A councillor’s guide to civil resilience

When major incidents strike – whether floods, terror attacks, or tragedies like Grenfell – communities look to their local councils for visible, compassionate, and decisive leadership. The expectation is clear: act fast, work collaboratively with emergency services and partners, and keep essential day-to-day services running.

But once the immediate danger has passed and the blue-light services step back, it’s often councils who stay on the frontline. Recovery is rarely quick or simple – it’s often a long, complex, resource-intensive, and highly sensitive process but it’s also a chance to rebuild stronger, fairer, and more connected communities. And councillors are central to making that happen.

Under the Civil Contingencies Act, councils have a legal duty to prepare for emergencies. But real preparedness goes beyond plans on paper – it’s about people. Everyone involved needs to understand their role, have the skills to carry it out, and know they’re supported to do it well.

For officers, that means developing the operational expertise to manage crises effectively. For councillors, it means stepping confidently into your political leadership role – before, during, and after emergencies. Officers and councillors have distinct roles, but they’re most powerful when they complement each other.

Since this guidance was last updated in 2018, the spotlight on the role of elected members in civil resilience has intensified. The UK Government’s 2022 Resilience Framework and associated Action Plan call for a 'whole of society' approach – suggesting a role for local councillors as community leaders and convenors. 
They also make clear that local resilience forums should be more clearly accountable to democratically elected leaders.

The Grenfell Tower Public Inquiry reinforced this message with stark clarity: councillors, especially those in senior leadership roles, must provide meaningful oversight of preparedness and civic leadership during times of crisis – will be held accountable if they fail to do so.

This updated guidance is designed to support councils in strengthening their approach to civil resilience. It provides an overview of the council’s responsibilities in this area, along with targeted sections outlining the role of senior councillors and ward councillors. A new section also outlines how officers can support elected members in fulfilling their civil resilience roles. Strong collaboration between officers and councillors is essential to ensure that the guidance translates into effective action on the ground.

The bottom line? Every councillor has a vital role to play in building local resilience. We hope this guidance helps bring that role to life and supports you in helping your communities face the future with confidence, whatever it brings.

All principal councils are designated as Category one responders under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004.  As such, they have clearly defined responsibilities in relation to civil emergencies that cut across many service areas and will typically lead the recovery from any emergency in their area.

Key responsibilities of category one responders

As a Category one responder, your council must:

• assess local risks to identify potential emergencies (a process informed by the National Risk Register)
• develop emergency plans to respond to those risks
• maintain business continuity plans to ensure essential services can continue during and after an emergency
• inform and warn the public about potential emergencies and provide advice and updates during incidents
• share information and cooperate with other responders (such as police, fire, NHS) to ensure coordinated action
• support local organisations: councils also have a duty to advise businesses and voluntary groups on business continuity planning.

When must councils act?
A council must carry out its duties under the Act when:

• an emergency could seriously hinder its ability to deliver essential functions
• the council needs to take action to prevent, reduce, or respond to the effects of the emergency
• doing so would require reprioritising or increasing its use of resources.

A shared approach to emergency management
Local responders work within a national framework for managing emergencies, designed to apply to all types of incidents, regardless of their cause or scale. This framework provides:

• national consistency in overall approach, and local flexibility – so each area can adapt planning based on its own risks, resources, and priorities.

The role of local resilience forums 
Local resilience forums (LRFs) are multi-agency partnerships that support effective emergency planning and coordination. They:

• cover the same area as the local police force;
• create Community Risk Registers, which idetify and assess risks specific to the local area
• develop joint emergency response plans for high-priority risks
• bring together local responders to ensure co-ordination, collective preparedness and consistent communication.

Purpose of this guidance for senior councillors

This section offers practical advice for senior councillors with executive responsibilities (council leaders, executive mayors, cabinet members, and committee chairs) on their role in supporting civil resilience.

While the division of responsibilities will differ between councils based on local governance structures and portfolio allocations, it is essential that there is clarity on who leads what. These responsibilities may also need to be revised during emergencies, depending on the scale, nature, and evolving circumstances of the incident.

Political administrations are encouraged to agree on default arrangements for civil resilience roles and decision-making in advance – recognising that these may need to adapt during emergency response and recovery phases.

To be effective in these roles, senior councillors should be supported through training and development programmes. This ensures they understand their duties and have the confidence, skills, and knowledge needed to lead the political response during civil emergencies.

Summary of senior councillors’ role in civil resilience

Although the operational delivery of civil resilience is led by council officers, senior councillors play a vital role in providing political leadership within and beyond their councils throughout all phases of emergency management – preparation, response, and recovery.

Ensuring preparedness

Senior councillors are responsible for:

• setting strategic direction by making policy and funding decisions to ensure the council
  • contributes effectively to the work of the LRF
  • is prepared to respond to emergencies that may affect communities or disrupt essential services
• providing oversight and assurance that emergency planning and business continuity arrangements are robust and fit for purpose.

During response

Senior councillors are responsible for:

• maintaining visible civic leadership and supporting officers, while engaging and reassuring local communities
• engaging with senior external stakeholders – particularly local, regional and national political figures

During recovery

In the recovery phase, senior councillors should:

• continue to provide visible and proactive civic leadership
• advocate for additional resources where needed to support recovery efforts;
• oversee the delivery of recovery plans to ensure transparency, effectivenes, and alignment with community needs
• champion reflection and learning, promoting a culture of open review within the council and across partner organisations to identify lessons and ensure improvements are implemented and shared.

Senior councillor’s role in preparedness

Being personally prepared

There is a strong link between individual preparedness and the overall effectiveness of a council’s response to and recovery from emergencies.

While preparedness relies on many organisational factors, one of the most critical is that both officers and councillors understand their roles – and have the confidence, skills, and support needed to carry them out effectively. Where this has not been the case, councils have at times struggled to meet the needs of their communities at crucial moments

For this reason, all councillors – and especially those in senior roles – should take personal responsibility for ensuring they are well prepared. Senior councillors should lead by example and encourage a culture of readiness by doing the following:

• familiarise themselves fully with this guidance
• understand the guidance for ward councillors, recognising that their civic leadership role complements that of their councillor colleagues, and that they also serve as ward representatives
• have an awareness of the council’s key emergency and business continuity plans, and how they relate to the council’s wider resilience arrangements
• attend relevant training sessions and exercises to build understanding and confidence in their role during emergencies
• participate in multi-agency exercises and simulations, alongside officers and partner organisations, to test and develop practical readiness in a controlled environment
• keep a copy of headline emergency response guidance (such as the Aide Memoire on page 15) accessible at all times and have access to key emergency and business continuity plans – including out-of-hours.

