Resilience Information for Communities and Business Continuity

The Resilience Planning Team is responsible for ensuring that the City Council meets its statutory duties under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004.   The Civil Contingencies Act provides a statutory framework for agencies involved in emergency planning, response and recovery.

The Act defines what tasks should be performed and how co-operation between agencies should be co-ordinated.  Newcastle City Council is what is known as a Category One Responder. We work with the likes of the Police, Fire and Rescue and others through a Local Resilience Forum.

You can speak to the Resilience Team by calling 01912787878 or emailing resilience@newcastle.gov.uk (Monday - Friday during normal office hours).

Community Information

The UK Government has published a UK Resilience Framework. The core of the Framework is three fundamental principles : that we need a shared understanding of the risks that we face; that we must focus on prevention and preparation and that resilience requires a whole society response. There is also a website that looks at how the public can help themselves before, during and after an emergency incident.

The Northumbria Community Risk Register provides information on risks within the Northumbria Police area and information on how you can become more prepared and resilient in your home, business and community. The National Risk Register outlines the most serious risks facing the United Kingdom.

If there is a major incident or serious emergency in Newcastle (for example flooding; a major pollution incident or major loss of utility services), you can obtain general advice and information on what is happening by tuning into your local radio station and also checking official social media sites. A few useful websites and contact numbers are below :

Flooding 0800 80 70 60

Gas 0800 111 999

National Highways 0300 123 5000

Network Rail  03457 1141 41 

Nexus Bus, Metro and Ferry 0800 20 20 747 (Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm)

Power cuts 0800 66 88 77

Animal, Plant Health 0300 200 301

Police, Fire and Rescue and Ambulance, always dial 999 in an emergency

Specific instructions and personal assistance to individuals directly affected by the incident will be provided by the emergency services and other partner agencies on site.

The UK Emergency Alert Service has now been launched.  The service is intended to warn you if there is danger to life nearby.  Alerts can be sent to 4G and 5G supported devices.  No personal data is stored or used.  For more information visit www.gov.uk/alerts, including on how to opt out.  Domestic violence charity Refuge has made this short video of how to switch off alerts to help those people who may have a secret phone. 

Business Continuity

As a Category One responder under the Civil Contingencies Act, we have a responsibility to ensure business continuity processes are in place and that, in the event of serious disruption or incident, we know what critical services we need to prioritise. There are services that if not delivered by the council may result in serious harm or loss of life, impact our communities, the environment, or cause financial, legal or reputational damage. 

Our corporate priorities are assessed on an annual basis and set out below. It is important to note these are not in any rank order, with priority based on information available at the time : 

Adult Social Care and Prevention Critical Services : Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub and Safeguarding; Social Care Direct; Social Work Neighbourhood Teams; Care and Support (Resource Centres); Mental Health and Learning Disability Services; Adult Social Care and Prevention Directorate Leadership Team; Reablement Services; Keeping People at Home Service

Children and Families Critical Services : Emergency Duty Team; Initial Contact, Referral and Assessment Team; Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub; Children's Social Care Leadership Team; Children's Social Care Education and Skills Leadership Team; Corporate Parenting Service; Long Term Services; Safeguarding Children's Unit; Services to young people; Specialist Services

Chief Financial Officer's Critical Services : Finance

Housing and Communities Critical Services : Revenues and Benefits, Crisis Fund and Household Support Fund; Fairer Housing Unit housing allocations

Investment and Growth Critical Services : Regional Traffic Signals Service; Highways Operations; Highways Control

City Operations, Neighbourhoods and Regulatory Services Critical Services : ICT Operations and Digital Solutions; Community Safety and Resilience; Public Safety and Protection; Facilities Services and Civic Management Security; Facilities Services and Civic Management Bereavement Services; Facilities Management and Civic Services Registration Services; Repairs and Maintenance; Local Services and Waste Management; Democratic Services

Deputy Chief Executive's Critical Services : Legal Services; Communications

Workforce and Development Critical Services : Employee Services Human Resources and Administration

Public Health Critical Services : Health Protection

If you are a business and want advice on your own business continuity arrangements, you can contact the Resilience Planning Team at resilience@newcastle.gov.uk, or book an appointment direct with our expert.