The Joint Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Suicide Prevention Strategy 2022-2025 outlines our plans to work together to reduce suicide in our county.

The key purpose of the strategy is to ensure that everyone in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough has access to the right care and support, from both professionals and the community, to ensure that they do not die by suicide.

This means that we want to provide high quality services for those struggling with their mental health, whilst also equipping members of the community to look out for each other and have direct, informed conversations about suicide.

Priorities

Six priority areas for suicide prevention are set out in the strategy:

Identify local risk factors for suicide and ensure approaches are considerate of different needs
Provide high quality general and specialist support to people presenting with suicidal intent
Protect people at a time of crisis and provide continued support following de-escalation
Ensure the community is well-equipped to prevent suicide in non-clinical environments
Improve understanding of self-harm and support the promotion of healthy coping strategies
Ensure that appropriate steps are taken following a suicide to support the community

These have been agreed by the Suicide Prevention Strategy Implementation Group, made up of representatives from the local authority, NHS, justice, education, charities, and people with lived experience of suicide and mental ill health.

The work, led by the Public Health directorate, will be delivered over the next three years by partners across the system. Steering groups for each priority area have been set up and will meet regularly to deliver on the strategy’s ambitions.