Resilient Scotland

A call to action
 A call to action for a
stronger Scotland
Every day, the International Red
Cross and Red Crescent Movement
helps people in crisis, working in 186
countries around the world.
The Red Cross in Scotland reaches
out to support individuals and
organisations in crisis situations via
our own network of 240 staff and
5,500 volunteers across the country.
As an auxiliary to government, we
provide support to category one
responders and other statutory
bodies in times of emergency. We
also provide support to individuals,
families and communities in times of
crisis; medical equipment and care in
the home services; and support and
information to vulnerable refugees and
asylum seekers. We are also part of
an international network dedicated
to humanitarian assistance.
All of our work is guided by the
Movement’s fundamental principles
of humanity, impartiality, neutrality,
2 Resilient Scotland
independence, voluntary service,
unity and universality.
The challenges we face at home
and overseas are many. The
global economic downturn, natural
disasters, disease pandemics, climate
change and conflict threaten the
well-being, livelihoods and lives of
vulnerable people in Scotland and
around the world.
By better integrating the expertise
of the Red Cross, and its staff and
volunteers, into civil society, we
believe Scotland can become stronger
and more resilient in times of crisis.
Based on our experience, this
document outlines a series of simple
changes that can maximise the work
of the Red Cross and the support it
brings to Scotland.
Norman McKinley
Director for Scotland
 We call on all political parties
in Scotland to support:

1 An annual ‘Preparedness Week’,

operating at both national and
local level, to improve the ability

© Layton Thompson/BRC
of individuals, volunteers, groups
and organisations to withstand
and recover from emergencies
in their area.

2 The right of all asylum seekers

in Scotland to claim asylum
in country, through the
development of services at
UK Border Agency Scotland.

3 The inclusion of humanitarian

education in the primary and
secondary schools curriculum,

© Layton Thompson/BRC
including basic first aid skills.

4 Greater involvement of the Red

Cross in emergency planning
and exercises at all levels.

5 Greater recognition and

understanding of the use of
staff and volunteer-led health
and social care services by
local authorities.

6 A commitment to protect
the Scottish Government’s
£9 million international
development budget and
© Derek Gordon

the dedication of funds to

emergency international aid.

Resilient Scotland 3
 An annual ‘Preparedness Week’
for Scotland
“Each year, the Red Cross teaches life-
saving first aid skills to around 20,000
people in Scotland”
It is difficult to predict when an
emergency will take place, but
it is far easier to ensure that
individuals and communities have
the ability to withstand and recover
from emergencies. Planning for
emergencies and being prepared will
ensure that Scotland is a stronger and
more resilient country.
Emergencies can appear in all forms,
large and small. The community we
live in may be caught up in a national
emergency such as widespread
flooding or a terrorist incident. As
individuals we may find ourselves
having to deal with a house fire, road
traffic accident or medical emergency.
4 Resilient Scotland
There are many ways that leaders
and policy-makers, working with
the voluntary sector, can help
communities to co-ordinate their
resources and expertise in a way
that complements the efforts of
the emergency services and furthers
the work of the Scottish Government’s
Resilience Unit.
The most basic of these are raising
awareness and improving education.
These activities will encourage people
to plan for a crisis situation, and
prepare themselves by ensuring they
have the resources they need and feel
confident and empowered to respond
in an appropriate way.
 We call on all political parties in Scotland to support:

> an annual ‘Preparedness Week’, > business continuity initiatives

operating at both national
and local level, to improve the
ability of individuals, volunteers,
communities and organisations to
respond to risks and emergencies
in their area
> close working between the
Scottish Government’s Resilience
Unit, local authorities, the Red
Cross and the wider voluntary
sector to develop this initiative.
> resilience education in schools.
The Canadian government
co-ordinates an Emergency
Preparedness Week, organising
activities across Canada to raise
awareness of the importance of
having an emergency kit, making an
emergency plan and identifying risks
in the region.1

A ‘Preparedness Week’ would

build Scotland’s resilience by
forming a focal point for existing
good practice, including:

> consulting local communities

© Simon Clark/BRC
about their needs

> community safety messages

from statutory agencies, local
authorities and the voluntary
sector

> promotion of basic life-saving

skills
© Jonathan Banksk/BRC

> advice for individuals and

families, such as how to
prepare emergency kits with
contact numbers and important
documents

1 See http://www.getprepared.gc.ca/knw/epweek-eng.aspx 5
 Building resilient communities
through schools and lifelong
learning
Encouraging people to learn what
makes a strong community can’t start
too early. There are basic forms of
understanding that can help young
people make their communities work
more effectively together.
Learning basic first aid skills and
having the confidence to act can
make a huge difference during an
emergency. For instance, immediate
resuscitation (CPR) can double or
even triple the chances of survival
after a heart attack. 2 Education can
also help inform young people of the
consequences of their lifestyle choices
and support existing work on health
and well-being.
6 Resilient Scotland
© Derek Gordon/BRC
Humanitarian education helps young
people explore the world around
them, particularly in respect to crises
arising from conflict, disasters,
and pandemics. It discusses the
complexities of providing humanitarian
assistance at personal, local,
national, and international levels and
encourages participation as active
local and global citizens.
Through our direct engagement
annually with over 25,000 pupils
in Scotland, and greater numbers
indirectly through training teachers
and creating educational resources,
we develop the knowledge, skills
and values that support a greater
propensity to help others.
 We call on all political parties
in Scotland to support:

