Department of Health is keen to progress all suicide prevention issues wherever possible. Early pilots already moving: e.g. Interim delivery of LIFELINE – pending future new model, street triage, crisis de-escalation pilots and the Future Foyle project.
Early stakeholder engagement will ensure the services to be procured are in keeping with the strategic direction of the draft Protect Life 2.
The key aims of Protect Life 2 are;
1 - Reduce the suicide rate in Northern Ireland by 10% by 2022; 2 - Target appropriate financial investment to deprived areas where suicide and self-harm rates are highest.
There are 14 Objectives which underpin the Protect Life 2 Strategy. Seven of these are deemed to be relevant and subject to Protect Life Procurement Process. These are;
(1) Reduce the incidence of repeat self-harm presentation to hospital Emergency Departments. (2) Enhance community capacity to prevent and respond to suicidal behaviour within local communities. (3) Deliver a multi-sectoral training programme in suicide awareness and intervention. (4) Improve awareness of suicide prevention and associated services. (5) Improve support for those caring for someone who is suicidal. (6) Ensure the provision of effective and timely information and tailored support for individuals and families bereaved by suicide. (7) Identify emerging suicide clusters and act promptly to reduce the risk of suicides in the community.
Please note that this stakeholder engagement exercise is not about consulting on the aims and objectives of Protect Life 2 - but rather helping to identify gaps and how services be developed/changed to address these gaps and help inform service design/specifications for the future services to be procured under Protect Life 2.
Please note this survey will close at 5pm on Friday 20th April 2018.