Youth Advisory Group - Suicide Prevention

2022-2024

Children in Scotland is pleased to partner with the University of Stirling’s Department of Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals (NMAHP) to deliver the Suicide Prevention Youth Advisory Group.  

The panel of 16-25 year olds meets regularly to gather and share views to inform policy development. The group have a key role in supporting the delivery of Scotland’s Suicide Prevention Strategy and Action Plan: Creating Hope Together (click here to access).

The group directly advise and support the work of Suicide Prevention Scotland and ensure work is informed by the experiences of young people with lived experience of suicidality or a bereavement by suicide.  

Suicide Prevention Scotland is a community of people working together across different parts of Scotland to prevent suicide across our country by developing strong partnerships and using these to learn from best practice.   

Across the first two years of the project we have worked on a number of topics with the group including supporting the Scottish Government to develop its Time, Space, Compassion approach. We have also engaged with NES to consider the One Good Adult resource and how this supports young people in crisis. 

What are the Youth Advisory Group saying? 

The group has recently identified the priorities for its work going forward and aims to work with key partners from Suicide Prevention Scotland on:  

• The Time Space Compassion approach
• Peer support
• Understanding of suicide risk and behaviour amongst children and young people
• Supporting the roll-out of suicide reviews and improving use of data to help redesign the way support is given to people who are suicidal — ensuring that support is both timely and effective.
• Working with partners in high-risk settings for suicide, to build effective and compassionate suicide prevention action plans.
• Supporting the development of the United to Prevent Suicide social movements

Click below to watch a film published by Suicide Prevention Scotland in December 2023 about the work of the Youth Advisory Group.

 How can I get involved?

The group is for young people aged 16-25 who have tried to take their
own life, who have experience of suicidal thoughts or for those who suffer from poor mental health. It is also for people who have
experienced suicide (please note that two years must have passed
since the bereavement before you can get involved).

The group meets every month, some meetings are online and others are in-person. The group provides the opportunity to meet new people and share ideas. It creates a space to talk about how young people can get better support and experience better wellbeing.

Importantly, it’s a really good chance to be involved in making a change in Scotland and to ensure young people’s views are being heard. 

I enjoy being part of the group as I get to use my lived experience to inform policy,' - Youth Advisory Group Member

If you are interested in getting involved, please get in touch with Chris Ross: cross@childreninscotland.org.uk

Please also note, all members of the group must have a supporting adult/referring organisation to provide support. You can find out more about this on the information sheet (click here to read the information sheet).

Participation Network 

As part of our work to deliver the Suicide Prevention Youth Advisory Group, Children in Scotland and University of Stirling have also been asked to facilitate a wider participation network. This is to support us to continue to hear from other young people and the practitioners that work with them. 

The Participation Network ensures that  can hear from practitioners about their experiences of working with children and young people with experience of suicidality. 

The group meets bi-monthly and offers an opportunity for practitioners to learn about national work, feed into national policy development and share good practice.  

Find out more about the project 

For more information about this project or to enquire about involvement in our group or network, please contact Chris Ross: cross@childreninscotland.org.uk