West Midlands ConurbationLocal Resilience Forum

Strategic Plan 2016-19 September 2016Version 2.0

September 2016

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2Undoubtedly the Civil

Contingencies Act 2004

(CCA 2004) has facilitated

the closer working together of

agencies when planning for,

responding to and recovering from

emergencies. The establishment

of the West Midlands Conurbation

Local Resilience Forum (WMCLRF)

under this act has brought together

all the agencies involved in civil

protection to ensure we are well

prepared to deliver our statutory

duties under this Act.

However, over a decade on from the Act’s release we are facing a more

diverse range of threats which are becoming increasingly more complex

in nature and impact on our communities in many different ways. As a

conurbation which is thriving we must also protect against the impacts of

emergencies on our economy, business and tourism sectors to ensure our

long term financial prosperity and keep us competitive in the world.

Whilst this may be the case, reducing public sector budgets and a need

to generate efficiencies has made meeting these challenges while

maintaining a high standard of preparedness, response and recovery

more difficult. That said, with this strategic plan we are confident as an LRF

that we are well placed to deal with these challenges moving forward.

With governance change on the horizon in the West Midlands in relation

to the Combined Authority we are actively seeking to evolve the way in

which we work through closer collaboration on a wider range of issues

falling outside of what is expected of us in the Civil Contingencies Act.

Driving this is a desire to deliver the best possible service to the public

who we continue to work closely with on a day to day basis to achieve

positive outcomes for all and keep the West Midlands in a strong position

to influence future agendas affecting our region.

Phil Hales

Deputy Chief Fire Officer

West Midlands Fire Service

Foreword by LRF Chair

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Contents

Foreword by LRF Chair 1

Contents

Section 1 – Legislation and Civil Protection Arrangements 4

Introduction

The purpose of the Local Resilience Forum

Section 2 – Local Resilience Forum Arrangements in the West Midlands 6

West Midlands Local Resilience Forum

The Structure of the WMCLRF

Contest

Funding of the WMCLRF

Section 3 - WMCLRF – Strategic Aim and objectives 10

Aim

Strategic Objectives

Section 4 – Action Planning 15

Appendix A – List of Category 1, 2 and

Other Responders making up the West Midlands Conurbation Local

Resilience Forum.

Appendix B - Structure Chart of Governance Arrangements 18

4Legislation and Civil Protection Arrangements

1 A full list of agencies making up category

one and two responders can be found in

Appendix A.

Introduction

The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 (CCA) was the most significant shake up

of civil protection arrangements in the United Kingdom (UK) for a century

and repealed the previous arrangements under the Civil Defence Act

1948. A catalyst for the CCA was the recognition that the UK now faces

a wide range of potential emergencies which can affect the functioning

of businesses and communities which in turn impacts on the social,

health and financial prosperity of the UK and local areas. Under the

CCA there is a clear expectation that agencies involved in emergency

preparation and response have a collective responsibility to plan, prepare

and communicate in a multi-agency environment to ensure they are

well prepared to face such challenges should one occur. Embedded

within the CCA is a need for geographically defined areas to establish

a local resilience forum which brings together a range of category

one and two responders1 to assist in achieving expectations placed on

them individually and collectively under the Act. Members of the Local

Resilience Forum, which is based on Police boundaries, work together to

plan, train and exercise to develop resilience in their local area which

requires a great level of cooperation between member agencies. Whilst

local resilience forums are not a legal entity, nor does the forum have

powers to direct its members, nevertheless there is a strong importance

and emphasis on members to work collaboratively together for the

benefit of the communities they serve.

Section 1

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Local resilience forums exist to

ensure that duties imposed on

category one and two responders

through the CCA are developed

and delivered effectively, not

just within individual responders

but also as part of a wider multi-

agency process.

The purpose of the Local Resilience Forum

The LRF process should deliver:

• The compilation of agreed risk profiles for the area, through a

Community Risk Register;

• A systematic, planned and co-ordinated approach to encourage

category one responders, according to their functions, to address all

aspects of policy in relation to:

® Risk

® Planning for emergencies

® Planning for Business Continuity Management (BCM)

® Publishing Information about risk assessments and plans

® Arrangements to warn and inform the public; and

® other aspects of civil protection duty, including the promotion of

BCM by local authorities; and

• Support for the preparation by some or all of its members of multi-

agency plans and other documents, including protocols and

agreements and the co-ordination of multi-agency exercises and other

training events.

