How we work
The Devon County Council Suicide Prevention Implementation Group brings together different partners across the public, voluntary and community sector.
This group is co-ordinated by Public Health Devon on behalf of Devon County Council to agree the priority areas for local suicide prevention and develop an annual action plan. The group oversees and reviews delivery of the Suicide Prevention Action Plan.
People with lived experience of suicidality or bereavement from suicide have an important role to play and we will engage with lived experience groups and forums that relate to the agreed suicide prevention priority areas.
Priorities in Devon
The current Devon County Council Suicide Prevention Strategy and Action Plan covers three years from 2024 to 2027.
It aligns to the priorities identified in the national suicide prevention strategy for England. In addition, based on local data and intelligence, the local strategy identifies two further priority groups and two further risk factors for local action
Read the full 2024 to 2027 DCC Suicide Prevention Strategy and Action Plan.
The key priority areas for the DCC 2024 to 2027 Strategy are:
- improving data and evidence
- tailored, targeted support for priority groups
- addressing common population level risk factors
- promoting online safety and responsible media content
- providing effective crisis support
- reducing access to means and methods of suicide
- providing effective bereavement support (‘postvention’)
- making suicide prevention everybody’s business
Specific priority groups are:
- children and young people
- all aged men – particular focus on middle-aged men
- people who have self-harmed
- people in contact with mental health services
- people in contact with the justice system
- autistic and neurodiverse people
- pregnant women and new mothers
- people who are unemployed
- inclusion health groups – particularly homeless and vulnerably housed
Specific priority population level risk factors are:
- physical illness
- financial difficulty and economic adversity
- harmful gambling
- substance misuse
- domestic abuse
- social isolation and loneliness
- bereavement
- relationship breakdown
Understanding data
Public Health Devon produce a report for professionals and other interested parties to inform work on suicide prevention by providing an overview of data relating to deaths by suicide and undetermined injury among Devon residents.
Trigger warning – this report contains details of suicide statistics and methods which some readers may find difficult or distressing. If you are affected by any of the issues raised, please contact the Samaritans.
View the report covering calendar years 2021 to 2023.
Find out more about suicide prevention in Devon
For queries about the DCC Suicide Prevention Strategic Implementation Group or the annual action plan please contact publichealth-mailbox@devon.gov.uk.