Issue - meetings

Background:

The report presented the draft new Suicide and Self-Harm Prevention Strategy for Kent and Medway (2026-2030). The new Strategy was drafted in summer 2025 following more than a year of stakeholder engagement. The Strategy had been out to formal public consultation from 23 July to 6 October 2025, and a consultation report summarising the key findings from the consultation had been prepared and published online, along with a ‘You Said, We Did’ document which highlighted the changes made following analysis of the consultation responses.

It was noted that, prior to being circulated for partners to publish, there would be some final minor amendments to text, which would include adding the name of the Integrated Care Board (ICB) contact once confirmed, and correcting any typing or formatting errors only.

The report had previously been considered by the Health and Wellbeing Board on 20 November 2025 and by the Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 4 December 2025 and the Cabinet thanked the Committees for their comments which were set out in sections 7 and 8 of the report.

It was noted that approval to adopt the Suicide and Self-Harm Prevention Strategy for 2026-2030 had been given at the Kent County Council’s Adult Social Care and Public Health Cabinet Committee meeting on Wednesday 21 January 2026.

Reasons:

Adoption of the 2026-2030 Suicide and Self-Harm Prevention Strategy will shape the direction of the Kent & Medway Suicide Prevention programme’s work for the next five years.

The Suicide Prevention Oversight Board, which includes representatives from Medway Council, Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust, and the ICB (who fund this programme) are fully supportive of this proposal.