An ‘adult social care and mental health emergency’ has been declared in Sunderland amid stark warnings over suicide, self-harm and mounting pressure on care services.

Councillors made the declaration at a meeting on Wednesday after hearing the city continues to suffer significant mental health inequalities. Its suicide rate is above the England average and hospital admissions linked to self-harm among young people are significantly higher than the national rate.

The move also follows concerns over pressures facing vulnerable residents, unpaid carers and the city’s care workforce, as well as gaps in some specialist services and respite care.

Sunderland City Council will now draw up an action plan setting out what it will do to tackle the pressures, including measures aimed at preventing avoidable hospital admissions, providing more care closer to home and strengthening suicide prevention and early mental health support.

Sunderland has declared an adult social care and mental health emergency.

placeholder image — Sunderland has declared an adult social care and mental health emergency.

The declaration followed a motion put forward by Reform UK and comes despite the Care Quality Commission rating the council’s delivery of adult social care as “Good” in May 2025.

Inspectors did, however, identify areas for improvement including overdue assessments and reviews, limited reablement capacity, gaps in specialist provision and insufficient respite and personal-assistant choice.

The motion was launched at City Hall by Councillor Jonathon Emerson, Reform UK cabinet member for health, wellbeing and adult services.

It said greater emphasis should be placed on prevention, early intervention and maintaining independence, while recognising the importance of specialist care and supporting residents to live in their own homes.

It also highlighted the role of unpaid carers and the need for a “sustainable” adult social care system.

Alongside declaring an emergency, councillors asked the council’s chief executive to commission an action plan with “clear responsibilities, timescales, financial implications and measures of success”.

The council will also be asked to develop a “care closer to home” approach aimed at reducing avoidable out-of-area placements and review services with the aim of preventing avoidable hospital admissions.

Other measures include reviewing support for Sunderland’s unpaid carers, strengthening recruitment, retention, training and career development within the adult social care workforce and working with health partners on mental health prevention, early intervention and suicide prevention.

Cllr Emerson said his background in care as an NHS worker and caring for a disabled parent had given him a “clear understanding of what good care should look like, but also of the very real pressures that staff, carers, families and those receiving support can face”.

He added that “declaring an emergency cannot be symbolic” and must lead to practical action, with the motion aiming to demonstrate that Sunderland takes adult social care and mental health challenges seriously.

The Wearside Liberal Democrats made an amendment to the motion, which was agreed, to ask the council’s chief executive to write to Sunderland’s MPs requesting that they ask the government to “make being a carer of a disabled person a protected characteristic”.

The adult social care and mental health action plan is expected to be developed and presented to decision-makers within six months.

As part of the motion, the council leader and cabinet member are expected to write to the Secretary of State and North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board to call for “fair and sustainable funding for adult social care and mental health provision which reflects Sunderland’s levels of need and deprivation.”