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6Local Resilience Forum Arrangements in the West Midlands

Section 2

West Midlands Local Resilience Forum

The West Midlands Conurbation is made up of seven metropolitan

councils (Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and

Wolverhampton) covering an area of 348 square miles. It borders three

counties: Warwickshire, Staffordshire and Worcestershire.

The West Midlands Conurbation Local Resilience Forum (WMCLRF) is the

statutory multi agency partnership set up to ensure the local authorities,

emergency services and environment agency in partnership with other

organisations such as gas and water companies fulfil their duties under

the CCA 2004. This act is important because it establishes a consistent

level of civil protection planning and preparation activity between

these responders across the UK. In addition to the WMCLRF membership

comprising of Category one and two responders, the military and

voluntary organisations are also represented. A full list of agencies and

services represented on the LRF can be found in Appendix A.

The Structure of the WMCLRF

A comprehensive structure chart for the WMCLRF can be found in its Terms

of Reference. However there are three groups who sit within the forum.

2 Cabinet Office Guidance, Emergency

Preparedness, Chapter 2: Co-operation,

2.52, page 28

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7General Working Group

The objective of the General Working Group (GWG) is to bring

issues before the WMCLRF and ensure the WMCLRF’s decisions are

implemented. The GWG and its sub-groups will, on behalf of the WMCLRF,

work to deliver the planned work programme agreed by the forum.

Supporting this are a number of task and finish groups who are structured

in a way to allow each group to focus on specific areas of work.

Local Resilience Groups

Local Resilience Groups (LRG) are sub-groups of the WMCLRF based on

smaller administrative areas. They are an opportunity to build relationships

and enhance multi agency cooperation at a local level, providing a

forum to address specific local issues. They play a key role in ensuring local

needs are met during emergency response and recovery efforts. For this

reason assurance is provided to the WMCLRF annually around the groups

planning and preparedness. Each LRG will provide a rolling three year

plan which will be reported on to the WMCLRF.

Funding of the WMCLRF

It is crucial that the WMCLRF is adequately funded to ensure it can deliver

on what is expected of it. The WMCLRF has adopted a dedicated funding

model which provides greater consistency in performance whilst ensuring

that the cost of running the forum is spread amongst Local Authorities and

other responders sitting on the forum.

The WMCLRF secretariat is adequately funded to ensure the forum

can deliver on what is expected of it. Funding has been agreed by the

WMCLRF up until 2018, where it will be reviewed and agreed for future

year’s dependant on needs.

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CONTEST is the UK Government Strategy for Countering Terrorism. The

strategy is organised around four work streams which involve:

• Pursue: to stop terrorist attacks and to arrest those involved in

associated criminal activity.

• Prevent: to prevent people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorist

organisations.

• Protect: to reduce vulnerability by strengthening overall protection

against a terrorist attack.

• Prepare: to work to mitigate the impact of a terrorist attack where the

attack cannot be stopped.

CONTEST is supported in various ways through the LRF, particularly at a

local level through Local Resilience Groups (LRG’s). For example, LRG’s

maintain a CONTEST agenda item and bring together relevant multi-

agency partners, along with representatives from the Counter Terrorism

Unit (CTU) to address relevant local issues and considerations in relation to

Prevent, Protect and Prepare.

Pursue

The Pursue element of CONTEST is an intelligence led process carried

out by the Police and Security Services. It focus is on detection and

investigation at an early stage to disrupt terrorist planning activity. Local

partner agencies may be consulted or involved on some occasions,

however, overall there is National direction therefore there is no Pursue

group held locally.

Prepare and Protect

The Prepare and Protect elements of CONTEST have been incorporated

into the scope of Local Resilience Groups (LRGs). LRG’s facilitate

organisations involved in planning and response within local authority

areas.

CONTEST

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9The Prepare element of CONTEST is fulfilled through joint working, planning,

and training and exercising; this ensures multi-agency understanding and

preparedness. The Protect element focuses on reducing vulnerability, here

for example, the LRG’s bring together partners such as transport operators

and businesses to support the protection of local infrastructure.

