SOS Orkney – suicide prevention app launches in the county

A suicide prevention app – SOS Orkney – has been launched in the county to help people stay safe from suicide. 

The progressive web app – Suicide Orkney Support or SOS Orkney – was developed thanks to joint working by the Orkney Partnership and the local Suicide Prevention Taskforce. 

Police Scotland Inspector Davie Hall, who has first-hand experience of dealing with the aftermath of suicide, first brought the idea of a local suicide prevention app to the table. He saw other areas using an app and raised the idea to colleagues within the Orkney Partnership. 

Insp Hall says the number of suicides he has been called to over the past 16 years in Orkney left him feeling compelled to try and reach out to people in crisis and their families and friends. 

The figures, he says, are startling - in 2023 Samaritans identified 792 deaths as probable suicide, that’s just over two deaths a day in Scotland alone. If widened to the rest of the UK the total is around 7,000 deaths by suicide a year, that equates to just over 19 every, single day. 

The app, which has been developed locally with the help of professionals and members of the public, can be downloaded from www.suicideorkneysupport.co.uk onto people’s smart devices. It has clear guidance showing people how to download the app. 

SOS Orkney can be used at any time – giving options of self-help for those who recognise a negative change in how they are thinking or feeling, they may opt to use this as an early intervention to seek help and support. It is also designed for people to use before the time of crisis. 

Insp Hall said: “The hardest part of being a police officer is dealing with death. The overwhelming feeling you get inside you when you receive that call of a suspected suicide is horrendous. Nothing we do can prepare you for that call.  

“Passing death messages to families who have lost a loved one is the worst part of our job. Everyone deals with the horrific message differently. It also affects police officers having to deliver such horrendous news whilst the overwhelming feeling in the Orkney community is sadness and they grieve alongside the affected families. 

“Some families can be angry, blaming the police or other services for the death. At their time of need we are there to support them and provide information around agencies that can help them. Others want answers but sadly sometimes they will never get those. We sometimes even need families to identify their dead relative. 

“These are some of the reasons that I wanted to develop the suicide app so that we could try and prevent these incidents from arising. Anything I can do to try and prevent another family losing a loved one is well worth it. I hope that the community will share details about the app, download it onto their phones and encourage its use. It really can make a difference and save a life. At the end of the day that is what we all want – to prevent lives being lost.” 

Orkney Health and Care Public Protection Lead Officer, Callan Hunter-Curtis, has also been involved in the project. He said: “The app is for anyone who feels they are going through a tough time, they may be struggling with their thoughts and feelings and need some support but don’t know who to turn to. It's also for people who are worried about someone else. We know people who are there for others may also need support to help understand or to find ways to open conversations with those they care about. 

“We have a filter on the app which allows users the choice as to whether they would prefer to access local services or a have a preference to go further afield; we understand in a small community sometimes people would like the separation for a bit of anonymity. 

 “At the same time, we are very proud of our local services and are very fortunate to have a wealth of very talented professionals who provide a far greater variety of services than you would expect for such a small place as Orkney.” 

Personal safety plans and any other individualised information can be added to the app for the user to access at the touch of a button. 

Insp Hall explained: “You can add a safety plan to the app and other things you want to be there that you can refer to at any time. It is hoped that if you refer to your personal plan and supports in your time of crisis, it may prevent you from harming yourself.” 

The safety plan can help to identify warning signs, coping strategies, distractions such as highlighting good memories, thoughts, feelings or places, family and friends to call on, professional contacts and a keeping myself safe checklist exercise. 

Callan Hunter-Curtis added: “It supports choice and allows people to stay in control of the way they access help and support, creating the environment where people are more likely to engage with services to meet their needs. 

“We want people to see that they are not alone and highlight that support is always within reach. If we can save lives using this app it will have been more than worth it, just to be able to bring all these resources together has been a privilege and it is something we are very proud to have been a part of.” 

The app, which has been developed by Orknet with joint funding from the Public Protection Partnership and Police Scotland, will continue to evolve. 

Callan Hunter-Curtis said: “Professionals, colleagues and our partners have all had a say and been closely consulted on our app to make sure it is fit for purpose and is designed around professional feedback, and this will continue to happen. We also received some support from members of the public during the consultation phase to consider the user ability element, and almost all suggested changes have been incorporated into the design.” 

It is the aim of SOS Orkney to open up conversations around mental health and suicide and reduce the stigma that sadly still remains. 

Callan Hunter-Curtis said: “Suicide isn’t taboo, but it is a difficult conversation to start as it makes us uncomfortable, it shouldn’t, we should be able to tell anyone we care about that we are worried about them, and we want to help. Let’s start a conversation and remove the stigma, no one is ever alone. 

“SOS Orkney will not solve all of our challenges, but we hope it will be a valued support to our community to help save lives and remove stigma.” 

Police Scotland Area Commander for Orkney, Chief Inspector Scott Robertson, said: “As frontline emergency responders, our police officers see firsthand the devastating impact of suicide. These are not just statistics – these are people’s mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, uncles, aunts, partners, children and friends. 

“We hope the app will help anyone struggling with life and provide everyone with the skills to help prevent suicide.” 

Orkney Health and Social Care Partnership Chief Officer, Stephen Brown, said: “My thanks go to everyone, particularly David and Callan, for their work on bringing together this very important tool in the armoury against suicide. 

“The startling reality is that one in five of us will have suicidal thoughts in our lifetime, but we do not want anyone to feel that suicide is their only option. Right now, too many people are struggling to see a way forward; we hope the app will help with that. 

“We together also thank Lorraine for sharing Lanny’s story, which is as powerful as it is upsetting and gives prominence to the challenges we face locally and greater understanding of impact. Suicide effects our communities greatly, it is devastating for families and as a community we grieve collectively for the loss of those who are loved.”