Exercising
Exercising helps organisations to both internally review their own response plans, and how they would work alongside others to respond to a range of local incidents. Scenario exercises are useful tools in helping organisations to develop understanding of each other’s capabilities, test specific aspects of a response and identify potential gaps in a safe environment.
They also create a culture of learning, providing the chance for teams and individuals to increase their preparedness, build their knowledge and skills and improve their effectiveness during future responses.
This page provides a collection of exercises from sources including the EP Mental Health Network, Protect UK and the National Cyber Security Centre, many of which, partners can adapt and tailor to their organisation's needs.
If you have any exercises that can be shared for others in the Partnership to use, please email info@vcsep.org.uk
Resources
Exercise in a Box (NCSC)
Exercise in a Box is an online tool from the National Cyber Security Centre which helps organisations test and practise their response to a cyber attack. It includes everything you need to set up, plan, and deliver the activity.
Scenario exercising: Train the trainer (Planning guide)
Our planning guide has tips to help organisations plan, tailor and deliver their own emergency response exercises. They can be used for internal organisational exercising, with a wider network, or across a region.
Major incident exercise: Wildfires
This exercise, created by the EP Mental Health Network, focusses on what organisations can offer in terms of mental health and psychosocial support when responding to a heatwave/wildfire scenario.
ACT in a BOX (ProtectUK)
ACT in a BOX is an interactive exercising experience which enables organisations to rehearse and explore their response to terrorist incidents. There are two scenarios, both designed to be completed in a group format.
Scenario exercise: Forced migration
This scenario centres on the breakout of a new conflict and the arrival of refugees. The resource comes with expansion packs focussing on themes such as volunteer management and LRF/VCS connections, each with injects and prompt questions.
Major incident exercise: Flooding
This exercise, created by the EP Mental Health Network, focusses on what organisations can offer in terms of mental health and psychosocial support when responding to a flooding scenario.
Scenario exercising: Train the trainer (Guidelines)
These exercise guidelines support preparedness and help organisations run their own exercise at an organisational level, or across a network of partners.
Scenario exercise: Winter preparedness
This scenario exercise is based on extreme winter weather conditions. It can be run within an organisation or with local networks to develop shared understanding and increase winter preparedness.