Internal political leadership responsibilities

Senior elected members play a vital role in ensuring that their councils are well prepared to meet the challenges of major incidents. As the most senior politicians, Leaders/executive mayors should work closely with chief executives, their most senior officer counterparts, to ensure mutual understanding of their respective roles and how these complement one another.

While it is essential to maintain a clear distinction between the political leadership provided by the leader or mayor and the operational leadership exercised by the chief executive, a strong and well-understood interface between the two is crucial for aligning strategy, governance, and delivery during both preparedness and response phases.

Working with officers as appropriate, leaders/mayors, and cabinet members should:

• Assign lead political responsibility for civil resilience to a single cabinet member. This could be retained by the leader/mayor or delegated to another cabinet colleague –  what matters is that there is clarity over who holds this responsibility.
• Designate a senior officer with lead managerial responsibility for civil resilience within the council’s scheme of delegation.
• Establish and publish a civil resilience policy framework that aligns with any multi-agency/local resilience forum plans, setting out the council’s responsibilities and arrangements. This demonstrates transparency and provides a clear foundation for preparedness.
• Ensure that appropriate funding is allocated within the council’s budget to support delivery of the resilience framework.
• Put in place urgent decision-making arrangements for emergency situations. These should allow officers to take decisions quickly – including those that would ordinarily require cabinet or committee approval – through clearly delegated authority.
• Secure assurance that the council is prepared for major incidents and has effective business continuity plans in place. This can be achieved through:
  • regular internal reporting to cabinet
  • inclusion of preparedness in scrutiny committee work programmes
  • external assurance mechanisms, such as peer review.

In addition, leaders/mayors should consider issuing a joint statement of commitment with other political group leaders, reinforcing the expectation that all councillors – regardless of political affiliation — contribute actively to the council’s preparedness. Such cross-party statements send a powerful message that civil resilience is a shared, non-partisan responsibility.

The cabinet member with portfolio responsibility for civil resilience preparedness (or appropriate committee chair) should:

• build a strong working relationship with the designated lead officer for civil resilience
• engage with officers to understand key risks facing the community, including emerging threats identified through horizon scanning
• gain assurance that effective communication plans are in place for internal and external audiences during emergency response and recovery
• support and enable ward councillors to contribute to preparedness and business continuity assurance processes
• confirm that local businesses have access to up-to-date business continuity advice and that good practice is being actively promoted
• ensure that public information is available to raise awareness of local risks and the roles of agencies in managing them
• support ward councillors in their local leadership role for building community resilience.

External political leadership responsibilities

In addition to their leadership responsibilities within their own authorities, leaders/executive mayors also have a vital role to play in shaping the wider political environment for civil resilience. By demonstrating strong external leadership and a collaborative approach alongside other senior political figures, they can help build the conditions necessary for effective multi-agency working and foster constructive relationships with political counterparts beyond their own council.

Investing in these relationships – particularly in the context of preparedness – can generate significant benefits during emergency response and recovery, when joined-up political engagement is often essential.

To strengthen preparedness, senior councillors should:

• Secure assurance on the performance of local resilience forums. Senior councillors should collaborate with elected representatives who hold political oversight for other Category one responder organisations – including councillors from neighbouring authorities, Police and Crime Commissioners, and fire authority members – to establish appropriate governance arrangements. These arrangements should enable ongoing monitoring and influence over the performance of LRFs, ensuring they remain effective, accountable, and aligned with local needs.
• Establish direct contact with other council leaders and executive mayors. Exchanging contact information in advance enables high-level political dialogue to take place quickly and effectively during major incidents, helping to align cross-borough leadership and engagement when required.
• Engage proactively with local Members of Parliament. While MPs have no formal powers under the Civil Contingencies Act, they are likely to be actively involved when emergencies affect their constituents. Leaders/ executive mayors should therefore initiate discussions with local MPs to:
  • acknowledge their legitimate representative role in emergencies
  • explore how MPs can contribute constructively during response and recovery
  • agree protocols that support coordination while protecting the integrity of the operational response.

Senior councillor’s role in response

When a major incident occurs, the leadership of senior politicians comes under immediate public and organisational scrutiny. Communities will naturally look to senior councillors for visible civic leadership and reassurance. Internally, councillors and officers alike expect senior politicians to guide the political response while enabling officers to focus on managing the operational demands of the situation.

Internal Political Leadership Responsibilities

Senior politicians should work closely with their chief executive (or the duty Gold officer, ie the senior officer who is leading the council’s strategic response) from the outset of a major incident. Upon becoming aware of an emergency, Leaders/executive mayors should seek an initial briefing as soon as operational priorities allow, agree on urgent actions, and establish regular communication. While officers lead the operational response, close coordination between political and managerial leadership ensures a shared, up-to-date understanding of events and supports aligned decision-making.

Given the variation in the scale, complexity, and impact of emergencies, Leaders/executive mayors should decide how best to allocate political responsibilities among Cabinet members. Key considerations include:

• Civic leadership role. By default, the Leader/executive mayor is the public face of the council during emergencies. However, if they are unavailable or if another cabinet member has relevant portfolio responsibility, this role may be delegated accordingly. What matters is that a clear spokesperson is identified.
• Business-as-usual leadership. Emergencies can demand the full attention of the Leader/executive mayor, especially during the response phase. In such cases, another Cabinet member should be assigned to lead on routine council business, ensuring continuity of governance.
• Political leadership of recovery. Local authorities typically assume lead responsibility for recovery. As a result, good practice will see officers commencing work on recovery whilst the operational response is ongoing for the following reasons:
  • the response phase – even for major incidents – can be relatively short in duration. Where this is the case, local authorities will be assigned responsibility for leading a potentially-significant recovery operation at short notice and need to be ready to do so
  • recovery operations can be complex, protracted and resource intensive. They are also likely to attract a high-level of scrutiny. As a result, the sooner resources are assigned to developing a recovery strategy and associated action plans, the better.

As with response phase, all operational aspects of recovery are led by officers. However, this work benefits hugely from being supported and enhanced by strong and effective political leadership. To ensure a coordinated and accountable recovery effort, political leadership should be established from the outset – ideally from the moment recovery planning begins.Leaders/executive mayors should therefore assign Cabinet-level political responsibility for recovery as early as possible. This enables clear political oversight, visible leadership, and alignment with the council’s broader recovery goals from the beginning of the process.

