Civil Contingencies Secretariat
This is part of the National Security group
The Civil Contingencies Secretariat is headed by Christina Scott
The Civil Contingencies Secretariat (CCS) sits within the Cabinet Office at the heart of central government. We work in partnership with government departments, the devolved administrations and key stakeholders to enhance the UK's ability to prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies.
Our work
Our areas of work include:
- Emergency Preparedness, Response & Recovery
- Risk
- Developing Capabilities
- National Recovery Guidance
- Exercises
- Business Continuity
- Infrastructure Resilience
- Community Resilience
- Resilient Communications
- Communications
Summary aims and objectives
- To make sure that the Government can continue to function and deliver public services during a crisis. To work with departments and the wider Cabinet Office to make sure that plans and systems are in place and cover the full range of potential disruption.
- To lead the delivery of improved resilience across the government and the public sector. To support ministers in developing policy.
- To lead horizon-scanning activity to identify and assess potential and imminent disruptive challenges to the domestic UK. To build partnerships with other organisations and countries to develop and share best practice in horizon scanning and knowledge of the UKs critical networks and infrastructure.
- To improve the capability of all levels of government, the wider public sector and the private and voluntary sectors to prepare for, respond to, and manage potential challenges.
Our groups
The Capabilities Team provides programme management for the cross-Government Capabilities Programme. It also provides secretariat support to the cabinet committees responsible for driving the programme forward. 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 civil devastation and widespread disaster inflicted as a result of conventional or non-conventional disruptive activity.
The Local Response Capability Team is responsible for delivering the successful implementation and enhancement of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, and managing the local response, community resilience and recovery capability workstreams. The team works closely with other government departments and regional and local partners to join up local and regional civil protection work.
The International Team handles liaison with EU and NATO partners on international civil protection issues. The Team works with partners across government to coordinate UK policy on EU and NATO civil protection activity.
The Exercises and Operations Team is responsible for a co-ordinated government-wide exercise programme, and for leading work on exercise policy. The Team also looks after the CCS interest in the government's crisis facilities which would be used in the event of operations.
The Emergency Planning College is home to the UK's leading experts in emergency planning and crisis management training. Its diverse and dynamic programme attracts in excess of six thousand delegates per year from a wide range of backgrounds, providing a national forum for discussion and the sharing of good practice. The College aims to develop the key skills and awareness needed in order to improve the capability of all levels of government, the wider public sector, and the private and voluntary sectors to prepare for, respond to, and manage potential disruptive challenges.
