A new prevention strategy will aim to decrease the number of deaths by suicide in Havering.
The Council’s Cabinet last night (12 March 2025) agreed a five-year plan to reduce the incidence of suicide in all age groups across the borough.
It sets out how deaths by suicide can be prevented and identifies how, by working in partnership with other local agencies, it can be achieved.
It will focus on:
- identifying people at increased risk, and learning from deaths by suicide that have occurred to inform preventative action
- prevention – by increasing knowledge and reducing the stigma associated with suicide. This will empower people to recognise risk in others, ask the right questions, listen and signpost to support, as well as provide the opportunity for anyone experiencing suicidal thoughts to seek support
- support for both individuals and the wider population. This will include people at risk of suicide, suicide survivors, those who self-harm and people bereaved by suicide.
A Havering Suicide Prevention Steering Group, will be made up of people with experience of suicide (suicide survivors and the bereaved), representatives from the Council, NHS, safeguarding leads and charities.
Councillor Gillian Ford, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Adults and Wellbeing, said:
“Suicide is a significant health problem.
“On average, one person dies by suicide every three weeks in Havering; with every death affecting another 135 people.
“Every death by suicide is potentially preventable, so we aim to improve the success of suicide prevention activities within Havering in order to reduce the number of deaths over the next five years.
“It’s important that everyone sees the prevention of suicide as their business and is able to talk to someone they care about to prevent it.”
Councillor Ford added:
“We know some people are more at risk than others.
“If we can ask the right questions and signpost residents to help, this will be a massive step to preventing and reducing the number of suicides locally.”
Havering’s forthcoming event HereToTalk providing suicide prevention training, is just one example of the activities that will help to support residents.
Barbers, hairstylists, betting shops and pubs, are some of the businesses and workers who are being offered training to recognise suicide risk, ask the right questions, listen and signpost their customers to support services.
The Council is also seeking members for its Lived Experience Advisory Group.
If you have experienced or live with suicidal thoughts, have experience of suicide through your profession or have been affected by suicide in any way, you can learn more by emailing publichealth@havering.gov.uk.
The strategy went to public consultation in 2024 before being agreed by councillors at Wednesday’s (12 March 2025) Cabinet meeting.