• Ward councillor engagement. Ward councillors play a crucial role as both community representatives and local leaders. To support and coordinate their involvement, the Leader/executive mayor should appoint a cabinet member to act as the political liaison for all member-related activity during the response phase. This creates a clear channel for communication, direction, and support.

Once the political responsibilities above have been allocated, leaders/executive mayors should ensure the following actions are taken:

• Councillor briefings. Confirm that arrangements are in place to brief all councillors regularly. Even when information is limited or sensitive, providing updates – even if only to say there is no new information – is critical to prevent councillors feeling isolated or uninformed.
• Business continuity. Ensure that the council’s business continuity plans are being implemented to maintain delivery of essential services.
• Staff and partner support. Provide visible support and encouragement to staff, volunteers, and partners. This includes:
  • issuing messages of thanks via communications teams
  • making in-person visits to rest centres, control rooms, or other response sites
  • acknowledging the pressures and long hours many will be working under.
• Spontaneous volunteers. Ensure you are briefed on the management of spontaneous volunteers. While well-intentioned, unmanaged volunteer activity can hinder operational response and damage reputations if expectations are not met. Senior politicians should help promote a coordinated and respectful approach.
• Record keeping for post-incident review. Maintain a personal log of key actions and events you were involved in during the response. Post-incident scrutiny –  including debriefs, inquests, or public inquiries – is almost inevitable. Senior councillors may be called upon to account for their actions and share recollections months or even years later. A written record will support transparency and accuracy, and contribute to the wider lessons learned process.

The structured approach outlined above ensures that political leadership is visible, strategic, and effectively aligned with the council’s operational response. It also reinforces public confidence in the council’s ability to lead during a crisis and lays the groundwork for an effective transition to recovery.

External political leadership during the response phase

During the response to a major incident, senior councillors have a vital external leadership role, both as visible civic figures and as senior political representatives of their council. This leadership should be exercised in coordination with officers, the communications team, and wider political and public stakeholders. Key considerations include:

• Acting as the public face of the council. Working closely with the council’s communications team, Leaders/executive mayors should act as the primary spokesperson for the local authority. A key component of civic leadership during emergencies is the thoughtful and strategic use of communications to inform, reassure, and engage communities, as well as to correct mis/disinformation. This requires a clear communications strategy that:
  • uses multiple channels to reach diverse audiences (such as social media, local radio, newsletters, community forums)
  • matches appropriate messengers to different messages and audiences
  • provides accurate, consistent, and timely updates to build public trust.

The leader/executive mayor should be clearly positioned as the trusted, authoritative voice of the council during this period.

• Meeting with government ministers. During the response to a major incident, government ministers may seek to meet with senior councillors to gain first-hand insight into the local situation, ensure coordination between national and local efforts, and identify any immediate needs for additional resources or support. Equally, senior councillors may wish to initiate meetings with ministers to escalate critical issues, request specific interventions, or influence decisions that affect their communities. Such engagement helps maintain consistent public messaging, supports visible and accountable leadership, and enables joint planning for the transition from response to recovery;
• representing the council during VIP visits.  Major incidents often attract visits from VIPs, such as Government ministers, sometimes at short notice. While these visits can offer visibility and support, they need to be handled sensitively to:
  • avoid disruption to the operational response
  • respect the needs and emotions of affected communities.

Leaders/executive mayors play a key role in both managing these visits and representing the council. They should liaise with the chief executive to assess operational impact and use local intelligence, including feedback from ward councillors, to shape and inform the tone and timing of VIP engagements.

• Liaison with other affected councils. If the incident spans multiple councils, Leaders/executive mayors should consider initiating direct communication with their counterparts to:
  • share information and political perspectives
  • coordinate public messaging
  • promote a consistent and collaborative civic response
• Engagement with local MPs. MPs whose constituencies are affected will understandably wish to engage with the emergency response. Leaders/executive mayors should proactively:
  • initiate dialogue with relevant MPs
  • acknowledge their representative role and offer appropriate opportunities to support community engagement
  • gently remind them of the need to avoid becoming involved in operational matters, ensuring that professional responders can work without disruption.
• Liaison with combined authority mayors. In the event of a major incident happening in an area with combined authority arrangements in place, the combined authority mayor may take on a prominent civil leadership role. Local political leaders should be prepared to engage with the mayor’s office, ensuring that area-wide messaging and support are coordinated with the efforts of council-level leadership.
• Representing the council in requests for urgent financial assistance. While councils hold contingency reserves to meet the immediate costs of emergency response, some incidents may exceed available resources. In such cases, Leaders/executive mayors should be prepared to lead representations to Government to request emergency financial assistance. This includes:
  • presenting a clear, evidence-based case
  • articulating the impact of the emergency on local communities and services
  • highlighting the council’s own response efforts and financial commitments
  • explaining why it is not feasible for the council to wait and claim costs back under the Bellwin scheme in the longer term.

The external leadership role outlined above is central to reinforcing public confidence, maintaining political cohesion, and ensuring that the council’s voice is heard in regional and national decision-making during times of crisis.

 Senior councillors’ role during recovery

Recovery from a major incident places local political leadership under sustained scrutiny. The recovery phase is typically led by the council and can be lengthy, complex, resource-intensive and sensitive. It requires clear governance, strong partnerships, and consistent civic leadership.

While operational delivery remains the responsibility of officers, councillors – particularly those in leadership roles – should provide political oversight, set the tone for recovery, and maintain trust with communities and stakeholders

Internal political leadership during recovery

Councillors in leadership positions should ensure that the council’s governance arrangements support effective recovery. This includes:

• Establishing clear governance: Work with senior officers to agree internal governance and delivery structures. These may need to be adapted to meet the scale of recovery, while maintaining core services.
• Securing assurance: Confirm that a recovery strategy is in place, underpinned by a detailed, costed, and time-bound action plan. While the Recovery Coordinating Group (RCG) oversees delivery, senior councillors should remain assured that the strategy is robust, realistic and on track.
• Communicating internally: Ensure regular updates are provided to all councillors and staff. This promotes shared understanding, reinforces key messages, and visibly recognises the work of those contributing to recovery.
• Involving communities and the voluntary sector: Confirm that local organisations and residents are meaningfully engaged in recovery planning and delivery, and that their input is respected and acted upon.
• Monitoring communications and engagement: Ensure that communities, businesses, council staff and members remain informed of recovery plans and progress.
• Championing learning and improvement: Set an example by supporting honest reflection and review. Demonstrate a commitment to identifying and acting on lessons learned, internally and with partners.

