Closes 23rd August 2022

New Suicide Prevention Strategy

The Scottish Government are looking to replace the current Every Life Matters plan that was published in 2018.

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As with many aspects of our lives, since COVID, we must look at suicide through a new lens and ensure we incorporate all changes possible. 

With plans to deliver on:

• campaigns to reduce stigma and promote suicide awareness (with a focus on reaching groups with a higher risk of suicide),

• improving suicide prevention skills of the workforce; ensuring effective, compassionate support to anyone in crisis,

• supporting local suicide prevention planning and design and testing of new services for people in suicidal crisis and following a bereavement.

Please get in touch if you'd like to input to this.

Closes 12th October 2022

Consultation on Changes to the Parole Board

There have been lots of cases that have brought about new considerations in terms of parole and how best to move forward.  This consultation looks at procedures and how they could / should look in the future.  This consultation will focus on the following topics:

• a new procedure for handling non-disclosure information and appointment of a special advocate

• adding ‘refusal to disclose a victim’s body’ as a matter the Parole Board may consider

• removing people registered with part 1 of the victim notification scheme from the provisions which allow victims to observe parole hearings

• a new procedure for prisoners subject to an order for lifelong restriction

• a new procedure to allow the Parole Board to review a decision

• a new procedure for prisoners who lack capacity to appoint a representative

• an addition to the dossier to check the prisoner’s preparation for the hearing

If you'd like us to help you put in a response, please get in touch.

Closes 9th September 2022

New Mental Health & Wellbeing Strategy

A new strategy is being developed to take us through the next 5 years.  Which, as we come through a global pandemic, challenges may be different to those we faced in previous years.

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The Scottish Government are intending the Strategy to focus on every part of what mental health and wellbeing means. This covers a range of things, including:

• addressing the underlying reasons behind poor mental health;

• helping to create the conditions for people to thrive;

• challenging the stigma around mental health, and;

• providing specialist help and support for mental illness.

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Do you have solutions, thoughts, ideas to input to this?  Would you like our help to do so?  If so, please get in touch.