This week the government launched a strategy setting out ambitions over the next 5 years to:
- reduce suicide
- improve support for people who have self-harmed
- improve support for people bereaved by suicide
Gateway Programme Manager
The strategy was informed by consultation during 2022, which included consideration of steps required to support multi-professional working across individuals, local government, NHS organisations, voluntary, social and community partners, in addition to the private sector.
It includes over 100 actions required across government and a wide range of organisations.
As Gateway Programme Manager, I particularly noticed the reference to bespoke actions and intervention required for certain groups, including children and young people. In addition, there is recognition of the need to ensure:
…actions are focused on prevention and early intervention while also ensuring there is the right support for people…strong collaboration, with clarity of roles, is essential. Suicide prevention is the responsibility of multiple government departments, as well as wider public, private and VCSE sector organisations
This aligns with the CNEST and Gateway model, which focus on early identification of complex, unmet needs for children and young people, in addition to providing an opportunity for multi-agency agreement of actions required by professionals to address those unmet needs.
Having experienced implementation of CNEST and Gateway in Cheshire and Merseyside during the past 12 months, I welcome the strategy’s promotion of cross-sector working and joint action, including at a local level. I look forward to learning more about how the actions are taken forward in other integrated care systems, in addition to Cheshire and Merseyside.