External political leadership during recovery

Senior councillors should remain visible and engaged throughout the recovery phase. While media and public attention may decline after the immediate response, the recovery journey – for affected residents and businesses – is equally, if not more, significant. Recovery often involves helping communities adjust to a new and different ‘normal’.

When approached with care, openness and ambition, recovery can strengthen trust between councils and the communities they serve. It offers a chance not just to restore, but to improve. However, if recovery is poorly led or under-prioritised, trust can quickly erode, leaving councils vulnerable to criticism and heightened external scrutiny.

This means:

• Maintaining visibility: Attend public meetings, visit affected areas, and engage with residents and businesses to provide reassurance and listen to concerns.
• Championing inclusive recovery: Recovery should be shaped with communities, not imposed on them. Support active engagement by local people, working alongside ward councillors to make this a reality.
• keeping communities informed: Once plans are published, provide regular, honest progress updates. This demonstrates delivery against commitments, builds and sustains trust, and counters risks associated with the circulation of mis/disinformation from other sources.
• Engaging other political stakeholders: Liaise with MPs, Government Ministers, and regional figures (such as combined authority mayors) to align political support and manage expectations.
• Making the case for funding: Councils are expected to bear recovery costs, except in exceptional circumstances. Where external funding is possible, senior councillors should help make the case, supported by evidence from officers.
• Supporting disaster funds: Where charitable disaster funds are established, democratic oversight may be needed. Senior councillors may act as trustees or advisors to ensure funds are distributed fairly and transparently.
• Attending memorial events: If lives have been lost, it is important for civic leaders to attend remembrance services as appropriate. Sensitivity to the wishes of bereaved families and organisers should guide councillors’ involvement.

By maintaining visible, engaged and consistent political leadership, councillors help shape recovery that is inclusive, credible, and capable of restoring confidence and resilience across communities.

Purpose of this guidance for ward councillors

This guidance provides ward councillors with practical advice on their role in civil resilience—that is, how they support their communities and the council in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from major incidents and other significant crises.

The guidance is designed to be used alongside a dedicated training and development programme, which will help councillors build the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to carry out their civil resilience responsibilities effectively.

Summary of ward councillor’s role in civil resilience

While the operational aspects of emergency management are led by officers, ward councillors play an essential political and community-facing role. Their contribution complements the work of the Leader or executive mayor, cabinet members, and professional responders.

The ward councillor’s role in civil resilience can be considered as having two core dimensions:

1. Community representation: the role of ward councillors in ensuring that the interests of residents and businesses are properly represented in the way the council conducts its business in relation to civil resilience.
2. Community leadership: the role of ward councillors in convening and working closely with those in the communities they represent, to become the ‘trusted face of the council’ and facilitate the process of building community resilience.

The ward councillor’s role in preparedness

Being personally prepared

There is a strong link between levels of preparedness and the effectiveness of a local authority’s response to, and recovery from, an emergency. While preparedness involves a wide range of actions, one of the most critical factors is that officers and councillors alike fully understand their roles – and have the skills and support to carry them out effectively.

When this foundation is missing, councils are much more likely to be found wanting – precisely at the time when their communities need them most.

For this reason, all councillors should invest time in becoming personally prepared to contribute constructively during an emergency.

Ward councillors should therefore:

• be familiar with this guidance and understand how to exercise their role in practice;
• keep the ward councillor aide memoire easily accessible for use during a live emergency
• read the guidance provided for the senior councillors in section 3 of this guide, to understand how their role as a ward councillor fits within the broader political response
• know the council’s core emergency and business continuity plans, and how these would operate during a crisis
• attend training sessions and participate in exercises, to build practical confidence in a safe, simulated environment.

Ward councillors as community representatives

As elected community representatives, ward councillors play a vital role in ensuring that their local authority is well-prepared for emergencies that may impact the people and places they serve.

In cases where ward councillors sit on overview and scrutiny committees – particularly those with a remit for civil resilience – their responsibilities extend beyond their ward, encompassing council area-wide risks and preparedness.

To fulfil their representative role effectively, ward councillors should:

• Support the development of community-informed resilience policy and planning. This involves engaging with residents, businesses, local community groups, faith-based organizations, and voluntary sector partners to build a clear understanding of local risks and vulnerabilities. This local intelligence can then be combined with risk information held by the council's emergency planning team to develop a rich community risk profile, which, in turn, can inform policy and planning activity.
• Secure assurance that the council is prepared for emergencies. This involves ensuring that local plans are comprehensive, up to date, tested, and subject to regular review. This can be achieved by accessing and reviewing information available via the council's website, intranet, and emergency planning team. Alternatively, it can involve engaging in formal scrutiny of the local authority's preparedness as an overview and scrutiny committee member. A set of questions that scrutiny committee members may wish to ask when seeking assurance on preparedness can be found in Appendix C.

Ward councillors as community leaders

As community leaders, ward councillors have a valuable opportunity to build trust and strengthen local resilience. By working closely as convenors with residents, businesses, and community groups before emergencies occur, councillors help ensure that local people are informed, connected, and better prepared to respond. This investment in trust becomes particularly important during a major incident, when communities turn to familiar and credible figures for leadership and reassurance.

To support the development of community resilience, councillors should:

• Share information on local risks. Councillors can support resilience by sharing information with residents about local risks. Much of this will come from risk assessments carried out by the council's emergency planning team. Making this information accessible and relevant helps raise awareness and encourages proactive thinking about preparedness.
• Contribute to local risk mapping. Councillors are also well placed to gather additional insight from their communities. Through ongoing engagement with residents, voluntary groups, and local businesses, they can help identify specific risks or vulnerabilities within their ward. Feeding this intelligence back to officers contributes to a more complete picture of community risk and supports more effective emergency planning.
• Explain civil resilience roles and set expectations. An important part of the councillor's leadership role is helping residents understand what they can expect from the council and its partners during an emergency – and where community-led action may also be needed. By promoting the concept of self-resilience, councillors can help set realistic expectations and encourage residents to consider how they might support one another in times of crisis.
• Identify and engage local assets. Using their local knowledge, councillors can also identify individuals, organisations and networks with skills or resources that could assist in preparing for, responding to, or recovering from emergencies. Sharing this information with officers helps strengthen planning and unlocks local capacity that might otherwise go unnoticed.
• Promote and support the development of community emergency plans. Finally, councillors can support and encourage the creation of community emergency plans. Once local risks have been assessed and community assets identified, it is important to move from discussion to action. Working with residents and community groups, councillors should help initiate planning conversations and seek the support of officers where needed. They should also be aware that practical guidance is available from HM Government and other trusted sources (such as Local Resilience Forum websites) to help communities develop these plans in a structured and effective way.

