UK Resilience
Last updated: 28 October 2008
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office respond to the immediate needs of those affected by emergencies overseas through its consular staff based overseas and its Rapid Deployment Teams (further information about the FCO role is contained under the Roles and Responsibilities section).
In order to meet medium and longer-term humanitarian needs, a strategic, co-ordinated and consistent approach by the responding agencies is required. Those returning to or affected in the UK, will require a co-ordinated UK-based response before the traditionally defined 'recovery' phase. Response and recovery to overseas emergencies must involve handover from agencies based abroad to agencies based in the UK, and this means effective communication is of paramount importance.
Responding to the needs of those who were overseas and directly involved, and those in the UK who are affected - has presented unique challenges in the past. The Government recognises that this area needs to be seen as a continued high priority and following a number of emergencies (including terrorist attacks and natural disasters) involving British citizens and residents that resulted in the identification of various issues, is pursuing a number of projects to build upon the UK's existing capability following a number of emergencies involving British citizens and residents, including terrorist attacks and natural disasters, which held lessons for Government.
The Humanitarian Assistance Unit (HAU) is now formally established within the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). Since 2005, the HAU has developed close relationships with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), Cabinet Office, the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), the Association for the Directors of Adult Social Services, voluntary sector partners and other agencies to examine the roles and responsibilities of each agency involved in response. DCMS plays a lead role within central Government in co-ordinating recovery to the longer-term humanitarian impacts of a major emergency overseas which involves significant numbers of UK nationals.
The needs of people affected in an emergency overseas will be similar to that following a UK-based emergency. The key difference is that it is likely that those affected in an emergency overseas will be widely dispersed within the UK and therefore, that no single response structure within the UK will respond to the full humanitarian impact of the emergency.
DCMS is developing a national 'emergency information' website for victims of major emergencies, which will be linked from DirectGov [External website] and signpost people to appropriate available sources of support. More broadly, the Government is considering options for meeting people's needs following future overseas emergencies.
An emergency overseas is likely to involve a diverse constituency of people, and result in diverse needs. For example, a large-scale natural disaster such as the tsunami will result in needs amongst:
The tsunami illustrates this: many of the UK's Sri Lankan communities were severely affected, either by the loss of loved ones or by the loss of their home communities overseas - but UK authorities would probably not have any way to measure this impact, or be alerted to the death of non-UK citizens.
As is the case in responding to an emergency occurring in the UK, needs - and the responding agencies duties and abilities to meet them - will vary according to the nature, scale, and location of the incident. In the case of a terrorist incident, where an alternative financial package or insurance cover is not available, an exceptional package of care may be provided by the FCO to those affected, and UK residents affected may be eligible for immediate financial assistance through the Red Cross Charitable Fund for Victims of Terrorism Overseas[External website] launched in May 2007. Some major emergencies are likely to attract significant or prolonged media coverage, which in turn might elicit offers of public support and donations to appeal funds.
A wide range of agencies in the UK offer assistance, advice and support to people on a routine basis and have the capability to play a key role in meeting needs in the recovery phase (e.g. welfare support, special needs support, and access/ signposting to existing sources of assistance). Planning should cover provision of anything which people are likely to need in the immediate days, weeks and months after the emergency. This package of care will require a range of agencies to work together.
Mechanisms and structures which might play a role in the provision of an appropriate response in the short, medium and long term include:
The needs of people affected in an emergency overseas may include:
The ability to be effective in reaching out to everyone affected in the recovery phase may well depend on the collation of information and contact details in the response phase. Information should be shared, where appropriate, between agencies whose aim is to provide information, assistance or advice to those who have been affected. Sharing contact details allows agencies to proactively reach people who may welcome help, and allows the individual to choose whether or not to take up offers of assistance.
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The extent of local and regional involvement will depend upon the nature, scale and impact of the emergency.
The Regional Resilience Teams in the Government Offices will act as a liaison point between local responders and central government.
At local level, the lead organisation for any arrangements to meet people's needs, from reception arrangements to individual support, is likely to be the Local Authority, working in partnership with colleagues from Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) / Job Centre Plus, the health sector, the voluntary sector and others. This might involve a 'crisis support team' or response system. Some members of the voluntary sector - eg. the British Red Cross (BRC), Victim Support, Cruse Bereavement Care - have experience either in providing reception arrangements, or longer-term information and support.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) provides consular support to British nationals overseas in normal times and during a crisis. In the event of a major emergency overseas which affects significant numbers of UK nationals, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is the Lead Government Department.
Depending on the scale of the emergency, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, working with the Minister responsible for Humanitarian Assistance, might become the Lead Government Department in the recovery phase. Its role will be to work closely with the FCO and other agencies to co-ordinate the provision of longer-term support to those affected.
FCO (Response Phase): When a consular emergency affecting British Nationals occurs overseas, such as a terrorist attack or natural disaster, the FCO's London-based Consular Crisis Group takes the lead in providing fast consular assistance to those British nationals affected. The immediate response might include sending a Rapid Deployment Team (RDT) to help or opening the Emergency Response Unit to provide a call-handling facility. Consular Crisis Group would work closely with staff from the relevant Post in the country affected, as well as other key stakeholders to ensure a swift and effective response to the crisis.
RDTs contain specially selected and trained FCO staff, the majority of whom are consular officers. Teams will also include a press officer, technical officer and, as a result of partnerships now established, psychological support officers from the British Red Cross , and International SOS medical assessors. When required, the FCO works with the police who can also deploy disaster victim identification specialists. On occasion, immigration officers or anti terrorism police also form part of the RDT.
The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) will co-ordinate the specialist police resources required to ensure an appropriate UK response to a major emergency. This may involve a Police Casualty Bureau and the deployment of Police Family Liaison Officers to UK-based families of those missing or dead.
The Ministry of Justice and Coroners will be involved in the identification and possible inquests into any deaths.
Communities and Local Government will co-ordinate any actions by the Regional Resilience Teams in the Government Offices.
In Wales, the Welsh Assembly Government will act as a liaison point between local responders and central government.
The details outlined above apply to Scotland.
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Currently, the DCMS provides funding to the 7th July Assistance Centre (up to March 2008), which offers support to those affected in recent disasters and terrorist attacks. The Government is now exploring ways in which the longer-term needs of those affected in overseas emergencies can best be met by UK agencies beyond March 2008, and whether this might involve a national resource or local structures.
As above.
There is no difference in Scotland
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Initial Trauma Support at UK Airports: an evidence based framework, Sandie Cox and Malcolm Wandrag for City University, London and Heathrow Travel-Care, 2007
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