Lesson 5 – Helping your community recover

Local communities hold the key to their immediate and longer term recovery from emergencies. Once the immediate safety and welfare of people affected by an emergency has been addressed, thoughts will turn towards returning to a form of normality. Community groups have an important role to play in partnership with the many agencies involved.

Keep providing support to the community as individuals, groups and local businesses seek to recover from the effects of the emergency.

This can be done by:

• passing on information about financial assistance
• supporting emotional and pastoral care of those affected by working with charities and faith groups
• supporting carers and potentially also the bereaved
• providing information and evidence to public agencies to inform future resilience and emergency planning
• supporting your community in rebuilding their social connections
• learning from the experience and continuing to develop the ability of your group to support your community through future challenges

Consider the wellbeing and welfare of your volunteer responders before, during and after an emergency.

Lifelines Scotland provide advice on health and wellbeing for volunteers.

You can get support for people who have experienced a traumatic event on NHS inform.