Ultimately, community resilience is not something the council delivers to people – it is something that councillors help to build with their communities. By acting as convenors, advocates, and connectors, ward councillors play a central role in strengthening the capacity of their neighbourhoods to cope with emergencies and recover from them more quickly and confidently.

The ward councillor's role in response

The role of ward councillors becomes especially important when an area is significantly affected by an emergency. Where councillors have invested time in engaging with their communities and supported preparedness, they are likely to be seen as the trusted face of the council. This trust enables them to represent constituents credibly and effectively during the response phase. By providing visible community leadership, councillors can ensure that local people receive the information, reassurance and empathy they expect from the council – while officers concentrate on delivering the operational response.

Ward councillors as community representatives

During an emergency response, ward councillors play a vital role as representatives of their communities. As such, they should consider the following:

• Being visibly active in their communities, identifying local needs and passing them to response agencies via council officers. Perhaps the most important contribution of ward councillors is to be present in their local area – engaging directly with residents, businesses and community groups. By doing so, they provide a visible council presence, maintain an accurate sense of the community's needs and mood, and are well placed to identify emerging issues. This local intelligence should be passed to the appropriate response organisations through council officers, so it can be properly considered as part of the wider response effort.
• Confirm the reliability of information before passing it on. Councillors are likely to receive a significant volume of information from multiple sources, including social media. It is essential that they make every effort to confirm the reliability of such information before passing it on, to avoid unintentionally contributing to confusion or the spread of misinformation.
• Avoid getting directly involved in the operational response. It is equally important that councillors avoid getting involved in the operational delivery of the emergency response. Just as in normal times, the role of elected members is not to undertake operational tasks. During emergencies, operational command sits with trained professionals who have the necessary expertise and equipment to operate safely and effectively—often within hazardous environments. These areas are frequently cordoned off for good reason, and councillors must not attempt to enter such zones without authorisation.
• Avoid attempting to judge the effectiveness of the emergency response. Councillors should also resist the temptation to judge or comment publicly on the effectiveness of the emergency response while it is still ongoing. Although they have a legitimate role in reviewing and scrutinising the council's actions after an incident, premature evaluation or politicisation during the response phase risks undermining confidence and distracting from operational priorities.
• Maintain an informal record of your experience for subsequent reviews. Finally, councillors are advised to keep a written record of key actions, decisions or observations made during the response phase. These records may be valuable later, particularly if they are asked to contribute to debriefs, scrutiny reviews, Coroner's Inquests or public inquiries. Maintaining a clear and accurate account of their involvement will support post-incident learning and ensure the council can reflect on its performance in a constructive and transparent way.

Ward councillors as community leaders

As community leaders during the response phase, ward councillors should:

• Be a visible, trusted, and reassuring presence in their communities. By engaging directly with residents, they can offer personal support, calm tensions, and demonstrate that the council is actively involved. To ensure councillors are properly briefed and supported in this role, they should notify the council’s on-scene liaison officer of their presence and planned activities.
• Communicate key messages on behalf of the council. As familiar public figures, ward councillors are often seen as reliable sources of information. This makes them valuable conduits for communicating key messages to the public and media on behalf of the council. However, it is essential that any information shared is accurate and authorised. Inaccurate messaging can damage trust, raise false expectations, and create unnecessary anxiety. When detailed updates are unavailable - particularly in the early stages of an incident councillors can still offer reassurance or explain that further information will follow as soon as it is available.
• Signpost the public and businesses to support they need: Councillors should also help signpost residents and businesses to the right agencies for support. With their understanding of how local systems work, and with access to officer advice, they are well placed to connect people with services quickly and effectively.
• Provide encouragement and support to emergency responders. Finally, ward councillors should offer visible support and encouragement to council staff and others involved in the response effort. A few words of thanks or recognition, delivered during site visits or in public statements, can have a powerful effect on morale and help reinforce the council’s appreciation for those working under pressure in difficult conditions.

The ward councillor’s role in recovery

Although the operational aspects of recovery will, as in the response phase, be led by officers, ward councillors for affected communities have a vital political role to play. As local representatives and leaders of place, they are well positioned to support and influence the recovery effort.

Recovery is often a long, complex and resource-intensive process, sometimes lasting many years. In some cases such as terrorist attacks or other traumatic events the very idea of ‘recovery’ can feel out of reach for those most affected. Not everyone will return to how things were before. Yet, when approached with care and purpose, recovery also presents opportunities: to rebuild stronger infrastructure, restore confidence, and foster more connected and resilient communities.

Ward councillors as community representatives

As community representatives during recovery, ward councillors should:

• Advocate on behalf of communities.  Ward councillors have a key role in making sure the voices of their communities are heard and reflected in decision-making. While strategic leadership is essential to drive recovery at scale, it is equally important that the needs, experiences and aspirations of affected residents and businesses influence the process. Councillors should act as strong advocates for their communities, helping ensure that recovery plans are shaped by those they are intended to support.

• Assess the ongoing effectiveness of business-as-usual front-line services. Councillors also have an important role in monitoring whether day-to-day council services are continuing to meet the needs of local people. Major recovery efforts can place significant strain on resources, potentially affecting the delivery of frontline services. While business continuity plans are designed to mitigate these pressures, councillors can help assess their effectiveness by listening to feedback from residents and businesses and raising concerns where necessary.
• Be proactive in contributing to post-incident reviews. Finally, ward councillors should actively contribute to capturing and applying lessons from the emergency. Every crisis provides opportunities for learning, both in terms of what worked well and where improvements are needed. Councillors should share their insights from the response and recovery phases, and, where applicable, support formal review processes particularly if they sit on scrutiny committees with a remit covering civil resilience.

