Clackmananshire Council

Reducing the risk of suicide in children & young people

What we’ve done and how it embodies Time Space Compassion

We've gone from 31st (of 32) in Scotland to 1st for the 5 year rolling deaths per 100,000 for suicide in 11-25yo between 2018/19 and 2022/23.

Working within a wider eco-system of systemic change that seeks to transform public sector services (the Family Wellbeing Partnership), we have worked to develop a continuum of mental health supports across all ages and at the levels of mild/moderate mental health needs, targeted support and crisis intervention. 

The continuum consists of a digital mental health service for mild/moderate mental health needs across the three age bands of 5-12, 10-26 and parents/carers. A face-to-face service is provided for those who need more targeted supports (5-12yo can access the Creative Therapeutic Interventions for Children Service (CTIfCS), 10-18yo access the Counselling in Schools Service (CiSS)). Finally, we have a digital crisis intervention service through our keyword partnership with Shout who offer 24/7 text-based crisis-level support.

All of the services that we have provided are capable of being combined together into bespoke packages that are self-directed and which can offer wraparound support 24/7, 365 days of the year.

There is also a clear theoretical rationale behind each of the services that we have chosen to provide which has been translated from our Scottish Attainment Challenge work which developed the Readiness for Learning (R4L) approach. Each service (including our digital services) has the capacity to offer elements of relational regulation within the contact a user has with the service, and for our face-to-face services there is also an element of sensorimotor regulation built in (particularly for the services within CTIfCS). 

Who we worked with

We have worked with a range of partner organisations, some of whom were new to the mental health landscape in Scotland at the time of launch. Partner organisations include Inscape Therapies, Reachout with Arts in Mind, Oliver’s Army Therapy and Assistance Dogs, Vanora Campbell Play Therapist, Kooth/Qwell, Shout, Wellbeing Scotland, The Exchange and Barnardo’s.

Co-production, evaluation and feedback mechanisms are embedded within our work to ensure the voices of our communities are valued and included in the design of services, and that individuals are experiencing positive outcomes as a result of the interventions they access.

We have evidence that our services are being particularly effective in accessing marginalised sections of our communities – such as those living in deprivation, those who self-identify as LGBTQIA+, members of the black and minority ethnic population, and those with specific additional support needs such as Deafness.

How people felt

The supports and services provided within the continuum have now been accessed by over 7000 children, young people and their families. Feedback and evaluation on all services is predominantly positive, and there is a sense of pride that we have been able to achieve a continuum of support that is working for some of the most vulnerable members of our communities. 

The work has highlighted the importance of using local data, both formal and informal, to guide service development in a way that ensures it meets local needs and responds in a way that matters to our communities.

Embedding principles of trauma-informed care through our application of core theories such as the Neurosequential Model (e.g. Perry and Winfrey, 2022) has allowed us to ensure that the services we provide are not only valued by our communities, but are also more likely to achieve the desired outcomes as they address some of the core impacts of intergenerational trauma which are so prevalent within our communities.

What we learnt

This work has re-affirmed and strengthened our commitment to working in a whole-systems, holistic way that utilises the power of community to develop an eco-system of mental health support at every level, which minimises barriers to access and supports people to take control of their own mental health needs and ways to support them.

Working in partnership with a range of agencies and organisations is crucial in achieving this, as developing these sorts of services in isolation would not be possible due to time, finance and other practical constraints. As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child, and this work would not have been possible without the skills, knowledge and expertise our partners have brought to the table to support us in our vision.

What difference it made

In terms of impact, 75% children and young people who access positive mental health and wellbeing services (e.g. Kooth) show a positive improvement, with that figure rising to 92% for those accessing such a service from within an ‘at risk’ group (e.g. those with additional support needs). 

85% of pupils accessing emotional distress services (e.g. Text Clacks or Counselling in Schools) show a positive improvement following interaction with services. 

Specifically in relation to suicide, 2023 figures showed a 22% increase in the number of conversations happening on the Text Clacks platform, a 65% increase in the number of individuals using the platform from 2022, and 91% of users accessed the platform more than once. 

There is a continued trend within the data for Clackmannanshire of a higher average age of probable suicide compared to the rest of Forth Valley, with an average age of 49.5 (range 38-61) in Clackmannanshire (Falkirk – 44.1, range 20-90; Stirling – 49.3, range 16-70).

Cost avoidance work indicates significant potential economic savings of between £13 and £66 for every £1 spent in Clackmannanshire – the equivalent of between £1.4 and £8.6million. These figures demonstrate a tangible impact that early intervention and prevention approaches can return across the whole economic system.

However, even more importantly, we have a growing body of evidence highlighting the significant benefits experienced by individuals –

‘I can tell people how I'm feeling now. I'm not to do anything stupid to myself. It made me open up to people, but only people who I trust’

‘Normally, I'm unable to easily call support lines because of my deafness. I would've been stuck in a dark place for hours, days or even weeks. This was a lifeline for me. Thanks a million for your empathy, kindness, support and just being there’

‘Your support was so helpful, you never judged me at all, which I appreciate so much, and you always checked in first thing. So overall, you were the best, and most helpful, person I’ve ever met.’