As defined by the Scottish government

Community Resilience is

Harnessing your own resources and expertise to help yourselves prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies in a way that complements the work of the emergency services.

Important to say; 
Communities are not expected to fill in the roles of the emergency services. A community’s resilience becomes stronger by using local skills and resources to be better equipped to look after itself during an emergency event or incident until help arrives.

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What’s the difference?

Community Safety and Resilience versus Community Resilience Planning for Emergencies

Community groups have been talking about Community Resilience recently and the term is being used in two related, yet very different ways.

Community safety and resilience is about everyday prevention and wellbeing. Community emergency resilience planning is about what happens when things go wrong. Both matter; both are important.

Community Safety and Resilience

Is the big picture prevention, protection and long-term strength

Community safety and resilience is wide-ranging. It includes both prevention and intervention and looks at the overall safety and wellbeing of people and places.

 

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service say,

“We believe people are safer when they know more about the risks they face and have the capacity and resilience to help themselves, better integration of plans, co-production and coordination of services to target prevention activity where it will be most effective.”

It is about reducing risk in daily life. Community Safety and Resilience is about making emergencies, crime, harm and crisis less likely in the first place and making communities stronger in everyday life. It is long-term, preventative and people-focused.

Community Safety and Resilience includes:

Preventing harm before it happens

  • Reducing fire risks in homes
  • Preventing accidents and injuries
  • Addressing antisocial behaviour
  • Supporting crime prevention
  • Promoting digital safety and awareness

Supporting vulnerable people

  • Identifying individuals who may struggle in a crisis
  • Information sharing between agencies
  • Signposting to services
  • Tackling isolation and exclusion

 

Building community capacity

  • Community training opportunities and knowledge sharing
  • Community-led action around inclusion and response
  • Improving knowledge, skills and confidence
  • Encouraging self-sufficiency

 

Partnership working

  • Collaboration between the community, voluntary groups, emergency services and LA
  • Local multi-agency action teams targeting prevention work
  • Co-production of services based on local priorities