Emma Dodgson, Senior Emergency Planning Officer Emergency Plans Service, Essex County Council tel: 01245 430366 email: Emma.Dodgson@essex.gov.uk
What Kind of Emergencies? Flooding Release of Hazardous Chemicals Transport Accidents Terrorism Severe Weather Mass Evacuation Pollution Strike Action
M11 HARWICH MILITARY PRISONS COMAH SITES BRADWELL M25 TILBURY
Aim of Crisis Support Team for Essex To provide a multi-agency support service to people affected by disasters within Essex, or residents of Essex affected by a disaster that occurs abroad or in another area of the UK.
Co-ordination and Partnership Faith group
Crisis Support Workers CSWs A skilled and trained volunteer, recruited from various agencies and organisations, that can provide practical and emotional support to people that are affected by disasters* *In the immediate aftermath first few days and weeks
Why a Crisis Support Team for Essex? People - at the heart of a disaster response Increase resilience, facilitate recovery Preventative social & health work Complement existing services partnership National Guidance, lessons learnt & best practice
Justice Clarke`s Recommendations: Recommendation 20: Local Authorities should ensure plans are drawn up in conjunction with local police forces as to the treatment of relatives in the aftermath of a disaster Recommendation 19: Pictures courtesy of BBC Local Authority should identify individuals who can be jointly trained with FLOs to work with relatives following a disaster.
Category 1 responders should consider developing a specific multiagency plan for offering social and psychological support. Such a plan for a multi-agency crisis support team would be likely to include local social services, health authorities, police family liaison officers and voluntary organisations. Cabinet Office 2005 section 5.106
What did we do? Roles/responsibilities Recruitment, selection of CSWs Training programme Welfare of volunteers (inc. TRiM) Management structure Protocols Publicity- spreading the word!
Who are our crisis support workers? Trained and skilled professionals - Volunteers Diverse Experience of working with people in distress Motivated and committed Available Local
Recruitment, Selection & Training Induction day Application form Interview Criminal Records Bureau check Foundation training Continuation training Joint training and exercises
CSTE is not a counselling service What we wanted was information about exactly how and why people died, why we were being dissuaded from viewing the crash site, how the ID process worked and why we were not being allowed to see bodies. This would have helped far more than counsellors telling us how we should feel Jim Swire 1988
Skills Basic knowledge of: - trauma & its effects - stress reactions - grieving and bereavement Ability to control emotional involvement Knowledge of other services for signposting Understanding of own reactions and needs People Skills! Certificate in Crisis Support (Essex)
What do crisis support workers do?
Immediate practical support Provide information & signposting Explain procedures and legal jargon Practical tasks & problem solving Advocate
Triage Inquest Survivor/Evacuee forms Disaster Victim Identification Casualty Bureau Role of Coroner Family & Friends Reception Centre Missing Persons form Post mortem Family Liaison Officers Identification Emergency Mortuary Survivor Reception Centre Casualty Clearance station Body recovery
Emotional Support Listening Accessing local support Being there! Explain reactions to trauma and sudden loss Monitoring Picture courtesy of BBC
www.crisissupportessex.org
Local Telephone Support Line
Emergency Assistance Centres
How is the scheme activated? 24 x 7 EMERGENCY SERVICES HEALTH DISTRICT / UNITARY COUNCILS ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL DUTY OFFICER CRISIS SUPPORT TEAM
The CSTE Budget Funded by Essex Resilience Forum Management group partners to the sum of 15,000 Covers training, resources and administering the scheme. Contribution of the partner agencies: - Essex County Council Emergency Plans - 3,000 - Essex County Council AHCW - 1,500 - Essex County Council SCF - 1,500 - Southend Council - 1,500 - Thurrock Council - 1,500 - Police - 3,000 -Health- 3,000
Objectives CSTE and Crisis Support Workers Examples tel: 01245 430366 email: Emma.Dodgson@essex.gov.uk