Every year over 700,000 people die by suicide, and in 2020 in England, 4912 people tragically took their own lives. Behind each number, there is an individual who has lost their life too soon. Yet these figures only represent the tip of the iceberg, and for every recorded death by suicide, there will be many more people who have made attempts on their life, or who are struggling with harmful thoughts.
A death by suicide can affect anyone. But deaths by suicide are not always inevitable, and with the right support, we can help people to recover from crisis, or better still, prevent people from reaching a crisis in the first place.
Suicide prevention is a national responsibility, and local authorities have a statutory duty to deliver and act on a suicide prevention strategy and action plan. By using the data and evidence to inform our actions, we seek to have the biggest impact on the greatest amount of people across our neighbourhoods and communities.
This Suicide Prevention Plan has been written collaboratively by the Oldham Suicide Prevention Partnership, and with the help of people who live and work across the borough, including insight from our young people.
The plan sets out an ambitious 10-year plan, building on existing work across the borough. It is about taking a collective responsibility to create an environment that supports positive mental health and wellbeing, and breaking down the stigma around mental health, suicide, and self-harm. After all, suicide prevention does not lie with one service or team but is everyone’s responsibility.