Department for Culture, Media and Sport
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DCMS provides advice for families, friends and survivors coping with the aftermath of a major incident
Aftercare advice offering support and information for families, friends and survivors about how to cope in the aftermath of a disaster or critical incident were published by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the Directgov website today.
Developed by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's Humanitarian Assistance Unit (HAU) the pages are designed to provide the information that people are most likely to need in the medium to longer term following a major incident.
The advice, contacts and information have been gathered with the help of a number of bereaved families and survivors of previous major incidents. The pages will act as a gateway to provide practical information on a range of issues such as emotional and financial support, and will link to relevant sites and provide clear information about where to seek further help.
Tessa Jowell, Minister with responsibility for Humanitarian Assistance said:
"Losing a loved one is always traumatic but those who lose loved ones as the result of terrorist attack or natural disasters often have the eyes of the world upon them. These families need to have easy access to where to find care, support and advice to help them through the practicalities of their loss and the emotional stress of grieving."
"Hearing the experiences of those affected by previous incidents and better understanding the care and support that people need has been critical in developing this site and I'd like to thank everyone for giving up their time.
"The Government is keen to learn lessons from our response to previous incidents and these pages will provide the information that people are most likely to need in the medium and longer term following a major incident."
In November 2006, the National Audit Office published their report 'Reviews of the experiences of UK nationals affected by the Indian Ocean Tsunami'. This report, combined with the Government's Lessons Learned from the 7 July London bombings, exposed the need for public access to information following a major incident.
Additional practical material would be made available on the website immediately after an incident occurs, offering prompt guidance and support for those affected
Notes to editors
1. The new Aftercare pages can be found at http://www.direct.gov.uk/helpafterincident
2. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport's Humanitarian Assistance Unit has been closely involved in supporting victims of major disasters since 2005 when Tessa Jowell was asked formally to take on the role of Minister for Humanitarian Assistance. Tessa first became involved after September 11 2001. The Unit's role is to ensure the needs of British people affected by emergencies are understood and properly considered within Government, in building preparedness for and responding to emergencies. It also represents the Government and explains its policies when dealing with victims and their families. More information about the HAU can be found here; http://www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/humanitarian_assistance/default.aspx
3. Directgov is the government's flagship digital service, bringing together the widest range of public service information and services in one place; available on mobile, digital television and the website http://www.direct.gov.uk.
4. Directgov is the largest cross-government initiative, joining up central and local government's service delivery, in a way that is easy to use and all in one place.
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