Emergency Planning Officers Course
The Emergency Planning College, in partnership with the Health Protection Agency and Lambeth Primary Care Trust, has developed a comprehensive and interactive two tier training course for all Emergency Planning Officers within the NHS.
What does this course do?
The course is divided into two tiers.
The Foundation Module (first tier) gives those with emergency planning responsibilities an overview of the principles of emergency preparedness and the relevance to their organisation.
The first tier offers delegates:
- A basic introduction to the NHS guidance, civil contingencies legislation and quality assurance and control.
- An introduction to a pro-forma system for developing PCT and Acute Trusts' emergency plans.
- Guidance on the internal audit and evaluation of emergency plans.
The second tier builds on the Foundation course and comprises six further modules:
- Module Two: Hazard Mapping, Risk Identification and Mitigation
- Module Three: Preparing and Reviewing a Plan
- Module Four: Plan Validation
- Module Five: Quality Assurance and Control
- Module Six: Command and Control and Multi-Agency Working
- Module Seven: Operational Preparedness
Learning objectives
Learning objectives for the first tier
- Explain the importance of emergency preparedness in the context of their role within their organisation.
- Identify where their organisation sits in national command and control arrangements for emergency preparedness.
- Describe the concept of integrated emergency management and
evaluate its application across their organisation. - Outline how the legal issues and guidance of emergency preparedness
apply to their organisation. - Brief senior management and executives within their organisation on
their emergency preparedness responsibilities.
Learning objectives for the second tier:
- Explain the difference between 'hazards' and 'risk'.
- Conduct a process of hazard identification within their organisation.
- Conduct a qualitative risk assessment.
- Explain the difference between qualitative and quantitative risk assessments.
- Describe the NHS requirement for, and the content and purpose of,
a risk register and its applicability to emergency management. - Describe the principles of effective risk communication and apply them to the emergency management risks within their own organisation.
- Identify and evaluate ways in which emergency management risks may be mitigated within the NHS environment.
Learning objectives for the third tier:
- Describe different types of emergency plans.
- Identify the key elements of emergency plans.
- Evaluate the use of templates in emergency planning.
- Identify good practice in plan writing and design.
- Explain the administrative procedures required in the planning process, including the distribution of plans.
- Describe the stages in the planning cycle.
- Construct a range of components of emergency plans relevant to their organisation.
- Identify good practice in achieving co-ordination, integration and compatibility between plans of PCTs, Trusts and partner agencies.
Learning objectives for the fourth tier:
- Identify training needs for all staff in relation to their role in their organisation's emergency plan and advise on the construction of appropriate solutions.
- State the minimum annual exercise requirements for testing their organisation's
emergency plan. - Design exercises that will test their organisation's emergency plan.
- Review and implement lessons to be learned following exercises, near misses
and actual emergency incidents (their own or someone else's), amending their
organisation's emergency plan as necessary. - Identify and propose solutions to the resource issues associated with the
validation of plans. - Determine additional training and exercise requirements based on local
hazard identification and risk assessment.
Learning objectives for the fifth tier:
- assess the implications of the Civil Contingencies Act for their
organisation - identify and evaluate their respective roles and responsibilities as
stated in the NHS Emergency Planning Guidance 2005 document - evaluate the Department of Health's Beyond a Major Incident and
assess its effect on their organisation - review the Core Standard 24 as set out in the National Standards,
Local Action document and assess its impact on their organisation - describe the concept of "best practice" with respect to risk
management as laid down by the Commission for Health Improvement - assess and evaluate the Department of Health's Planning and Audit
Assessment Tool
Learning objectives for the sixth tier:
- Identify and evaluate the command and control requirements for their own organization.
- Explain where their organization sits within the local, regional and national command and control arrangements for emergency preparedness.
- Identify the causes that might initiate the need to escalate the response to a sector, regional and/or national level.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of building and fostering effective relationships with partner agencies.
- Describe, assess and prioritize their organization's responsibilities towards multi-agency collaboration and local resilience.
- Demonstrate an appreciation of the roles and responsibilities of partner agencies.
Learning objectives for the seventh tier:
- Evaluate the importance of the correct location, equipment and facilities needed for the operation of a successful control room.
- Evaluate and assess the impact of a major incident on staff welfare
- Identify the need for effective resilience through the study of relevant case histories
- Assess the need for rigorous recovery plans.
- Explain the critical importance of effective log keeping
- Explore and clarify major incident cascade systems
- Identify and describe the elements of generic on-call skills
Assessment
Appropriate CPD credits and certificates of attendance will be awarded after each
completed module.
On successful completion of all seven modules, you will be eligible to sit the Diploma in Health Emergency Planning (DipHEP).
Who should attend?
Those within the NHS who are responsible for preparing and ensuring the validation of their organisation's emergency plan.
What is expected of participants?
Delegates will be advised of the required pre-reading on confirmation of their place on the course.
Participants are expected to engage fully in the interactive sessions.
Contact for course details and booking:
This course is free to delegates.
To reserve your place please call the Emergency Planning College Reservations Team on 01347 822 877 or email epc.reservations@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk.
Last reviewed: 29 July 2008