Prevent

The Prevent element of CONTEST also requires effective multi-agency

working. Each Local Authority is responsible for preparing a Prevent

Delivery Plan including all agencies with a responsibility within the Counter

Terrorism and Security Act 2015. This requires organisations, including

local authorities, education establishments, prisons, health and police to

prepare a plan to prevent people becoming involved in terrorist activity

or supporting terrorist organisations.

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10WMCLRF – Strategic Aim and ObjectivesSection 3

Strategic Objectives

1. Utilise the opportunities presented by changing governance

structures in the West Midlands to ensure individual members of the

LRF contribute to the debate about how service reconfiguration

might influence the LRFs way of delivering its business in the future.

With the development and implementation of the West Midlands

Combined Authority (WMCA) proposals the LRF will ensure that

this transition will not impact on the ability of the LRF to deliver its

responsibilities. Instead it will explore what opportunities will emerge to

deliver the functions of the LRF more effectively and efficiently. Many of

the organisations involved in the West Midlands Conurbation LRF have

seen significant changes and restructures, driven by fiscal challenges due

to reductions in public service finance. Whilst this has provided challenges

for the area it has also been a catalyst for finding new ways of working

together on issues falling outside of our statutory duties in order to deliver

efficiencies whilst maintaining our ability to deliver outcomes and in a

more timely manner.

2. To develop and maintain a robust governance structure which is

appropriately supported and represented, enabling the WMCLRF

membership to be responsive, accountable and equipped to fulfil

its responsibilities under the CCA 2004.

It is recognised that an effective WMCLRF is built upon strong leadership

and relationships. Through the WMCLRF, responders will collectively

maintain a strong structure which is appropriately supported by each

individual responder. The WMCLRF meets at least once every six months

and each responder ensures, so far as is reasonably practable, that

they are represented at each meeting2. It is recognised that responders

need to be represented by individuals who have the right combination

of seniority and expertise to be able to speak with authority and commit

Aim

The aim of the WMCLRF is:

“To ensure that there is an

appropriate level of preparedness

to enable an effective multi-

agency response to emergency

incidents, which have a significant

impact on the communities

of the WMC.”

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resources to workstreams. Responders making up the WMCLRF therefore

ensure that the forum attracts sufficiently senior level of representation

and that participants at its routine meetings reflect the membership of the

Strategic Co-ordinating Group (SCG) which would be called upon as part

of a response to any major emergency across the West Midlands area.3

For WMCLRF to function effectively requires good relationships at every

level between all category of responders and partners who contribute to

resilience and response across the West Midlands. This is promoted locally

through the inclusion and representation of category two responders

and other partners within the WMCLRF structure to ensure a holistic view

is taken when carrying out its duties. These relationships also enable

all partners to be kept informed of the forum’s work and are therefore

able to contribute and work cooperatively with one another where

appropriate and able.4 As no single agency has primacy over another,

this places a great emphasis on cooperation between responders when

allocating time and resources to work programmes. Responders will

therefore provide staff where reasonable to work on joint projects, working

groups, the preparation of plans and exercises or participation in joint

exercises. It is also necessary for all responders to financially support the

secretariat function of the WMCLRF.

3. Where it is appropriate through the WMCLRF, responders will

collectively seek to influence local, regional and national resilience

agendas and sharing and good practice.

The risks faced by the West Midlands are increasingly being found to

originate outside of the WMCLRFs boundaries. Whether it is accidents,

natural events such as flooding, malicious acts such as terrorism being

driven by international grievances or financial uncertainty due to the

global economic downturn and markets. As a result, the WMCLRF will 3 Regulation 4(4) 4 The UK Central Government Response –

Concept of Operations)

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Exercise Cape designed to test our Multi Agency Emergency Response Arrangements

12WMCLRF – Strategic Aim and Objectivescontinued

5 Regulation 4(5), 6(a), 7, Section 2(1)6 https://www.gov.uk/guidance/preparation-

and-planning-for-emergencies-the-capabilities-

programme

seek to influence agendas outside of the West Midlands to ensure better

outcomes for the public served by the forum. This will include maintaining

relationships with Department for Communities and Local Government

Resilience and Emergencies Division (DCLG RED) team in order to consider

the implications of any new legislation, policy initiatives and decisions at

a national level. WMCLRF will seek to explore and utilise technology as a

means of working smarter and more efficiently with regional and national

partners, enabling the West Midlands to reach a broader range of people

or groups more effectively. Whilst this cooperation will ensure the WMCLRF

is well informed and positioned to deliver resilience, the forum will explore

opportunities to work closer and more collaboratively with other agencies

to deliver the duties placed upon responders but also to extend this

cooperation to encompass wider resilience agendas.

