Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the Crisis Support Team for Essex?
- Why was the scheme set up?
- How is the scheme set up?
- What support services can the scheme provide?
- Who is the scheme for?
- Could I be a Crisis Support Worker?
- How are Crisis Support Workers recruited?
- How do I apply to be a Crisis Support Worker?
1. What is the Crisis Support Team for Essex?
The Crisis Support Team for Essex is a multi-agency support service for people affected by disasters within Essex, or residents of Essex affected by a disaster that occurs in another area of the UK or abroad.
In the aftermath of any disaster, there is enormous distress for survivors, family and friends of those involved, the wider community, and the responders. The experiences of those people in the aftermath can significantly influence how they cope with the consequences of the disaster and how quickly a community is restored to a sense of normality.
Disasters can occur anytime, anyplace and affect anyone. The tragic events that have occurred in the UK and internationally, demonstrate that disasters can strike anywhere. Like any other County, Essex has its risks; it is a big County, with over 1 million residents and the potential for a disaster is always present.
As a nation, we are becoming increasingly aware that everyday stress can influence our lives, perhaps affecting our relationships, our health, our work, our sense of worth, and ultimately our quality of life. When this stress is the type experienced in a disaster, the effects can be massive and if lots of people are affected, it can affect the whole community, in the short term and long term. Besides the immediate alleviation of the physical and emotional effects of suffering in a crisis, it is accepted that intervention at an early stage can stem the impact of longer-term personal trauma and therefore, potentially minimise future dependency on health and mental health services. It is our aim to utilise all available expertise to help people to develop strategies that will assist them in coping with such an extreme situation and build more resilient communities.
The scheme is co-ordinated by a core team of people called the Crisis Support Co-ordination Group and can be delivered by that group and/or by four Crisis Support Local Support Teams. These teams comprise Crisis Support Workers with a different skills mix who are competent to deliver a range of support services, based in the following four areas of Essex:
- Mid -Braintree, Chelmsford, Maldon
- South - Basildon, Castle Point and Rochford, Southend and Thurrock
- East - Colchester and Tendring
- West - Brentwood, Epping Forest, Harlow and Uttlesford.
The Crisis Support Team for Essex (CSTE):
(i) Provides a multi-agency Co-ordination Group to: co-ordinate the crisis support response to those affected by a disaster; offer advice & guidance in terms of social & psychological effects of disasters; & identify & promote good practice & joint working across the public sector, private sector & voluntary agencies.
(ii) Provides a voluntary system of accredited, trained individuals with diverse competencies & skills who are able to offer various levels of crisis support to those affected by a disaster, including suitable individuals who can work in partnership with Police Family Liaison Officers.
(iii) Offers corporate & multi-agency raising awareness training & specialist training to ensure diversity of skills & competencies among members of the CSTE & other agencies across Essex.
(iv) Establishes & maintains links with academic & professional groups to access specialist services; keeps up to date with local & national developments in crisis support work & establishes & maintains links with neighbouring Counties, offering support services on a mutual aid basis if necessary.
4. What support services can the scheme provide?
The most immediate needs of the survivors, the families, and the bereaved are for comfort, support and fundamentally and crucially information, as well as access to their loved ones. They will be desperate to know what has happened, where to go, who to contact; they may want assistance with understanding the choices and decisions which they must make; they may want to get as close to what happened at the site of the incident, experience it as much as possible. They should be treated with respect and dignity and given every opportunity and assistance to take control for themselves and to make personal choices. This is what the CSTE is based upon and these are the types of support services that it could deliver.
Immediate practical support
The response to a disaster involves formal plans and procedures, especially those relating to the recovery and identification of the deceased, which may be unfamiliar to those people affected and legal jargon can be confusing. Sometimes, agencies focus on those plans and procedures without taking into account the sensitivities and needs of those involved; they can be process focused rather than people focussed which can prolong the grief and agony that they’ll experience. Some professionals call this secondary trauma.
Crisis Support Workers can offer practical support by acting as an advocate to those people affected, explaining the plans and procedures involved in a disaster and briefing them on all the different agencies that are involved. They can inform them of their choices and rights from an objective perspective and give them an idea when things are likely to happen.
Practical support can also involve arranging access to telephones, arranging refreshments; arranging transport and practical problem solving.
Anything, however small, that can make the whole process of coming to terms with a disaster, making it less painful, is the main objective.
Emotional support
In the immediate aftermath of a disaster, people are likely to experience a range of emotions, which can be unfamiliar and overwhelming. A disaster can change everything for someone – it changes their today, their future and it can re-define the past. Crisis Support Workers can explain that the emotions they are feeling are a normal reaction to a very stressful situation. It is hoped that by offering support in the early stages, the Crisis Support Workers can contribute towards preventing the development of normal psychological responses turning into psychological or psychiatric disorders. In some circumstances, it might be appropriate to establish longer-term emotional support systems like self-help groups or professional support.
