Samaritans in Scotland
Taking the Lead to Reduce
Suicide
A Strategy for 2009-2012
Just keep on
helping people. I
desperately needed
to talk to someone
to support me
through a very
difficult time. I don’t
think I would be
here now if it wasn’t
for you. Thank you.
2007 Web Survey, Samaritans.
Samaritans Vision
Our Vision is that fewer people die by
Suicide
Everything we do will be directed towards
reducing the risk of suicide:
Reaching out to high risk groups and communities
Working in Partnership with other organisations
Raising awareness and influencing public policy
Samaritans Service in
Scotland
148,000 dialogue contacts in 2008 (excl 40% “snap”
contacts – 246,000 total)
84% Telephone; 6% e-mail; 7% SMS;3% face
to face and letter
932 volunteers provided 136,000 hours of
listening (equivalent to £1.5m if volunteers paid average of £10 an hour)
Prisoner Listener Scheme – 1,500 contacts
Over 400 talks/presentations/workshops in
schools
Reasons for Contacting
Samaritans
In suicidal crisis: 20% (phone); 40% (letter);
50% (SMS) (annual statistics 2008)
55% sad or low
51% lonely and isolated
40% anxious all the time
39% have mental health problems
35% family problems
35% bereavement
Not just one issue
(Web Survey 2007, Samaritans)
Our Values
Listening – exploring feelings alleviates distress
Confidentiality – safety encourages openness
Self-determination – maintaining the right of
people to make their own decisions and take
responsibility
Being non-judgemental – without fear of
prejudice or rejection
Human contact – giving people time,
undivided attention and empathy
Strategy: Priority Groups
Our service will continue to The crisis circle
be available for All - but At Risk
our Strategy will focus People under emotional
pressure and showing
our activity on: emotional distress
Coping In Crisis
Those in suicidal crisis - People coping with the People in distress or
pressures of everyday life but despair who may be
attempted suicide without significant distress feeling suicidal
Those bereaved or otherwise
affected by the suicide of In recovery
another People recovering from a
crisis who may benefit
Those caring for someone in from ongoing emotional
support or skills
crisis
Those who self-harm
Aims for Scotland
To maintain our 24:7 emotional support service by
being available at the right time in the right way to
vulnerable people: Capacity
To work with and through our branches to develop
and strengthen our connections with local
communities: Partnership
To work with partners and decision-makers to reduce
suicide through increased public awareness of our
key messages and increased influence on policy and
practice: Awareness and Influence
Aim One: Building Capacity
Increasing the number of volunteers by 10%
Redeploying volunteers and reviewing roles
to increase effectiveness
Listener Scheme in every Scottish Prison
Reviewing our rotas to ensure greater % of
calls generated in Scotland are answered
here
Internal systems to promote better training,
internal communication, co-ordination,
resourcing
Aim Two: Partnerships
Community Planning Partnerships, Single
Outcome Agreements and Choose Life
Pack for Branches to encourage agreements
and referrals/sign-posting/information
Work in Schools: DEAL (Developing Emotional Awareness and
Learning) and Workshops
Suicide and Self-Harm Response Service in
development
SCOTS – Community Outreach team –
providing support where it is needed
Aim Three: Awareness and
Influence
National public awareness campaigns – 24:7, Suicide
Prevention Day, Festive Period
Working with partners in Choose Life – media responses,
reacting to events
National Working Groups (Choose Life Groups: National Suicide Prevention
Review Group; Post-vention Group, Remote and Rural Group; Locations of Concern Group;
Suicide Register Working Group)
Relationship with MSP’s and decision-makers
Parliamentary Events/information/updates
UK/ROI Developments:
Suicide Response Service
“ To this day I don’t know if I did
the right thing.”
Health
Head teacher who managed a school
After a suicide
Voluntary
Education
sector
The
Community
Psychology Youth
service services
Emergency
services
Professionals say they are not equipped
to deal with suicide, the effect on them is
rarely considered.
A trained Samaritans volunteer will respond
within 24 hours and offer guidance to the
school during the crisis.
UK/ROI Developments:
Network Rail Partnership
5 year partnership to reduce suicides on the railways by 20%:
Starts January 2010
Posters with helpline details at key stations across the UK
Training for staff in how to identify potentially suicidal people and
intervene, and on dealing with impact of suicides on staff
Suicide response service with branches to ensure support is available
in aftermath of a suicide
National communications campaigns increasing awareness of
Samaritans’ services targeting high risk groups
Working with the media to ensure responsible reporting of suicide
Piloting in Edinburgh Waverley, Linlithgow, Cardonald, and
Glasgow Central
UK/ROI Developments:
Harmonised European
Short Code Helpline awarded to
116123: Emotional Support
Samaritans by Ofcom
European Commission decision to provide a “same number, same service”
across all member states to access services of extreme social value
24:7 across UK and ROI
Free to caller – including mobiles
Roll out within 18 months – maintain our 08457 number meantime
No Government funding to Samaritans to cover this cost – already 97% of
Samaritans funding is by donation
Started in one area early 2010 along with sustained fund-raising for rest of
country
New call management system to handle increased call levels anticipated
Contact
Samaritans in Scotland
Frances Simpson, Scottish Development
Manager. 01382 561372.
f.simpson@samaritans.org
Samaritans Web Site
www.samaritans.org