4. To ensure that WMCLRF takes into account the national capabilities

work streams and that local plans provide a resilient framework for

the response to any risk or threat.

The Government’s National Capabilities Programme is the core framework

through which it is seeking to build resilience across all parts of the UK. The

aim of the Capabilities Programme is to ensure that a robust infrastructure

of response is in place to deal rapidly, effectively and flexibly with the

consequences of emergencies, civil devastation and widespread disaster.5

5. To maintain a WMCLRF risk register in order to raise awareness of

emerging risks which threaten the social, economic and wellbeing

of the West Midlands and ensure that the risk process informs

future planning.

The WMCLRF has a duty to produce a Community Risk Register (CRR)

to look at the likelihood and impact of a range of risks and hazards.

To achieve this WMCLRF uses a national model for risk assessment

Section 3

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which is outlined in the Local Risk Management Guidance. Facilitating

the meeting of the CCA responsibilities for responders to consider

risks collectively is a fundamental role of the WMCLRF, and is in part

discharged collectively through the forum. West Midlands Community

Risk Register helps identify emerging issues and also situations where a risk

may be increasing or decreasing in our conurbation. This is achieved by

considering the national risk picture, accompanied with local intelligence

to enable plans to be reflective of the risks faced by the local area.

6. To ensure that the WMCLRF embeds multi-agency co-ordination,

integration and training to achieve clear and consistent

management of incidents. Ensuring that emergency plans are

reviewed appropriately to reflect changing risks and the lessons

learnt following activations of plans during exercises or real life

scenarios both locally and nationally.

The threats and emergencies which may impact the West Midlands

has diversified over the last decade and therefore requires ongoing risk

assessment to ensure our plans for dealing with them are as robust as

they can be through testing and exercising.7 Facilitating the meeting of

the CCA responsibility of the responders to co-operate with one another

is a fundamental role of the WMCLRF and is particularly important in the

testing and exercising of plans, as these will have implications on multi

agency partners. WMCLRF actively promotes the testing and exercising

of plans through a task and finish group who produce an exercising

calendar to ensure a structured approach to exercises is taken which is

informed and gives adequate preparation time for stakeholders. National

reviews and reports are also an essential part to improve planning and

response arrangements to significant events following the publication

of post incident reviews. WMCLRF will ensure that multi-agency plans for

national events are progressed at an appropriate rate.

7 CCA, Section 2(1)(a), (b), (e)

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14WMCLRF – Strategic Aim and Objectivescontinued

However, meeting the responsibilities placed on responders to co-operate

with one another needs to take into account the fact that emergencies

do not respect arbitrary political or jurisdictional boundaries. Collaboration

with adjacent areas is vital in this regard which is why the WMCLRF

will maintain relationships with responders beyond the West Midlands

boundary.

7. To ensure the WMCLRF has a co-ordinated communications

strategy to undertake its duties to warn and inform the public and

business, to improve communication between responders and to

manage the media.

The UK approach to resilience is based on the principle of subsidiarity,

the WMCLRF supports this view so will ensure decisions and responsibilities

rest at the lowest appropriate level, supported by collaboration and co-

ordination at the highest level. WMCLRF is aware that any emergency,

however short-lived, can have a long term and potentially devastating

effect on individuals, families and communities. To minimise this impact

it is important that businesses and the public are adequately and

appropriately informed of the threats and hazards the West Midlands

faces, together with how they can prepare and help themselves prior

to, during and after an emergency occurs. This supports the aims of the

Community Resilience Programme8 which seeks to increase individual,

family and community resilience against all threats and hazards. Business

continuity information is to be made available to businesses to promote a

stronger commercial, manufacturing and transport sector which is resilient

in the face of disruptions to its functions or services.