Emotional support may simply be listening to people, their experiences of the disaster and their feelings away from the ears and eyes of the public, the media and other people affected by the disaster. One of the most important roles of the Crisis Support Worker is to simply ‘be there’. Many factors help a person to deal with a traumatic experience. The more personal resources a person has, the more likely they will be to deal with the consequences. These resources could be a caring, supportive family and friends, having a positive outlook, and good physical fitness. People who have limited personal resources may encounter more problems in the aftermath of a disaster and therefore may be more at risk of developing longer term psychological problems. Crisis Support Workers may be able to help identify people’s circumstances and needs and monitor them so that the appropriate local support may be activated if necessary.
The CSTE is not a counselling service. Counselling is often a misconceived term which can be misinterpreted and misunderstood. There is a place for it and counselling can be very valuable. What needs to be distinguished is the difference between practical and emotional support that needs to be provided in the short and medium term, the first few days and weeks, and the type of psychological care that’s required in the longer term.
Longer term care including counselling, would need to be carefully managed in partnership with the Mental Health Partnership Trust.
Telephone support/ Helpline
After a disaster, there may be a need to establish a telephone support service where callers can seek advice or discuss their reactions to the disaster and any difficulties they may have.
Advice & Guidance
If a disaster affects a specific community, location or organisation, the Crisis Support Co-ordination Group can attend planning meetings and offer advice and guidance based on its expertise and experience of its members.
Support to Bereaved Families with Police Family Liaison Officers.
If a family has someone missing, injured or killed in a disaster, they may be assigned a Police Family Liaison Officer. The family may require support and assistance with issues, such as stress and trauma, funeral arrangements, financial or legal advice, health or social care services. Crisis Support Workers can work in partnership with FLOs to assist in providing these services and co-ordinate the referral of families to more longer-term support.
The scheme is for people affected by a disaster within Essex or for Essex residents affected by a disaster that occurs in another area of the UK or abroad and the services are equally accessible to all people in the County of Essex, regardless of their background, culture or faith e.g.
- Those who have been injured(an injured survivor or walking wounded)
- Those directly caught up in the incident, but who are not physically hurt(a non-injured survivor)
- Families and friends of the injured, missing or deceased
- Wider sections of the community whose lives are affected or disrupted
- Witnesses and spectators
A person affected can be one or more of these types eg a survivor can also be a witness, and a bereaved family member.
Survivors
Those who have survived a major incident, regardless of having suffered any injuries, may be traumatised and suffering from shock, intense anxiety and grief. They may be desperate for information about their own relatives, friends and colleagues, information about the incident, number and location of other survivors, and what will happen to them next. They may need practical help in contacting family and friends, transport back home, finding temporary accommodation and financial advice and assistance. They may also need emotional and social support in the short term and perhaps psychological support in the longer term.
Relatives
Many family and friends will travel to the scene of the incident if they believe their loved ones have been involved. They may go the scene of the incident, hospital or meeting point. They will be feeling intense anxiety, shock or grief and will need a sympathetic and understanding approach, together with accurate, consistent and honest information about the way the incident is being dealt with.
They may need emotional and social support in the short term and perhaps psychological support in the longer term.
Community
A community can be affected by a disaster in practical and emotional terms. Practically, their lives may be directly affected by the response to the incident. For example, roads may be closed whilst an investigation, recovery and/or clean up is underway. Its normal routine may be affected in that activities are cancelled, normal service delivery is slower or cancelled whilst people are dealing with the effects of the disaster eg a community centre may be used as a rest centre or information centre in the aftermath of a disaster and normal activities such as sports, clubs may need to be cancelled. People will need to be kept informed of the impact that the disaster will have, or is having on their community.
Members of a community may feel emotionally affected by a disaster occurring in their area. Depending on the nature of the incident, they may feel victimised, or threatened which can cause intense feelings of shock, anxiety and grief. Members of the community may know survivors of the incident or bereaved relatives of those killed, or they may be spectators or witnesses of the incident itself.
6. Could I be a Crisis Support Worker?
We welcome interest from individuals who are able to meet the criteria and competencies as required for the scheme.
We focus on their suitability and willingness to support people who have been affected by a disaster, rather than stipulate professional qualifications and backgrounds. However, some qualifications and experience is essential for certain roles.
Crisis Support Workers:
- Must undertake foundation and continuation training
- Must take part in a call out system;
- Must pass a CRB check
- If appropriate, must have the written support of their line manager or sponsoring organisation.
Please refer to the Recruitment section for more details.
7. How are Crisis Support Workers recruited?
Applicants will: attend an induction event, be checked by the Criminal Records Bureau, be interviewed; and attend a two day foundation training event.
We recognise the value of a diversity in which people from differing backgrounds can contribute towards delivering a high quality service. Our aim is to recruit volunteers which reflects the local community.
Please refer to our Recruitment section for more details.
8. How do I apply to be a Crisis Support Worker?
The Crisis Support Team for Essex completed its second recruitment drive mid 2006. For people interested in becoming a crisis support worker, we welcome your name, and email or postal address so that we may contact you when we carry out our next recruitment drive. When we do our next recruitment drive will depend on turnover of existing crisis support workers, our budget and activation.
The Emergency Plans and Core Resilience Unit
Essex County Council
PO Box 297
County Hall
Chelmsford
Essex
CM1 1YS
Tel: 01245 430378
Fax: 01245 430368
E-mail: CSTEenquiries@essexcc.gov.uk