East Sussex County Council

Our work in suicide prevention

East Sussex County Council Public Health Department are responsible for co-ordinating suicide prevention work across East Sussex. Suicide prevention initiatives are geared towards addressing the overall suicide rate in East Sussex and also addressing issues specifically related to a high-frequency location.

The structures for delivering suicide prevention work are the East Sussex Suicide Prevention Group (ESSPG); a multi- agency working group responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive suicide prevention programme and a multi-agency working group, focusing on reducing suicide at a high-frequency location, the latter reports to the ESSPG. Both of these groups are chaired by an ESCC consultant in Public Health. 

Our current priorities

East Sussex Public Health host and manage the STP Suicide Prevention Programme Manager; who came into post in August 2019. Close links with the work of the ESSPG and the other local authority suicide prevention groups in Sussex will continue through the STP suicide prevention steering group.

East Sussex Public Health commissioned the Design Council to facilitate an intensive work programme to understand and re-frame issues and innovative solutions to reduce suicides at a high-frequency location. The programme builds on existing partnerships and initiatives concerning the site, involves a wide range of stakeholders with a vested interest and is structured around the Design Council’s Framework for Innovation. The site attracts many people from outside the area; audit data shows that around 80% of the deaths from suicide are people who are not East Sussex residents and 10% are overseas visitors. The locations international notoriety is compounded by media attention and online suicide fora: these continue to identify the area, increasing its public profile.

Whilst there is clear commitment locally to work together to address the issues, the sheer volume of suicides and number of interventions being undertaken mean that local services and commissioners are unable to source sufficient resources to implement and maintain robust solutions. The location is ultimately a national issue; national support and resourcing are required to develop a broad range of site specific actions to reduce suicide. 

Our current challenges

Reducing access to the means of suicide is evidenced as one of the most effective prevention activities. As referenced above East Sussex is home to a well-known public place for suicide that attracts many people from outside the area; audit data shows that around 80% of the deaths from suicide are people who are not East Sussex residents and 10% are overseas visitors. Work to address suicide at this site is complex and can result in drawing away time and resources from focusing on the wider issues and necessary actions to address the suicide prevention needs of East Sussex residents. The STP programme of work will in part address this through providing expansion of some existing work streams and commencing new initiatives.