Section 3

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15Action Planning

To enable the effective delivery of objectives contained within the

WMCLRF three year rolling Strategic Plan specific tasks and activities will

be captured within the WMCLRF Strategic Delivery Plan. The plan will be

a live document affording collaborative flexibility in capturing emerging

priorities to support the effective planning for, responding to and recovery

from emergencies that have the potential to impact the West Midlands

conurbation. The delivery plan will enhance the monitoring, reviewing and

evaluation of activities supporting the achievement of strategic objectives

detailed below:-

1. Utilise the opportunities presented by changing governance

structures in the West Midlands to ensure individual members of the

LRF contribute to the debate about how service reconfiguration

might influence the LRFs way of delivering its business in the future.

2. To develop and maintain a robust governance structure which is

appropriately supported and represented, enabling the WMCLRF

membership to be responsive, accountable and equipped to fulfil

its responsibilities under the CCA 2004.

3. Where it is appropriate through the WMCLRF, responders will

collectively seek to influence local, regional and national resilience

agendas and sharing and good practice.

4. To ensure that WMCLRF takes into account the national capabilities

work streams and that local plans provide a resilient framework for

the response to any risk or threat.

Section 4

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16Action Planning - continued

5. To maintain a WMCLRF risk register in order to raise awareness of

emerging risks which threaten the social, economic and wellbeing

of the West Midlands and ensure that the risk process informs future

planning.

6. To ensure that the WMCLRF embeds multi-agency co-ordination,

integration and training to achieve clear and consistent

management of incidents. Ensuring that emergency plans are

reviewed appropriately to reflect changing risks and the lessons

learnt following activations of plans during exercises or real life

scenarios both locally and nationally.

7. To ensure the WMCLRF has a co-ordinated communications

strategy to undertake its duties to warn and inform the public and

business, to improve communication between responders and to

manage the media.

Section 4

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17List of Category 1, 2 and Other Responders making up the West Midlands Conurbation Local Resilience Forum.

Appendix A

Category 1 RespondersEmergency Services• West Midlands Police• British Transport Police• West Midlands Fire Service• West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS FT

Local Authorities• Birmingham City Council• Coventry City Council• Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council• Sandwell Council • Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council• Walsall Council• Wolverhampton City Council

Health Bodies• Public Health England• NHS England – West Midlands• Birmingham Children’s Hospital NHS FT• Birmingham Community Health Care NHS FT• Birmingham Women’s Hospital NHS FT• The Dudley Group NHS FT• Heart of England NHS FT• The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS FT• The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust• Sandwell & West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust• University Hospitals Birmingham NHS FT• Walsall Healthcare• Birmingham & Solihull Mental Health FT• Black Country Partnership NHS FT• Dudley and Walsall MH Partnership Trust• University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Trust

Government Agencies• Environment Agency

Other Supporting Responder Organisations• Armed Forces• Met Office• Government Departments• Voluntary Sector

Category 2 RespondersUtilities

• Electricity Distributors and Transmitters• Gas Distributors• Water and Sewerage Undertakers• Telephone Service Providers (fixed and mobile)

Transport

• Network Rail• Train Operating Companies (passenger and freight)• Bus and Coach Operators• Highways England• Birmingham Airport • Travel for West Midlands

Health Bodies

• Clinical Commissioning Groups Birmingham Cross City Birmingham South and Central Dudley Sandwell and West Birmingham Solihull Walsall Wolverhampton• Representation at the LRF by the Chair of the LHRP

Government Agencies• Health and Safety Executive• Government Decontamination Service• AHVLA

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18Structure Chart of Governance ArrangementsAppendix B

LRF Chief Officer group (strategic)

LRF General Working Group (business)

Fuel Task & Finish Group

Conurbation wide

LRF Sub-groups and

Task and Finish Groups

(for example)

Dudley Resilience

Group

BirminghamResilience

Group

LRF Local

Resilience

Groups

(LRG)

Training & Exercise Task and Finish

Group

Sandwell Resilience

Group

Coventry, Solihull &

Warwickshire Resilience

Team Group

Risk AssessmentWorking Group

Walsall Resilience

Group

TelecommunicationsSub Group

Wolverhampton Resilience

Group

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