Standardised reporting of suicide and self-harm in Australia
In 2006, at the SPA National Conference, Connecting Pathways – Big Country, Big Picture, delegates proposed that increased stakeholder support for Coroner’s Offices nationally was required to help develop standardised ways of recording data relevant to suicide, including statistics that reflected cultural diversity and, in particular, country of birth.
Accurate statistics relevant to suicide are, of course, fundamental to the development of effective regional and national suicide prevention, intervention and postvention strategies, and contribute to the broader objective of reducing the stigma often associated with suicide and self-harm. Standardised reporting of suicide has also previously been identified as a principal objective/outcome of the Federal Government’s National Suicide Prevention Strategy.
There have been important strategies implemented already in Australia, most notably the establishment of the National Coroners Information System (NCIS), to coordinate national data collection more broadly and provide valuable information concerning the circumstances of reported fatalities, that assists in the development of community health and safety strategies. It has been identified however, that reporting on suicide and the related circumstances, poses a number of additional challenges (including legal/jurisdictional, political, philosophical, and practical) and as a result some inconsistencies in reporting on suicide remain, whereby suicide data is currently recorded through a range of agencies and often dissimilar reporting processes.
Whilst a coordinated and consistent approach to data collection is critical, SPA does however recognize that the purposes, roles, frameworks, parameters, and evidence required in the reporting of suicide differ for various stakeholders in the system and for research and/or suicide prevention strategies. For example, the burden of proof in reporting a death as suicide for a coroner is higher than what may be considered necessary for the purposes of suicide-related research. As a result a systemic approach to reviewing the reporting of suicide is required to establish recommendations within this complex context.
With this in mind, in 2008, SPA commenced a consultative process aimed at exploring the pragmatics of achieving improved and standardised reporting of suicide and self-harm in Australia. As part of this project, SPA presented at the Chief Coroners Meeting in May, and again at the Asia Pacific Coroners Society Conference in November.
SPA also heavily consulted on the issue throughout the year via engagement with the National Coroners Information System; key researchers; regional projects between local coroners and services; various health and community services; representatives from the Child Death Review Committee (NSW) and Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine. It was this process that led to the establishment of the National Committee for Standardised Reporting on Suicide.
With national representatives from Coroners, police, NCIS, ABS, Births Deaths & Marriages, Forensic Pathologists along with suicide researchers and peak bodies, the key objective of the Committee will be to help coordinate the various stakeholders and projects within the system to appropriately address the challenges associated with developing a standardised and collaborative approach to suicide recording and reporting. It is anticipated that an implementation strategy geared towards this and developed by the Committee, will be presented to the National Coroners Conference later this year.
Whilst many of the challenges of achieving standardised reporting of suicide and self-harm are already evident in the local context, it is important that key stakeholders nationally are consulted via the Committee with a view to developing a strategy for piloting proposed changes and, ultimately, establishing an agreed set of national standards and processes for suicide reporting.
The first meeting of the National Committee for Standardised Reporting on Suicide will be held (as a workshop) in early April 2009. Comments are encouraged prior to this, and on an ongoing basis, for the consideration of the Committee as part of its workplan and strategy development.
If you would like to submit your input on the development of improved and standardised reporting of suicide and self-harm in Australia, please email ryan@suicidepreventionaust.org
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SPA Moving Forward
The 2005–2008 Suicide Prevention Australia Strategic Plan expired as at 30 June 2008. Adjunct Professor John Mendoza, Director of ConNetica Consulting, was engaged by SPA in February 2008 to undertake a comprehensive review of this plan and the organisation more broadly. The review involved an evaluation of the performance of SPA against its 2005–2008 SPA Strategic Plan objectives, and also included a review of the organisation’s governance and management systems, and an assessment of its operating systems. This review included a two-day planning workshop with the SPA Board, State Delegates, staff and other relevant stakeholders.
Findings of the review suggest that the vast majority of stakeholders believe SPA has made a noteworthy contribution to the national suicide prevention agenda; raising the hard issues and living up to its organisational values. SPA has also now built a solid reputation around the production and delivery of events-related projects.
Over the lifespan of the strategic plan, SPA has forged solid working relationships with a vast spectrum of organisations and individuals; albeit with some challenges experienced in fostering these connections to achieve significant outcomes for the sector. This success was emphasised, during the review, by stakeholder recognition that the organisation has achieved most what it set out to do within the framework of its strategic plan. The needs of the sector have, however, changed and many stakeholders now view the old plan as irrelevant to the sector’s needs in moving forward.
Executive Summary from the Report from the Evaluation of the 2005-8 Strategic Plan and Organisational Review of Suicide Prevention Australia Inc - Click Here!
The 2008–2010 SPA Strategic Plan has since been developed on the basis of these and other key learnings derived from both the ConNetica Consulting organisational review, and decisions made at the aforementioned planning workshop in Hobart in April 2008.
The three ‘key result areas’ of the new SPA strategic plan are as follows:
1. Strategic Alliances & Partnerships;
2. Sector Advocacy & Partnerships; and
3. SPA Reform & Sustainability.
Suicide Prevention Australia Strategic Plan 2008 – 2010 - click here!
The review clearly identified a need in the sector for a strong national voice for suicide prevention in Australia. In response, SPA has established a specialised taskforce to develop a strategy for the possible formation of a new national enterprise, designed to provide effective national leadership and to strengthen the capacity of the Australian community to reduce the risk of and prevent self-harm and suicide.
The SPA Strategic Plan 2008-10 commits the organisation to reforming its governance structures and documents. Specifically, the Plan states that SPA will review and modify the Constitution, Board structures and governance policies to best align with SPA’s strategic direction.
A Governance Reform Project is currently being implemented. This was funded primarily through a grant received through the Mental Health Council of Australia Capacity Building Project. The SPA Board met in October 2008 and has proposed a new governance model. The SPA membership was consulted on this proposed model. It is intended that at the SPA Annual General Meeting on the March 31 the membership will be asked to formally adopt the proposed new governance structure and constitution. Please click here for a snapshot of the new Governance structure.
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