Publication. Birmingham UK 2019. Birmingham City Council

Foreword

Death through suicide reflects the ultimate loss of hope and leaves a significant and lasting impact on families, communities, employers and society.

The prevention of suicide requires partnership working across the breadth of society and building on the 2012 national strategy this strategy has been developed through a co-production partnership between the Council and a wide range of organisations as a shared approach to reducing deaths through suicide.

Rates in Birmingham

Although in Birmingham the rate of suicide is low compared to other cities, and the national rates, there is a shared ambition to maintain the lowest rate of suicide of any of the core cities in England and continue to reduce deaths through suicide in the City over the next decade through a Zero Suicide approach.

The Birmingham Strategy

The Birmingham Suicide Prevention Strategy is a co-produced strategy that sits alongside national strategy and is based on a combination of local and national evidence and data.

In Birmingham in addition to the nationally recognized high risk groups we also have higher rates of suicide among individuals working in skilled trade occupations like construction and among citizens born in Poland and Eastern European countries.

Key areas of priority

The Strategy sets out a series of key priority areas for action across the partnership under six core areas:

• Reducing the risk of suicide in high-risk groups
• Improving mental health in specific groups
• Reducing access to means of suicide
• Provide better information and support to those bereaved or affected by suicide
• Support the media in delivering sensitive approaches to suicide and suicidal behaviour
• Support research, data collection and monitoring