People and Skills Stage

It took decades to get Crossrail finished; renamed the Elizabeth Line, it’s now used by thousands of travellers every day from one side of London to the other, buried deep under the capital, its risks change along with the terrain. Learn from our experts how they have developed the training and exercising programme that reflects the modern rolling stock, the tracks and all the mysteries of a modern railway. It all takes place in Ilford, find out how in this great session. 

In this panel discussion, we’ll explore the key challenges shaping emergency services procurement today and examine the impact these challenges have on operational end users. Drawing on real-world experience, our panelists will share practical approaches, lessons learned and strategies that strengthen collaboration between procurement functions and frontline teams, helping to deliver timely, safe and effective outcomes for the services that depend on them.

When you think about a multi-agency exercise you probably think it lasts a day, maybe two. But in the North East last year, Exercise Cerberus lasted over six months, involved organisations from across the region and tested how to respond to a marauding terrorist attack in a major sports venue. The MTA scenario is being tested across the country in different ways but for this session, our panel will share how they approached it and ended up winning an award too.  

The first masterclass of the day is your chance to focus in on what makes a good exercise and reflect on what your organisation does and get some ideas about doing things differently. Drop in and get some great tips to take back to your service.  

Spiking – Employer Responsibilities and Actions highlights spiking as a widespread safeguarding issue that can occur anywhere - including workplaces, work events and private functions.

The presentation explores the impact and prevalence of spiking, recent changes in UK legislation, and the responsibilities employers have to protect employees, customers and clients. It also emphasises the importance of staff training.

The presentation concludes with practical steps organisations can take to create safer spaces, train their teams and strengthen their approach to preventing and responding to spiking.

Looking after those who respond to traumatic incidents is critical for a well-functioning emergency service. National bodies have recently introduced new guidance and process, including mandatory reporting of police officer suicides and a new suicide prevention and postvention toolkit for fire and rescue services. It’s a sensitive topic but important, so join our expert panel who will share the work taking place at a national level and how your service can benefit. 

Did you know there are more than 10 different ways you can volunteer with your local ambulance service? Volunteers have a key role to play in community resilience, supporting ambulance services during critical incidents and civil emergencies. In this session we’ll hear from the national ambulance member organisation, the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives, and ambulance volunteer service leads about some of the exciting new developments in ambulance volunteering. We will also hear from the volunteers themselves. Learn from them and be inspired to join your local ambulance service as a volunteer. 

Former police officer Ryan MacDonald leads this multi-agency panel where we dig into the detail about how emergency services are supporting the mental health of their staff. What innovation are we seeing and what works well? Come and join the discussion and see if you can take back some great ideas to your workplace. 

The 68-strong UK International Search and Rescue (UK ISAR) team flew to Venezuela in June to carry out systematic searches of collapsed structure using canine search teams and specialist equipment to locate survivors. Join this session to find out what it’s like to be a volunteer to deploy to the other side of the world at a moment’s notice and work in incredibly challenging conditions.