building a resilient london

8/2/2019 Building a resilient London

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Building a resilient London

A call to action


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Contents

> Building a resilient London:

a call to action

> Building resilient communities

through schools and learning

> Supporting older people

in London

>A saer London or all

> Supporting those who seek

a sae haven in London

>A vision or volunteering

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4

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> increased investment in

preparedness or crises

or emergency incidents in

London to improve the ability

o individuals, volunteers,

communities and organisations

to respond in their local area

> equipping every London child

with basic rst aid skills through

schools and education

> the survey on extreme exclusion

among asylum seekers,

vulnerable migrants and

reugees promised in the London

Enriched Implementation Plan

> the work o health and wellbeing

boards in every London borough

to better promote integration o

health and social care services,

and to recognise the potential

contribution o the voluntary and

community sector

> best practice in employer-

supported volunteeringby ensuring volunteering

opportunities or GLA sta

in line with the most

pioneering workplaces.

Photosonpage3:www.photo-banks.com,LaytonThompson/BRC,AnthonyUp

ton/BRC

Building a resilient London:a call to action

We call on mayoral and

GLA candidates to support:

Every day, the British Red Cross helps

individuals and organisations to ace

crisis. Across London our network

o 90 sta and 3,200 volunteers

helps some o the most vulnerable

Londoners in times o need.We provide many vital services

to Londoners: rom immediate

assistance in a major incident and

building more resilient communities

through rst aid education, to

supporting new arrivals to the capital

and helping people regain their

condence and independence ater a

stay in hospital.

All our activities are guided by our

undamental principles o humanity,

impartiality, neutrality, independence,

voluntary service, unity and

universality. We work closely with the

mayor o London, Greater London

Authority (GLA), Londons emergency

services and London boroughsto ensure we ocus our response

on people with the greatest

humanitarian need.

The challenges Londoners

ace are complex and growing.

Economic conditions and their

consequences are putting a strain

on many people and their

expectations o decision-makers.

Yet despite these tough realities there

is much to celebrate. London is a

great place to live, work and visit.

And, as host o the 2012 London

Olympic and Paralympic Games along

with the Diamond Jubilee, the capitalwill be at the centre o the worlds

attention.

Beore, during and ater a crisis,

the Red Cross will be there, working

with Londoners preparing or

emergencies, helping people in

immediate need, and supporting

them through their recovery. By

better integrating our expertise

with key agencies and decision-

makers, and partnering with statutory

organisations, we can make Londons

communities stronger.

Based on our values, principles

and experience, we call on Londons

decision-makers to act and help us

build a more resilient London.

Sir Nicholas Young

Chie executive


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Photo:JonathanBanks

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ater a heart attack. That is why we

have been campaigning or rst aid

education to be a compulsory part o

the school curriculum.

Our humanitarian education

materials help young people explore

the world around them. We explain

the complexities o providing

humanitarian assistance in an

interconnected world and encourage

the participation o students as active

local and global citizens.

We explore crises arising rom

confict, disasters, and pandemics,

and also cover some o the

challenges people who have aced

such crises might experience in

integrating into lie in London.

Our rst aid and humanitarian

education work reaches the most

vulnerable in London. For example,

we teach rst aid to the homeless

and drug users. We provide

humanitarian education to young

people who arrive in the UK as

reugees and have rst-hand

experience o confict. Many o these

young people sign up as Red Cross

volunteers to educate their peers

about the costs o confict.

As the British Red Cross

recognises the value o cross-sectorpartnerships, we work closely with

the private sector. For example,

Allen and Overy has worked with us

to produce international humanitarian

law resources or secondary schools

and Brit Insurance has unded a

pack or primary schools with key

rst aid messages.

Encouraging Londoners to learn how

to make their community stronger

cant start too early. There are basic

skills and ways o looking at the world

that everyone can learn to make their

communities more resilient.

Basic rst aid skills and the

condence to act can make a huge

dierence to peoples chances o

survival in an emergency. Immediate

resuscitation CPR can double or

even triple the chances o survival

Building resilient communitiesthrough schools and learning

1 Lie. Live it research project, 2006, British Red Cross

> equipping every London child

with basic rst aid skills through

schools and education

> increasing the awareness

and accessibility o rst aid

education across society,

particularly the groups that

are hardest to reach, as a vital

lie skill

> highlighting the positive

impact o diversity and

Londons proud history o

sanctuary and integration,

using humanitarian education.



> Hal o the attendees at accident and emergencydepartments could have beneted rom rst aideducation in their accidents.1

> Ninety-eight per cent o parents want rst aideducation to become part o the school curriculumand over 90 per cent o teachers support a ocuson building resilience in the classroom.

> In London we teach over 30,000 pupils rst aid andhumanitarian education each year.

Our rst aid

and humanitarianeducation workreaches the mostvulnerable in London


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Photo:PatrickHarrison/BRC

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Ensuring London gets a

proportional share o resources is

vital to meeting the needs o the

most vulnerable.

From our experience o supporting

people in their own homes on

discharge rom hospital, we see

the challenges that many elderly

Londoners ace: getting the right,

personalised support to enable them

to continue playing an active role in

their community.