> the inclusion of basic first aid

skills as part of health and
well-being in the Curriculum
for Excellence in primary and

© Alex Rumford/BRC
secondary schools, and the
promotion of first aid teaching
resources recognising and
promoting humanitarian
education as an important
tool in building the resilience
of young people and their
communities

> raising awareness of migration

and the positive contribution of
refugees, through support for
the educational resources of
the British Red Cross, making

© Jonathan Banks/BRC
our Positive Images and
Wee Positive Images toolkits
available to all primary and
secondary schools in Scotland.

“Humanitarian
education helps
young people
© Dominic Cocozza/BRC

explore the world

around them”
2 Holmberg M, Holmberg S, Herlitz J, Gardelov B, Survival after cardiac arrest outside hospital in Sweden,
Swedish Cardiac Arrest Registry,19982 7
 Supporting the Scottish
emergency services
Voluntary organisations can provide
professional and tailored support
to statutory responders in times of
emergency. Each year we respond
to more than 600 emergencies in
Scotland, and our swift water rescue
team assisted with over 200 rescues
in Cockermouth in 2009.
The Red Cross in Scotland provides
support to statutory responders
managing complex crisis situations;
a first responders scheme; fire and
emergency support service; inland
water search, rescue and recovery;
support and supplies for communities,
families and individuals faced with
personal crisis; and longer term support
to help those affected rebuild their lives.
8 Resilient Scotland
© Layton Thompson/BRC
The Scottish Government has clearly
recognised the contribution of the
voluntary sector in responding to
emergencies and significant progress
has already been made in involving
the voluntary sector in emergency
planning – both nationally and
locally.
There is scope, however, for further
work to be done to build resilience
in Scotland and streamline the
partnership between statutory
bodies and the voluntary sector. We
believe that, by further developing
this partnership, Scotland can lead
the way in the UK on emergency
response and recovery.
We also support initiatives to
strengthen the public’s ability We call on all political parties
to respond to crises, including in Scotland to support:
individual health emergencies such
as cardiac arrest. According to
the Resuscitation Council’s 2010 > greater involvement of the
guidelines, the scientific evidence to voluntary sector in emergency
support early electrical defibrillation planning procedures by
is overwhelming and the delay ensuring appropriate
from collapse to delivery of the first representation on the Board
shock is the single most important of Scotland’s eight strategic
determinant of survival.3 The latest co-ordinating groups
resuscitation guidelines state that
trials of defibrillators installed in public > greater involvement of the
places have demonstrated impressive Red Cross and other voluntary
results, with survival rates as high sector organisations in
as 74 per cent as fast response emergency planning exercises
times are often possible when an across Scotland within local
automated external defibrillator (AED) authorities, the Scottish
is nearby. The Council also states Government, health boards
that an AED can be used safely and and emergency services
effectively without previous training,
although training is encouraged. > a people-focussed approach
to emergency planning which
allows for equal emphasis on
preparing for the human impact
of emergencies and the cost
and time it takes communities
to recover from a crisis situation

