BRIEFING PAPER Number 08221, 21 April 2021

Suicide Prevention: Policy By Library specialists

and Strategy

Contents: Summary 1. Suicide rates in the UK 2. Suicide prevention policies 3. Health services 4. Education 5. Employment 6. Social security 7. Transport 8. Prisons 9. Media 10. Armed forces 11. Coroners’ conclusions

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Contents

Summary 5 1. Suicide rates in the UK 8 1.1 Suicide rates by age, gender, and country 8 1.2 Suicidal thoughts and self-harm in 10 2. Suicide prevention policies 13 2.1 The National Suicide Prevention Strategy in England 13 2.2 Devolved administration strategies 14 Scotland 14 Wales 15 16 3. Health services 17 3.1 National policy 17 3.2 Local suicide prevention plans 19 3.3 Support for mental health patients and other high-risk groups 20 Primary and community care 21 Specialist services and support 21 Information sharing 21 Perinatal suicide prevention 22 3.4 Patient safety policies 22 3.5 Devolved nations 23 Scotland 23 Wales 23 Northern Ireland 24 4. Education 25 4.1 Schools 25 Suicide Prevention in England 25 Fourth Progress Report of the Suicide Prevention Strategy 26 Safeguarding in schools 26 Identifying mental health issues 27 Initiatives to improve mental health in schools 28 Support for pupils’ mental health during the coronavirus pandemic 29 Mental health education on the curriculum 29 Concerns over mental health provision in schools 29 Bullying and mental health 30 4.2 Further and Higher Education 31 Government policy on preventing student suicide 32 Guidance for universities on preventing student suicide 33 Step Change Framework 34 University Mental Health Charter 34 Reports 35 4.3 Devolved nations 35 Scotland 35 Wales 36 Northern Ireland 37 5. Employment 39 5.1 Suicide rates by occupation 39 5.2 Employment policy and mental illness 39 3 Commons Library Briefing, 17 November 2020

6. Social security 44 6.1 Benefit claimants and mental health 44 6.2 Training and guidance for DWP staff 46 6.3 ESA and PIP assessments 48 The Work Capability Assessment and “substantial risk” 49 Assessment procedures 49 Work and Pensions Committee inquiry 50 Reassessing ESA and PIP claimants 53 6.4 Conditionality and sanctions 56 6.5 Scotland 58 7. Transport 61 7.1 Railways 61 British Transport Police 61 Partnership working 63 Department for Transport 64 7.2 Roads 64 8. Prisons 67 8.1 Statistics 67 8.3 Recent comment 69 HM Inspectorate of Prisons 69 Independent Monitoring Boards 70 The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman 70 8.4 Government position 71 9. Media 72 9.1 Press 72 9.2 Broadcasting 73 9.3 Social media and the internet 74 The impact of social media 74 Online Harms White Paper 75 9.4 Health Committee report (March 2017) 76 Government response 76 9.5 Devolved nations 77 10. Armed forces 79 10.1 A new strategy 79 10.2 The numbers 80 10.3 Suicide among Veterans 80 Post-operational suicide rates 81 10.4 Defence Committee reports 81 11. Coroners’ conclusions 83 11.1 Statutory requirements 83 11.2 Conclusions 83 11.3 Chief Coroner guidance 84 11.4 Suicide conclusions: coroner statistics 84 11.5 The standard of proof for a conclusion of suicide 85 11.6 The position in Northern Ireland 85 11.7 The position in Scotland 85

4 Suicide Prevention: Policy and Strategy

Contributing authors Carl Baker (SGS), Section 1; Lizzie Parkin (SPS), Sections 2 and 3; Nerys Roberts (SPS), Section 4; Daniel Ferguson (BTS), Section 5; Steven Kennedy (SPS), Sections 6; Roderick McInnes (SGS), Section 6 (statistics); Andrew Haylen (BTS), Section 7; Jaqueline Beard (HAS), Section 8; John Woodhouse (HAS), Section 9; Louisa Brooke-Holland (IADS), Section 10; and Terry McGuinness (HAS), Section 11.

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