A suicide prevention symposium is being planned in Renfrewshire to bring police and other partners together to examine the latest data.
The plans were outlined during a meeting of Renfrewshire Council’s Audit, Risk and Scrutiny Board on Monday 21st September 2026.
The event will consider the local and national position and help review the work of the area’s suicide prevention group.
No date or venue was announced during the meeting.
The symposium was discussed during a presentation about how the council, Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) and OneRen work together on early intervention and prevention.
Councillor Ben Smith said he did not believe suicide, particularly among young men, and the drug crisis were receiving enough priority nationally or locally.
He asked how local organisations monitored drug use and suicide statistics and how existing services supported early intervention.
Frances Burns, Head of Strategic Planning and Health Improvement at Renfrewshire HSCP, said the partnership has a statutory suicide prevention group.
She said a smaller group had been carrying out intensive work on current data since Billy McClean became the HSCP’s chief officer.
Frances said: “We’ve been doing some really good work in the background around this and we’re just about to arrange a suicide prevention symposium.
“We’ll be working with the police and a range of other partners to look at suicide prevention, understand the latest figure, the local position and the national position, and look at a refresh of the terms of reference for that group going forward.”
The wider presentation covered community link workers based in every GP practice, advice and advocacy for expectant mothers through Stronger Start, the Circle Hub for mental health and alcohol and drug recovery, and work aimed at reducing loneliness.
OneRen also provides targeted physical activity programmes, falls-prevention sessions and activities for people with long-term health conditions.
Officers said a number of initiatives relied on non-recurring funding. They said the challenge was to prioritise, expand and embed successful work rather than allowing it to remain as short-term pilot projects.
The HSCP is developing a new ten-year strategic plan on a similar timetable to the community plan and the council plan.
The Audit, Risk and Scrutiny Board noted the presentation.
What a joke – mental health services in the area are appalling – with incompetence negligence and failure in duty of care
People are being failed every day – ask patients snd their families and you will hear the true state of mental health services in- there is little to no practical help – over 75% of people who die by suicide are under the care of mental health services at the time snd a high number have been in contact with 111 and mental health services within the last 24 hours
Psychiatric beds and services are cut – research proves the assessment protocol for risk of harm or suicide is not fit for purpose – patients are discharged too early from hospital.
Groups for self esteem, IT skills, journaling do nothing to help or treat people who suffer with serious life threatening conditions.
There is no safe place or practical help for people in crisis.
A psychologist working in a local psychiatric hospital told me that the system is fucked and people are dying every day waiting for a bed
Yet again the symposium will pay lip service to the plight of those in need of immediate help – a case of being seen to do something while doing nothing