 The strategy encourages information sharing |
A move to help workers in the community better understand young people who may become involved in self-harming or suicide has been launched in Dundee. A new strategy devised by local police, council and health workers aims to ensure that young people get a say and receive help at an early stage.
The guidance was launched at the start of Suicide Prevention Awareness Week.
It also aims to help suicide and self-harming issues be seen as less "taboo" subjects.
Although it is claimed one in 15 of young people in the UK has self-harmed, the real scale of the problem is unknown because of the number of incidents which go unrecorded.
In Tayside last year, 148 school children came to the attention of child psychiatry services after self-harming - 122 of whom were girls.
The new strategy, drawn up with Dundee City Council, Tayside Police, NHS Tayside and several voluntary organisations, aims to ensure information about children at risk is shared between a wide variety of organisations.
It was devised in line with the Scottish Executive's Choose Life campaign to cut suicide rates.
Council social work convener Helen Wright said: "Workers across a variety of services and agencies will be more informed and more confident in dealing with self-harm or attempted suicide as a result of this new guidance.
"Issues around suicide and self-harm are often seen as taboo subjects. By working together, agencies can save lives and help to improve public awareness and understanding of the risk to children and young people."
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Issues around suicide and self-harm are often seen as taboo subjects