Ward councillors as community leaders

As community leaders during the recovery phase, ward councillors should:

• Remain a visible, trusted, and reassuring presence in their communities. By staying connected to residents and providing ongoing personal support, they help maintain confidence in the council’s role and show that affected communities have not been forgotten.
• Communicate key information on behalf of the council. Clear and consistent communication is essential during recovery, which often spans months or even years. Councillors can play a valuable role in relaying key messages from the council to local people and the media, helping ensure that communities stay informed of progress and next steps.
• Use local knowledge of community assets to support recovery. Ward councillors should also use their local knowledge to identify community assets such as individuals, groups or networks who can contribute to recovery efforts. While some of these will be known through existing community response plans, new volunteers and informal groups often emerge after a crisis. Councillors can act as important links, connecting these offers of help with relevant statutory or voluntary sector partners.
• Support community groups. Where community self-help groups form, councillors are encouraged to support and, where appropriate, participate in their activities. Their involvement can help maintain coordination, provide encouragement, and reinforce the council’s commitment to long-term recovery.
• Support and encourage council staff and their partners. As recovery work continues, councillors should also provide encouragement to council staff and partner agencies. Recognising the ongoing efforts of those working under sustained pressure sends a powerful message of appreciation and leadership.
• Attend remembrance and memorial services, as appropriate. Finally, in the aftermath of incidents that involve loss of life, ward councillors may be called upon to attend memorials or remembrance services. Their presence at such events, both as civic representatives and members of the local community, demonstrates solidarity, respect, and shared grief.
   

Purpose of guidance for officers

This section offers high-level guidance for council officers on how to support councillors in fulfilling their agreed roles in civil resilience. It is intentionally generic to allow flexibility in adapting to local circumstances. When applying this guidance, officers should remain focused on the overarching aim: ensuring that councillors are properly supported to carry out their roles effectively in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from major incidents and other significant crises.

Introduction

While operational responsibilities for civil resilience lie with officers, senior councillors with executive decision-making responsibilities and local ward councillors have a vital political role in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from major incidents , as well as ensuring that appropriate business continuity arrangements are in place. Their role should complement, not overlap with, the work of officers.

Councillors’ ability to exercise their role depends heavily on the support provided by officers. This includes ensuring they have access to timely information, relevant training and development, and ongoing support when involved in resilience activity. This section offers practical guidance to help officers put those support arrangements in place – before, during and after emergencies.

Structure and application of guidance

This section is divided into two main parts:

Part A outlines officer support for council leaders, executive mayors, cabinet members, and committee chairs (referred to collectively as senior councillors).

Part B focuses on support for local ward councillors.

Each part is organised around the three key phases of civil resilience: preparedness, response, and recovery. The structure mirrors the layout of companion guidance in sections 3 and 4 of this document which has been developed for councillors, to ensure alignment between what councillors are expected to do and how officers can best support them.

Application

Chief executives should assign a senior officer to take lead responsibility for implementing this guidance. Doing so signals strong corporate commitment to ensuring councillors are well supported in their civil resilience roles.

The guidance is intentionally high-level and non-prescriptive, offering flexibility for local application across different councils. It highlights key areas that officers should consider when designing support arrangements, which should be tailored to local context while remaining consistent with the main aspects of the guidance on the role of councillors.  

As a starting point, officers should familiarise themselves with the guidance provided for councillors in sections 3 and 4, so that support can be closely aligned to their defined responsibilities.

The guidance contained in this section of the document should be applied such that senior councillors are able to follow the good practice set out in section 3.

Officer support for senior councillors in ensuring necessary preparedness

Supporting the personal preparedness of senior councillors

To help senior councillors be personally prepared for their civil resilience roles during emergencies, officers should:

• ensure guidance on the role of local authorities and councillors in civil resilience is readily accessible
• provide copies of the local authority’s key emergency and business continuity plans
• offer initial and refresher training courses to help senior councillors understand and carry out their roles effectively
• run exercises that allow senior councillors to practise their responsibilities in a simulated emergency setting.

Supporting senior councillors to ensure necessary preparedness

To enable senior councillors to exercise effective internal and external political leadership on civil resilience, officers should:

• assign a single senior officer to lead on civil resilience within the council
• establish arrangements so senior councillors can contact the chief executive or the duty gold officer immediately in an emergency
• work with senior councillors to set up procedures that allow urgent decisions to be taken during emergency response
• implement reporting mechanisms to keep senior councillors informed of preparedness performance – including in relation to the work of LRFs
• assist the leader/executive mayor, where requested, in coordinating the political involvement of local MPs during response and recovery phases
• support senior councillors, where appropriate, to engage with combined authority mayors on issues associated with preparedness.

Supporting senior councillors during response

To enable senior councillors to fulfil their internal and external political leadership roles effectively during a major incident response, officers should:

• put in place robust and reliable arrangements to brief senior councillors regularly throughout the response phase
• establish resilient support systems for the leader or executive mayor to act as the council’s civic leader and ‘public face’
• ensure mechanisms exist for effective two-way communication between the cabinet member responsible for ward councillor engagement and the ward councillors themselves
• assist senior councillors in formally expressing appreciation to council staff involved in the emergency response
• support senior councillors in representing the council during visits by VIPs, ensuring such visits are appropriately managed and sensitive to community needs
• provide assistance, where necessary, in helping senior councillors make representations to Government for emergency financial support
• appoint a designated lead officer to take responsibility for initiating recovery work, in close coordination with the cabinet member nominated to provide political support to recovery.

Supporting senior councillors during recovery

To support senior councillors in providing effective political and civic leadership during recovery from a major incident, officers should:

• maintain resilient arrangements to support senior councillors in their ongoing civic leadership role as the ‘public face of the council’
• set up systems for regular reporting to senior councillors on the development and delivery of the recovery strategy
• assist senior councillors in ensuring that regular recovery progress updates are shared with communities and other stakeholders
• help senior councillors to keep staff and councillors informed with frequent, relevant progress updates
• support senior councillors in preparing key internal messages for staff and councillors to communicate on behalf of the council
• assist the leader or executive mayor in developing protocols for engaging with external political stakeholders (such as government ministers, MPs, and combined authority mayors) during the recovery phase
• provide support to senior councillors in making the case for Government financial assistance to fund recovery operations
• help establish and manage any disaster funds set up to collect and distribute charitable donations, ensuring appropriate oversight
• support senior councillors in attending memorial or remembrance services on behalf of the council
• facilitate senior councillors’ involvement in post-incident reviews, including scrutiny sessions, inquests, and public inquiries.
   