> the provision of automated

external defibrillators in public
places throughout Scotland to
“Each year, the Red encourage a faster reaction to
cardiac arrests.
Cross responds
to more than 600
emergencies in
Scotland”
3 Resuscitation Guidelines 2010, Resuscitation Council (UK), 2010 9
 Delivering health and
social care in Scotland
An estimated two million people in
Scotland already live with one or more
long-term health conditions4 and
health and social care systems face
a growing challenge over the coming
years in responding to the needs
of the country’s ageing population.
The demand for support services is
already high, and this can present
problems when these services have
10
© Bob Johns/BRC
to adapt to respond to crisis or
emergency situations.
Ensuring that vulnerable individuals
receive the right care at the right
time can make all the difference in
preventing the need for readmissions
to hospital or the move to residential
care, and can help prevent further
expenditure from tight budgets.
Resilient Scotland
Supporting individuals in making
choices about their health and care
needs can also ensure that people
remain in their own homes and
communities for longer, bringing
stability to their lives and promoting
well-being.
Local staff and trained volunteers
can be an effective way of ensuring
the right kind of help is there for
the individual at the right time.
This stratum of support helps both
individuals and those who care for
them reduce stress and isolation,
plan for the long term, manage
emergencies and maintain stability
and independence.
Each year in Scotland, the Red Cross
helps around 22,000 people live more
independently. We supply a number
of social care services in Scotland
including: care in the home services
delivered through contracts with local
authorities; a medical equipment loan
service to individuals and hospitals; a
skin camouflage service; a therapeutic
care service; a befriending service; an
advocacy service for individuals; and
residential respite care at our Options
for Independence site in Irvine. These
services supplement and support
care delivered by local authorities and,
in order for them to be as effective
as possible, there has to be greater
recognition of the way they operate.
4 LTCAS, based on 2003 Scottish Health Survey
We call on all political parties
in Scotland to support:
> a level playing field for the
voluntary sector in delivering
services, based on long-term
thinking, multi-annual contracts
and full cost recovery
> greater recognition and
understanding of the use
of both volunteer-led and
staff-led, volunteer-enhanced
services by local authorities
> greater transparency of the
local authority tendering and
scoring process for health
and social care contracts
> a consistent definition of
the role of the Red Cross
in emergency care across
Scotland’s 32 local authorities,
enabling better planning
for crisis within the public
sector budget.
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 Supporting Scotland’s
new communities
The British Red Cross helps people in
crisis, whoever and wherever they are.
The principle of humanity underpins
everything we do.
Scotland has long been proud to
welcome and provide safe haven
to those in need of protection. The
Red Cross refugee service and
international tracing and message
service in Glasgow help around 600
12
© BRC
people each year. Our volunteer-led
orientation service provides a broad
range of support services to newly
arrived asylum seekers and refugees
to help them integrate into life in
Scotland. This includes advice on
accessing healthcare and education;
family reunion; dedicated support
for vulnerable women and destitute
asylum seekers; an international
tracing and message service;
Resilient Scotland
and the production of a dedicated
newspaper for refugees in Scotland.
New arrivals to Scotland are
particularly vulnerable to destitution
as they often arrive with no money
and no support. They have to make
their own way to the nearest asylum
screening unit more than 400 miles
away in Croydon, London, to submit
their claim for asylum without travel
assistance or support.
In order for Scotland and the UK
to meet international obligations to
protect people fleeing persecution
and conflict, and to ensure our asylum
system prioritises humanitarian needs,
we believe there needs to be reform.
We therefore call on politicians
in Scotland to press their UK
counterparts for an end-to-end
asylum support structure, including
permission to work, until the applicant
is either removed or granted leave
to remain.
“New arrivals to
Scotland have
to travel 400 miles
to submit their claim
for asylum”
Resilient Scotland
We call on all political parties
in Scotland to support:
> The right of all asylum seekers
in Scotland to claim asylum
in country, through the
development of services at
UK Border Agency Scotland
> adoption of the principle that
destitution should not be an
outcome of the asylum system
and, specifically, that there
should be additional support
for all destitute refused asylum
seekers with children
> creation of a travel assistance
fund (previously provided
by the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees)
to support the reunion of
families who have been
separated around the world,
and who have been allowed
by the Home Office to join their
families in the UK
> working with the Law Society
of Scotland to ensure the
effective regulation and highest
standard of those providing
legal advice to people in
Scotland throughout the
whole asylum process.
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 Scotland’s role in international
humanitarianism
Every year, millions of people
throughout the world desperately
need humanitarian assistance to
survive. This number is expected to
increase, not least because of the
rise in extreme weather events and
the devastation they can cause.
The International Red Cross and
Red Crescent Movement is a neutral
and independent organisation which
14
© Alex Wynter / IFRC
makes up one of the three pillars of
the humanitarian system. It works
with the United Nations, nation
states, and NGOs to ensure that aid
is delivered without fear or favour to
those in greatest need.
Despite this work, many vulnerable
people still go without the help they
so desperately need. This can be
because the crisis situation is taking
Resilient Scotland
place in a strategically ‘unimportant’
part of the world, is not covered We call on all political parties
by the media or is complicated by in Scotland to support:
political or military factors.

The Red Cross in Scotland is always > a commitment to protect

on call as part of this international the Scottish Government’s
network to provide support and £9 million international
assistance where it is needed. Most development budget
recently, we have deployed Scottish
delegates to assist following the > a commitment to formalise
earthquake in Haiti and flooding a fund for international
in Pakistan. emergency aid, standing
alongside the international
The Scottish Government has been development budget.
generous in its recognition of the need
for emergency aid when disasters
strike. We would like to see a
continued commitment to emergency
aid so that Scotland and the Red
Cross can continue to reach out to
people living in crisis situations across
the globe.

“We work with 185 sister National Societies

around the world”
Resilient Scotland 15
British Red Cross
4 Nasmyth Place
Hillington
Glasgow G52 4PR
Tel 0141 891 4000
Fax 0141 891 4099

redcross.org.uk

For more information, please contact

Gurjit Singh at gsingh@redcross.org.uk
or on the number above.

The British Red Cross Society, incorporated

by Royal Charter 1908, is a charity registered
in England and Wales (220949) and Scotland
(SC037738).
Photo
16 cover and back: Gordon, Derek/BRC Resilient Scotland