Issue - meetings

To approve Cyngor Gwynedd's Action Plan for the Prevention of Suicide and Self-harm, which outlines the activities that will be carried out across Council departments as part of a corporate approach to support the objections of the Welsh Government's Suicide Prevention and Self-harm (Appendix 1).

The report was submitted by Cllr Nia Jeffreys.

DECISION

To approve Cyngor Gwynedd's Action Plan for the Prevention of Suicide and Self-harm, which outlines the activities that will be carried out across Council departments as part of a corporate approach to support the objections of the Welsh Government's Suicide Prevention and Self-harm (Appendix 1).

DISCUSSION

A warning was given that this was a sensitive subject to discuss, and attention was drawn to the support that was available from several charities and organisations in the County.

It was reported that World Suicide Prevention Day had been held last week, and that September was widely recognised as Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month. It was highlighted that suicide was everyone's responsibility; organisations, communities, and individuals. The importance of being willing to discuss the topic openly in our communities was emphasised.

It was stated that the report stemmed from the Council's work in response to the Welsh Government's Suicide and Self-Harm Prevention Strategy. A Notice of Motion, which called on the Council to declare support for the Strategy and establish an Action Plan for Cyngor Gwynedd, had been passed at the Full Council meeting in December 2025.

Pride was taken in the fact that a lot of good work was already happening across the Council's services, in our schools and across our partnerships, and it was said that this Plan would bring that work together, strengthening awareness, training, and early intervention. The actions were detailed and it was confirmed that the work would build on the support already available at schools, strengthening early identification of concerns and ensuring that children and young people can access the appropriate support. 

The officers, partners, and councillors were thanked for their contribution to the Plan's development.

Sadness was expressed that suicide rates had increased over the past few years, and therefore the importance of broad collaboration was emphasised to raise awareness and ensure that people were aware of where to turn for help or if they had concerns for another person.

It was intended to hold awareness sessions to increase awareness among people across the County, as well as the Council's workforce, and to promote specific training for the workforce. The officer expanded on this noting the intention to promote wider training as well, such as Domestic Violence training, and to be alert to the specific impact this could have on individuals.

The need to embed this understanding and promote wellbeing across the education system was also mentioned. It was confirmed that the Education Department was alert to the risks in this area and was increasing the support and training for the designated persons in schools. This Strategy was thought to be a step in the right direction and to ensure that it was at the forefront of our minds. In cases where such an incident has occurred, it has been noted that the Department had reflected on the support arrangements for children and young people at schools, as well as staff and headteachers. The importance of this  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7