How the LRF responds

BLLRF Vulnerable People plan

BLLRF have developed a plan to enable us to more effectively identify and support vulnerable people in the event of any type of emergency occurring.

What is vulnerability?
Vulnerable people and groups cannot be clearly defined. In general, vulnerability with regards to an emergency can be defined as those people or groups who may require special assistance before, during and after an emergency. People can become vulnerable due to the situation the emergency has put them in. However, there are also many pre-existing conditions that may make people more vulnerable. The list below shows some of these pre-existing vulnerabilities:

• Separated families
• Learning disabilities
• Age (especially older people, babies, younger children)
• Living in poverty
• Parents misusing drugs and alcohol
• Disabilities (physical, mental)
• Where domestic violence exists
• Racism or other forms ofsocial isolation
• Language difficulties
• Mental illness in the household
• Living in deprived areas (eg high crime)
• Gender (including transgender)
• Sexual orientation (e.g.gay, lesbian, bisexual)
• Migrant communities (eg travellers)
• Faith
• Sufferers of certain types of illness

A vulnerable adult is defined as a person aged 18 years or over who is in receipt of, or may be in need of, community care services by reason of mental or other disability, age, or illness, and who is, or may be unable to take care of him or herself against significant harm or exploitation.

Each individual organisation involved in the response to emergencies defines a vulnerable person differently, and this definition is in relation to their particular service area. For example, water and sewerage providers or electricity companies may define a vulnerable person as anyone who will have serious difficulties if they are without a water or an electricity supply for 12 hours. The types of people who register for these lists and fulfil the criteria may be very different. The plan that BLLRF has developed takes a multi-agency approach, to enable as many people as possible to be quickly identified from existing lists.

Who should you to contact in an emergency situation if you need specific help?
If there is a major threat to your life, or others’, always call 999. In the event of any emergency, BLLRF may establish and publicise a specific helpline telephone
number.

Do you want to make sure you are on the right lists?

• UK Power Networks (formerly EDF Energy) priority customer scheme
• Anglian Water – water care scheme
• Veolia Water – water care scheme
• Thames Water – water care scheme
• Your gas provider may also have a priority customer scheme

National assistance:
The Humanitarian Assistance Unit within the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) has been working in partnership with other government departments, bereaved families and survivors and specialists, to develop a series of aftercare webpages that will provide the public with practical information in the medium and longer term following a major incident. The pages will also signpost individuals to sources of additional support. A link to the pages is below:
www.direct.gov.uk/helpafterincident

More advice available:

• See the 'Get Ready' section on this website.
• See the leaflet: Coping with a disaster - information for times of stress [Adobe Acrobat, 238Kb]
• See the leaflet: Coping with a disaster - helping children and young people [Adobe Acrobat, 224Kb]
• See the 'Keep warm keep well' website: www.direct.gov.uk/keepwarmkeepwell

In a major emergency situation we will activate our assistance website, which will be directly accessible via the home page of this website. This part of the website will be populated as necessary with all the relevant information and where you can get help and advice from regarding the emergency.

Vulnerable person's plan - what it is:
Our vulnerable persons plan identifies all the specific lists that we know about, which are held by various organisations. Each list identified contains the details of people who may have particular vulnerabilities and require additional or targeted support during an emergency. The plan also identifies who holds the details of premises that may house vulnerable people.

For example:

• Local authority social services
• EDF energy priority customer scheme
• Water and sewerage providers water care scheme
• NHS Bedfordshire or NHS Luton - safeguarding the vulnerable lists
• Parish council’s local councillors and wards that have local knowledge and information
• The Care Quality Commission (CQC) that maintains a list of all care homes
• Bedfordshire local authorities publish a care homes directory, which is available from www.bedfordshire.gov.uk under C for Care homes in Bedfordshire.

The plan then sets out the roles and responsibilities of each organisation that owns and administers the lists, and details specific assistance that we as partners are able to provide to those people identified.

Important information about your personal details:
As a person who is detailed on an organisation’s list, it is important for you to know that your personal details will not be shared unless absolutely necessary, and that it will only be shared to ensure that you are provided with the best possible response in an emergency. The plan sets out information regarding sharing arrangements.

The services that we may be able to provide you with in an emergency include:

• Home telephone calls - to make sure you are OK, or to find out if you need any specific help
• Letter drops – to provide you with specific information or advice about what to do
• Home visits/care - to check on people, assist with evacuation if necessary or to provide emergency resources such as bottled water
• Distribution of emergency resources – to provide you with specific items that may be needed in an emergency
• Door knocking - to provide you with specific warnings or information
• Provision of specialist transport
• Emergency centres - to assist communities and areas (click here to find out more about emergency centres)
• Helpline – so you can contact us and tell us about any problems
• Caring for you after you have been discharged from a hospital due to an emergency

Other services we may be able to provide you in the longer term include:

• Contacting you to assess you needs and ask for feedback
• Provision of temporary housing (short-term and long-term) if you are unable to return to your home immediately
• Helpline
• The opening of a humanitarian assistance centre (click here to find out more about humanitarian assistance centres)
• Humanitarian assistance centre website
• Practical and emotional assistance
• Survivor and bereaved support groups
• Books of condolence
• Targeted information distribution, making aftercare publications and sources of advice and help widely available

Other plans and guidance that we have developed to assist you include:

• Assistance Centre Plan

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