The guidance contained in this section of the document should be applied so that ward councillors are able to follow the good practice set out in section 4.

Officer support for ward councillors in ensuring necessary preparedness

Supporting personal preparedness of ward councillors

To support ward councillors in being personally prepared to carry out their roles during the response to, and recovery from, major incidents, officers should:

• ensure guidance on the role of councillors in civil resilience is readily accessible to all elected members.
• provide ward councillors with copies of the council’s key emergency and business continuity plans.
• offer both initial and refresher training courses to help councillors understand and carry out their roles effectively.
• involve councillors in exercises that simulate emergencies, so they can practise their roles in a realistic environment

Supporting ward councillors as community representatives

To enable ward councillors to exercise their role as community representatives during the preparedness phase, officers should:

• create channels for councillors to share local intelligence about risks and vulnerabilities, so it can inform civil resilience policy and planning
• provide access to emergency and resilience plans that relate to risks in the communities they represent.

Supporting ward councillors as community leaders

To enable ward councillors to fulfil their community leadership role in preparedness, officers should:

• develop and communicate arrangements that enable councillors to contribute to building community resilience
• provide mechanisms for councillors to share information about individuals, groups or networks that could support preparedness, response or recovery
• set up and communicate secure, reliable channels for two-way communication between officers and ward councillors during emergency situations
• put in place clear arrangements to safeguard the personal safety of councillors when they are offering direct support to communities during emergencies and recovery
• ensure systems are in place to support the personal welfare of councillors carrying out these roles, recognising the emotional and physical toll of working in affected communities.

Supporting ward councillors during response

Supporting ward councillors as community representatives

To enable ward councillors to act effectively as community representatives during an emergency response, officers should:

• Provide resilient and reliable channels through which councillors can share information about the needs of individuals and communities, so these can be passed to the appropriate response organisations via council officers.

Supporting ward councillors as community leaders

To enable councillors to fulfil their community leadership role during the response phase, officers should:

• share details of key locations (such as rest centres or community hubs) where councillors can be visibly present to offer reassurance and support to their communities.
• provide timely briefings and regular updates on the emergency response to equip councillors to share accurate information and key messages with the public and media on the council’s behalf.
• ensure councillors are made aware of welfare support available to them during the response effort.

Supporting ward councillors during recovery

Supporting ward councillors as community representatives

To support ward councillors in representing their communities throughout recovery, officers should:

• provide clear and effective channels for councillors to communicate the needs and aspirations of their communities, ensuring these can influence recovery planning and decision-making
• share copies of the recovery strategy with councillors and issue regular updates on its delivery and progress
• offer channels through which councillors can report localised impacts on the delivery of front-line services, helping to monitor service continuity during recovery
• support councillors in participating in post-incident reviews, scrutiny processes, inquests or public inquiries, where appropriate.

Supporting ward councillors as community leaders

To support ward councillors in leading their communities during the recovery phase, officers should:

• provide regular updates to councillors so they can share accurate information and key messages with local residents and the media
• maintain channels for councillors to share emerging intelligence about individuals and groups who may be able to assist with the recovery effort
• offer appropriate support to councillors involved in the administration of funds raised through disaster appeals
• assist councillors in attending memorial or remembrance events on behalf of the council and the communities they serve.

This glossary provides plain English explanations of technical and legal terms that councillors may encounter in their civil resilience role.

General concepts:

• civil resilience: the ability of communities, systems, and organisations to survive, adapt, and recover from emergencies or disruption
• emergency: an event or situation that threatens serious damage to human welfare, the environment, or national security
• major incident: a significant event requiring special arrangements from emergency services and other responders due to its scale or impact.

Preparedness and planning:

• business continuity: planning to ensure critical services and functions can continue during and after a disruptive incident
• emergency planning: the process of developing procedures and arrangements to manage and respond to emergencies
• scenario planning: using plausible future emergency situations to test plans and improve preparedness
• community risk register (CRR): a document produced by LRFs outlining the main risks in an area and how they are managed
• risk assessment: a structured process for identifying potential hazards and analysing their likelihood and impact.

Response and command structures:

• gold command: the strategic level of command – collaboratively sets overall direction and priorities during an emergency. Each agency will be represented by a Gold Commander who retains decision-making autonomy on behalf of their organisation;
• silver command: the tactical level of command – translates strategic objectives into actions
• bronze command: the operational level of command – carries out specific tasks and activities on the ground
• strategic coordinating group (SCG): a multi-agency group responsible for strategic direction and coordination during a major incident
• mutual aid: voluntary support provided by other agencies or neighbouring areas during an emergency
• rest centre: a temporary facility offering shelter, food, and support to people displaced by an emergency.

Roles and responsibilities:

• category 1 responders: organisations with a primary role in emergency response (eg local authorities, police, fire, NHS, Environment Agency)
• category 2 responders: supporting bodies such as utility companies, transport operators, and communications providers
• duty to cooperate: a legal obligation under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 requiring responders to work together
• resilience partnership: a local or regional group of responder organisations planning for emergencies and ensuring coordinated response and recovery
• local resilience forum (LRF): a statutory multi-agency partnership covering a police area, responsible for coordinating emergency preparedness and planning.

Recovery and learning:

• recovery: the process of rebuilding infrastructure, restoring services, and supporting communities after an emergency
• humanitarian assistance: emotional, practical and financial support provided to individuals and communities affected by an emergency
• debrief: a structured review conducted after an incident to evaluate the response and identify lessons for improvement.

Tools, frameworks and legislation

• Civil Contingencies Act 2004: the main legislation setting out duties on emergency responders and coordination structures in the UK.
• National Risk Register: the UK Government’s published list and analysis of significant risks facing the country.
• The Bellwin scheme: a government emergency financial relief mechanism in England that reimburses local authorities for unexpected costs incurred when responding to major incidents, once spending exceeds a set threshold. Local authorities can make claims only after the Secretary of State has activated the scheme for a specific incident, and reimbursement applies only to eligible costs incurred during the immediate response phase, not the longer-term recovery.
• Resilience Direct: a secure, web-based platform used by resilience partners for real-time coordination and information sharing.
• Resilience Standards for Local Resilience Forums: government guidance defining what good performance looks like for LRFs across England and Wales.

Possible questions to assist political oversight by senior councillors

Senior councillors have a vital role in ensuring that the council is properly prepared to meet its responsibilities under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and is ready to respond to, and recover from, major incidents.

