The UK’s resilience depends to a considerable extent on the professionalism of Resilience Practitioners who work in civil protection agencies such as local authorities, the emergency services and elements of the Civil Service and operators or critical infrastructure such as electricity providers and rail operators.
These specialists play a leading role in assessing civil protection risk and in preparing individuals, teams and organisations so that in event of a risk materialising, its consequences can be managed.
Resilience practitioners can be found at all levels of an organisation, from staff on the first steps of their career, to leaders of large teams. Experienced members of the profession will have an in-depth knowledge of civil protection doctrine – and be able to apply it in their own organisation, in many cases, alongside partner agencies. They will be masters of the civil protection risk assessment process and be able to manage the development of resilience capability within their area of responsibility. Many will also be experienced in advising colleagues or senior leaders in resilience matters.
Typical resilience practitioner roles include:
Local Authority or Health Emergency Planning Officer
Emergency Service Emergency Planning Adviser
Civil Service Resilience Specialist
The EPC provides training for resilience practitioners at all levels. Its Starting Out in Civil Protection course will get new entrants started in their resilience career. For more experienced colleagues, the EPC provides follow-on training in core areas such as exercise design and delivery, as well as niche but important topics such as the management of off-site risks from sites subject to Control of Major Accident Hazards legislation.
A resilience practitioner’s role is not limited to preparedness; many resilience practitioners also have Emergency Response and Recovery and Business Continuity functions within their job specification. Resilience Practitioners will also access EPC training in these portfolios.