British Red Cross sta and trained

volunteers help reduce service users

stress and isolation. We help them

plan or the long term, manage

emergencies and maintain their

independence. Our services can also

prevent readmission to hospital or a

move to residential care.

Recent changes in the

commissioning environment

recognise the role o the voluntary

and community sector in health and

social care services. This represents

a great opportunity or voluntary

sector involvement in publicly-unded

services, but we need support rom

the GLA and the mayor to ensure

the new commissioning environment

refects our sectors traditional

strong ocus on the beneciary andtheir needs.

Better integrated care will also be

essential in achieving the step change

needed to cope with an ageing

population and provide the best

outcomes or Londoners.Although living in one o the wealthiest

and most vibrant cities in the world,

Londoners ace serious and wide

inequalities in health outcomes. An

ageing population means demand

or social care services will increase.

Older Londoners are already

particularly aected by social isolation

and poverty.3

Supporting older peoplein London

2 London Health Inequalities Strategy: One Year On, GLA3 Social isolation among older Londoners. Oct 2011, IPPR

> the development o pan-

London initiatives through the

London Health Improvement

Board to deliver a holistic

approach to health and social

care and improve wellbeing

> the work o health and

wellbeing boards in every

London borough to better

promote integration o health

and social care services and

to recognise the potential

contribution o the voluntary

and community sector

> better targeting o

resources in London to

tackle health inequalities.



> In some London boroughs the average lieexpectancy is as much as 17 years less thanin others.2

> Each year in London the British Red Crosshelps 3,000 people over 60 live independentlyin their homes.

> The British Red Cross also supports rapidresponse assisted discharge in Kings CollegeHospital, one o the our major trauma networkhubs in London.

From our experienceo supporting people

in their own homes ondischarge rom hospital,we see the challengesthat many elderlyLondoners ace


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Photo:AnthonyUpton/BRC

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As a humanitarian auxiliary to

government, the British Red Cross

supports statutory emergency

responders in a crisis. In Mitcham, or

example, working with the London

Ambulance Service, Red Cross

volunteers react to 999 calls on

Friday and Saturday nights, alongside

regular ambulance responders. In the

rst three months o this scheme we

responded to 104 calls, ensuring an

even aster response to patients in

potentially lie-threatening situations.

Based on our experience we also

know the positive impact o inorming

and raising awareness o what to do

in an emergency. Providing eective

community inormation messages

in the local media and on public

transport can help ensure Londoners

are better prepared to respond in an

emergency situation.

The impact o an emergency on

individuals and communities goes

beyond the initial emergency situation

itsel their need or support may be

ongoing. Helping individuals, amilies

and communities rebuild their lives

by providing practical and emotional

support ater a crisis is also a key part

o our mission.

Peoples ability to withstand a crisisdepends on their own preparedness

and planning, and how empowered

they eel to respond. Communities,

the voluntary sector and emergency

services also need to co-ordinate their

resources in a crisis.

While no-one can predict when an

emergency will occur, whether its a

terrorist incident or a serious road

trac collision, being suciently

prepared is crucial. The disturbances

across London during the summer

o 2011 reminded us o how quickly

a crisis situation can occur, as well

as the long-lasting impact it can

have on individuals, businesses and

communities.

The mayor and GLA are in a unique

position to ensure that Londoners are

better prepared when responding to

any crisis, no matter how big or small.

A saer London or all

> increased investment in

preparedness or crises

or emergency incidents in

London to improve the ability

o individuals, volunteers,

communities and organisations

to respond in their local area

> promoting the contribution

o voluntary and community

organisations in emergency

response to the London

Resilience Partnership,

particularly those with enhanced

capacities such as the British

Red Cross

> eective dissemination o

community saety messages

rom statutory agencies, local

authorities and the community

and voluntary sector.



> There are 450 Red Cross volunteers on stand-by inemergency planning and response roles in Londonat any one time.

> The British Red Cross has responded to over 400emergency incidents across the capital since thelast mayoral elections.

> One in every two res in London takes place in a

dwelling, the highest percentage in the UK.4

4 National Statistics and DCLG: http://www.communities.gov.

uk/documents/statistics/pd/568234.pd

Based on our

experience we alsoknow the positiveimpact o inormingand raising awarenesso what to do in anemergency


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well as potentially weakening

community cohesion.

As a humanitarian organisation,

we have rst-hand experience o the

deep challenge inherent in the system

at a national and local level. There

should be sucient support or those

seeking saety to ensure peoples

humanitarian needs are met with

dignity and saety.

As well as our destitution

projects, last year British Red Cross

international tracing and message

services helped 129 asylum seekers

and reugees make contact with

relatives they had been separated

rom. In partnership with Tavistock and

Portman Foundation Trust, we also

provide mental health support and

consultations or beneciaries who

may have diculty accessing services

because o their asylum status.

Many London agencies believe

that tracking will increase around

the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

We are already helping to combat

tracking through our work on the

London Saeguarding Children Board

Olympics Sub-Group and the National

Tracking Board or Young People.