The following questions can be used to secure assurance, drive continuous improvement, and ensure political leadership is effectively exercised before, during, and after emergencies.

General preparedness and governance

• Do we have an up-to-date corporate emergency plan, and how often is it reviewed and tested?
• When was the last time the council’s emergency arrangements were exercised – and what was learned?
• Who holds senior officer responsibility for civil resilience, and how is this reflected in leadership structures and reporting lines?
• How are councillors themselves prepared for emergencies – through training, briefings, or clear expectations of their role?

Statutory duties and compliance

• Are we confident that the council is meeting all of its duties under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 as a Category 1 responder?
• Are we fully engaged in our Local Resilience Forum (LRF) and contributing to joint planning and exercises?
• Do we play an active role in the preparation and maintenance of the Community Risk Register?

Community preparedness and support

• How are local communities, voluntary organisations and town/parish councils supported to prepare for emergencies?
• Are plans in place for opening rest centres, delivering humanitarian support, and protecting vulnerable residents during emergencies?
• How will we communicate effectively with residents, partners and the media during a major incident?

Business continuity and critical services

• Do all key services have up-to-date and tested business continuity plans?
• How is resilience built into commissioned and outsourced services?
• Are we confident that core systems (ICT, data, power supply, etc) are resilient and can recover quickly from disruption?

Recovery and learning

• Are political leadership and decision-making arrangements during recovery clearly defined and understood?
• How does the council capture and act on lessons from exercises or real incidents?
• When was the last time we reviewed our recovery plans and tested them in a multi-agency context?

Culture, training and capability

• Is emergency preparedness embedded across the organisation, or is it treated as a specialist function?
• Are the right staff trained and available to respond in accordance with our emergency plans?
• Do elected members and officers understand how the Gold–Silver–Bronze command structure works and how local authority leadership fits within it?

Oversight and reporting

• How are civil resilience and emergency planning risks monitored and reported to Cabinet or other executive forums?
• Are senior councillors provided with regular updates on resilience risks and preparedness?

Overview and Scrutiny committees have a critical role in examining the council’s preparedness for emergencies, assessing how well statutory duties are being discharged, and ensuring lessons from past incidents are being acted upon.

These questions can be used to guide task-and-finish reviews, inform agenda-setting, or shape lines of questioning during evidence sessions.

Corporate preparedness and governance

• How well does the council’s overall approach to emergency planning align with its strategic priorities and risk appetite?
• Is there clear evidence of senior officer and member leadership on emergency preparedness?
• Are emergency and recovery arrangements regularly reviewed by the corporate management team and elected members?

Statutory duties and partnership working

• Is the council demonstrably meeting its legal duties as a Category one responder under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004?
• What evidence is there of the council’s active participation in the Local Resilience Forum and multi-agency exercises?
• How effectively does the council work with other Category one and two responders to plan for local risks and emergencies?

Risk, planning and business continuity:

• Is the council’s role in the Community Risk Register clear and appropriate? Is the register itself regularly updated and used?
• Do all departments have current and tested business continuity plans – and how are these scrutinised or assured?
• How are risks from potential emergencies integrated into the council’s wider corporate risk register?

Learning from incidents and exercises

• How does the council identify and act on lessons from real emergencies or exercises?
• Are post-incident debriefs routinely conducted, and are recommendations reported to scrutiny or audit committees?
• What evidence is there that changes are implemented and lead to tangible improvement?

Community impact and communication

• How are communities – especially vulnerable groups – involved in or informed about emergency preparedness?
• Are there plans in place to ensure residents receive timely, accurate and accessible information during emergencies?
• How does the council assess the longer-term impact of emergencies on residents and services?

Recovery and long-term resilience:

• Does the council have clearly defined roles and responsibilities for political and officer leadership during recovery?
• Has the effectiveness of the council’s recovery planning been reviewed after recent incidents or exercises?
• How is recovery governance (eg decision-making, funding, engagement) scrutinised over the medium to long term?

Scrutiny practice and transparency

• Is civil resilience part of the scrutiny committee’s forward plan or risk-based work programme?
• Are emergency preparedness and recovery arrangements subject to regular, scheduled scrutiny – or only reviewed in crisis?
• Does the committee have access to the right expertise (eg emergency planning officers, LRF representatives, or independent advisers) when conducting reviews?

The following resource list is designed specifically for local government councillors, particularly those with leadership, portfolio, or community-facing responsibilities. It highlights trusted guidance and tools that can help councillors understand their civil resilience role, ask the right questions, and support their communities before, during, and after emergencies.

Core government guidance and legislation
UK Government Resilience Framework:Outlines the national approach to resilience. Helps councillors understand how local and national responsibilities align.
UK Government Resilience Action Plan:A national strategy that sets out how government, local partners, businesses and communities will strengthen the UK’s ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from major risks and emergencies.  It clarifies expectations of local authorities, highlights the role of Local Resilience Forums, and provides a benchmark against which councillors can test whether their council’s preparedness and community leadership are aligned with national standards.
Civil Contingencies Act 2004:Defines the legal duties placed on councils. Councillors with oversight roles should be familiar with its key provisions.
National Risk Register:Lists the UK’s highest priority risks. Helps councillors understand local implications and prioritise planning.


Community preparedness and engagement
Communities Prepared:Supports local volunteers and community groups. Ideal for ward councillors supporting local action.
British Red Cross: Emergency Support:Provides support tools and advice for vulnerable people and communities.
NAVCA:Supports local voluntary sector infrastructure. Useful for building community partnerships in resilience.

Partnerships and local coordination
Local Resilience Forums – Directory:Find your local LRF. Councillors should understand how their LRF works and their council’s role in it.
Resilience Standards for Local Resilience Forums:Sets out what effective local resilience partnership working looks like.
Voluntary and Community Sector Emergencies Partnership (VCSEP):Coordinates national voluntary sector support in emergencies. Useful for exploring wider partnership options.

Learning and development
UK Resilience Academy: National training centre for resilience. Offers accessible learning for elected members.
Crisis Response Journal:Covers latest developments in resilience. Useful for councillors with a deeper interest in the field.

Strategic and thought leadership

National Resilience Standards for Local Resilience Forums (LRFs): Professional network for emergency planners. Can help councillors connect with local officers.
RUSI (Royal United Services Institute):Think tank covering resilience and national security. Useful for policy-focused councillors.
Centre for Disaster Protection:Focuses on global disaster preparedness and financing. Can offer innovative ideas.