Agenda and draft minutes

Draft minutes of the last meeting held on 22 May 2024 for approval.

Resolved – That the minutes of the last meeting held on 22 May 2024, be approved as a correct record.

Latest version attached, as agreed at the last meeting and via email responses.

The revised scoping document, with amendments received since the last meeting was presented for approval.

Resolved – That the revised scoping document be approved.

Report of the Head of Communities and Housing attached.

Liz Jones, Head of Communities and Housing presented a report with additional information to enable them to gain a broader understanding of the issues affecting suicide prevention in Chorley.

The report provided:

a)    Real Time Surveillance Suspected Suicide data – Public Health LCC (May 2024)

b)    Office for Health Improvement and Disparity (OHID) suicide and self-harm data (April 2023).

It was highlighted that on the table of statistics from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparity (OHID) suicide and self-harm data (April 2023) Chorley was the fourth highest in England. The Task Group felt it was important to explore the data further and attempt to identify the reasons for this.

In addition to this data, Liz Jones explained that the Public Health Team at LCC can provide more detailed Real Time Surveillance (RTS) Data which is updated daily.  However, the data sets are very small and there is a high risk of cases being identifiable. Therefore, they are happy to attend and share data with members in private session at the next meeting.

Resolved:

i)             That the report be noted;

ii)            That a representative from the LCC Public Health Team be invited to the next meeting to receive detailed data in private session.

To consider the exclusion of the press and public for the following item of business on the ground that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.

By Virtue of Paragraph 1: Information relating to an individual.

By Virtue of paragraph 2: Information which is likely to reveal the identity of an individual.

Condition:

Information is not exempt if it is required to be registered under-

The Companies Act 1985

The Friendly Societies Act 1974

The Friendly Societies Act 1992

The Industrial and Provident Societies Acts 1965 to 1978

The Building Societies Act 1986 (recorded in the public file of any building society, within the meaning of the Act)

The Charities Act 1993

Information is exempt to the extent that, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Information is not exempt if it relates to proposed development for which the local planning authority may grant itself planning permission pursuant to Regulation 3 of the Town & Country Planning General Regulations 1992(a).

That the press and public be excluded from the following item of business on the ground that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.

Officers have additional information to present which is relevant to the review, however, it contains sensitive information relating to individuals. Members are therefore requested to exclude and public and press  to consider this information. 

Additional information was presented including the Suicide Action Plan provided by Rossendale Borough Council.

Chorley Borough Council’s Suicide Action Plan compared favourably as many of the actions were already being done.

Bernie Heggarty suggested that it would be useful to extend information and awareness raising to more venues in the town centre.

It was also proposed that Chorley Council:

-       Liaise with partners about providing an information more widely e.g. libraries, gyms, local businesses (barbers, hairdressers, nail bars, Cuerden Valley Café, park wardens); and

-       Liaise with mental health organisations such as Lancashire MIND or the Samaritans to provide further training to local employers that request it

-       Training for taxi drivers – to be raised at Licensing Liaison

-       Recommend to the Member Development Working Group that training for councillors be mandatory.

Resolved –

i)             That the information be noted; and

ii)            That the recommendations be incorporated into the final report of the Task Group.

Re-admittance of the public and press

To consider which organisations to invite to future meetings / go on site visits.

Members were informed that Lancashire MIND has agreed to come to the next meeting on Tuesday, 23 July 2024.

The Task Group stressed it was important to keep the review focussed and that it would be impractical to interview all the organisations listed in the scoping document. 

Resolved – It was agreed that the following organisations be contacted to be invited to assist further in the review:

-       Andy’s Man Club

-       Suicide Bereavement Café (private /informal session)

-       Local police