Community Resilience – Some Experience from Scotland

Ralph Throp

Head of Community Resilience PolicyThe Scottish Government

Aims and ObjectivesScottish Government Strategic Objectives:

Safer and stronger Greener Healthier Wealthier Smarter

Resilience Aim: “Scotland is as prepared as possible to deal with the

consequences of any national or local emergency…..”

“We live in a brittle society”

“Next generation resilience relies on citizens and communities, not the institutions of the state”

Edwards (2009)

Scotland – some background • Similar size, climate, population and GDP

per capita to the Republic of Ireland. • Devolved government – with

responsibility for managing the consequences of emergencies.

• 32 unitary local authorities (statutory responders).

• 1200 community councils.• 45,000 voluntary sector organisations,

supported by a 3rd Sector Interface in each LA area.

Resilience in ScotlandUnderpinning principles:

•Worst-case scenarios are the benchmark•Public, private and voluntary sectors need to work together•Horizon scanning•Long-term view necessary•Generic planning – for anything, not everything

GrampianHighlands & Islands

Central

Strathclyde

Lothian & Borders

Dumfries & Galloway

Fife

Tayside

Strategic Co-ordinating Groups

What is community resilience? “Communities and individuals harnessing

resources and expertise to help themselves prepare for, respond to and recover from

emergencies, in a way that complements the work of the emergency responders”

What do we mean by Community?

• Geographical communities• Communities of:o Circumstanceo Interesto Practitioners

• Geographic most relevant - but potential to work with voluntary groups, business sector and wider “networks”

AwarenessAwareness AssetsAssets

ActivismActivism

How concerned are the public?

How prepared do the public feel?

Who’s responsible for being prepared for emergencies?

What do people want more information on?

What Can Government

Do?• Improve understanding of

risk• Increase awareness of

importance to act• Facilitate liaison &

development• Support new ideas &

approaches – pilots• Provide Guidance, advice &

support“Myth busting”• All to encourage behaviour

change • Work under way in all these

areas

Ready for Winter? campaign and Ready Scotland web portal.

Encouraging integration of the voluntary sector with

responders. • Resilience Advisory Board (Voluntary

Sector) group – bringing together responders and the voluntary sector

• Twice yearly meetings – discussions at the heart of policy

• Summer seminar – updates, sharing good practice and joint exercising.

• Voluntary Emergency Responders Guide• Local good practice – Central SCG

Integrating resilience into the schools curriculum

• Developing a “Ready for emergencies” resource for teachers which allows them to teach resilience as part of the curriculum.

• With Borders council, developing a tool to raise awareness of resilience in schools to promote community development.

Guide to emergency planning for community groups

• A step by step guide to making a community emergency plan for community groups

• Where to go for help and advice

• Published on Ready Scotland

• Templates – not branded,can be used or adapted.

Myth busting: Will I be sued if I help someone and something

goes wrong?

Conclusion• SG is working with partners to provide a strategic direction, and some tools,

to help build community resilience.

• We’ve developed guidance and tools, helped develop and highlighted some good practice and helped people share their experiences.

• Work in progress where next? – Rolling out the use of tools and guidance across the country – Can the private sector contribute more? – Working with poorer urban communities – Communicating about risk in plain English

– Good practice examples and advice are available at:

ReadyScotland.org.uk

Thanks.

Any questions?