The mayors oce and the GLA

have rightly provided clear leadershipon issues around integration, asylum

and migration through strategies like

London Enriched.

We believe the mayor could lead

eorts to ensure sucient support

is available or these vulnerable

groups to maintain their dignity and

access the services they need while

in London.

Photo:LaytonThompson/BRC

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Londons place at the heart o

a globalised world brings great

opportunity but also challenges.

Our city has a proud tradition o

oering sanctuary to those in

need and providing a new home or

citizens rom every country on earth.

But there are more and more

destitute, homeless asylum seekers

coming to our projects in London

needing the basic necessities

or survival.

This situation can only add

to their stress and hardship, as

Supporting those who seek asae haven in London

5 Gidley, B. and H. Jayaweera. An Evidence Base on Migrationand Integration in London. Centre on Migration, Policy andSociety, University o Oxord, 2010.6 Communities and Local Government. Rough Sleeping10 Years on: From the Streets to Independent Livingand Opportunity. Communities and Local Government,London, 2008.

> widening the remit o the

London Health Inequalities

Strategy to include addressing

the health needs o asylum

seekers and vulnerable

migrants

> the survey on extreme

exclusion among asylum

seekers, vulnerable migrants

and reugees promised

in the London Enriched

Implementation Plan

> a orum or dialogue between

the London boroughs, the

GLA and the voluntary sector

around the nature o statutory

obligations or those living in

London with no recourse to

public unds

> unding the No Recourse

to Public Funds Network to

help ensure the provision o

necessary services to councils,

the NHS and the voluntary

sector regarding thoseindividuals with no recourse to

public unds.



> One in ve state-supported asylum seekers inthe UK lives in London, but two thirds do so withsubsistence-only support.5

> Recent studies indicate that 15 per cent o thecapitals rough sleepers are migrants withoutrecourse to public unds.6

> The British Red Cross destitution projects in

London provide nearly 100 people with supporteach week.


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Photo:AnthonyUpton

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people in the capitals most deprived

neighbourhoods.

The mayor o London could be

the champion or volunteering across

London. We also believe that some o

the best advocates or volunteering

would be GLA sta themselves.

Employer-supported volunteering

can complement existing training

and development programmes

and provide real-lie experiences

and insights that traditional training

courses cant.

London has a huge opportunity to

develop its capacity or volunteering

as part o the Olympic legacy. We

believe new volunteers should be

oered a chance to continue their

work with the capitals charities and

voluntary organisations once the

Games are over.

I a creative partnership can

emerge between London policy-

makers and the voluntary sector,

we believe people can be optimistic

about their chances o getting a

ullling voluntary role. We can make

London the best city in the world to

volunteer in.

Analysis o young peoples

involvement in the summer

disturbances in 2011 ound that

young people themselves reported

a lack o things to do and a lack o a

stake in their local neighbourhood as

key motivators.10

In our experience, volunteering

can orm a crucial part o addressing

these issues by providing structure,

pride in ones community11 and a

sense o belonging or young people

in London. It can also give skills and

development opportunities to young

A vision or volunteering

7 ONS via the GLA: e.g. http://www.london.gov.uk/media/press_releases_assembly_member/news-john-biggs-14-people-looking-every-job-tower-hamlets8 ONS: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171766_250148.pd9 Ministry o Justice: http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/sep/15/riot-deendants-court-sentencing10 The August riots in England: NatCen Research on behal othe Cabinet Oce and also see Independent Riots Communitiesand Victims Panel11 A Place For Pride: 2011, Demos.

> best practice in employer-

supported volunteering

by ensuring volunteering

opportunities or GLA sta in

line with the most pioneering

workplaces

> an increase in volunteer

opportunities within the most

deprived areas o London.

This could be done by providing

more training or youth and

community leaders and the

unding o youth champions

within Team London

> the removal o the nancial

barriers to volunteering that

young people ace, such as

cost o travel and remuneration

or expenses, and provide a

wider range o opportunities

> strengthening the Olympic

volunteer legacy by helping

Olympic volunteers continue

their volunteering with

existing voluntary organisationsin London.



> One in ve 16-24 year-old Londoners now has nojob,7 a trend that looks set to continue.8

> Forty per cent o children who appeared in court inLondon or oences linked to the 2011 riots wereon ree school meals compared to 26 per cent oall London pupils in secondary schools.9

> The British Red Cross has almost 700 volunteersaged 15-25 across London.

London has a hugeopportunity to developits capacity orvolunteering as part othe Olympic legacy


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British Red Cross

44 Moorelds

London

EC2Y 9AL

Tel 0844 871 1111

Fax 020 7562 2000

redcross.org.uk

Published 2012

The British Red Cross Society, incorporated by

Royal Charter 1908, is a charity registered inEngland and Wales (220949) and Scotland (SC037738)

Front cover photos: Anthony Upton, Layton Thompson/BRC,

www.photo-banks.com, Hannah Maule-Fnch/BRC, Kristian Buus/BRC

Back cover photos: Layton Thompson, Jonathan Banks

Email: [email protected]

Tel: 020 7877 7029

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