Civil Contingencies Act framework
Statutory guidance accompanying the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 requires Category 1 responders to have regard to voluntary organisations when carrying out emergency and business-continuity planning duties.
For public authorities and resilience partners
Partner with Veterans Corps before support is needed.
Build an agreed route to veteran volunteer capability for civil-emergency preparedness, response and recovery.
Plan before an incident
Effective voluntary support starts with an established partnership.
Veterans Corps does not accept immediate operational tasking through a public form. We work with local authorities, emergency services, Local Resilience Forums and eligible public bodies to agree responsibilities, authorised contacts and safe activation arrangements in advance.
That preparation allows both organisations to understand the capability available, the limits of volunteer activity, and how any future request would be assessed, authorised, supervised and concluded.
Call Headquarters: 020 3432 2451The statutory context
Voluntary capability belongs in emergency planning.
Government guidance
Cabinet Office guidance recognises the role of voluntary organisations in preparing for, responding to and recovering from emergencies, working alongside statutory responders through established local arrangements.
Local coordination
Local Resilience Forums bring local authorities, emergency services, the NHS, the Environment Agency and other partners together. Voluntary-sector capability can contribute when it is planned, understood and properly coordinated.
Capability by area
A practical resource for public authorities.
This anonymised view shows the broad skills represented by verified Community Volunteers. It supports partnership planning; it is not a commitment that volunteers will be available for a particular incident.
Verified capability profiles are being assembled.
Headquarters will publish area-level capability here as member profiles are verified and activated.
Partnership first
No public form can mobilise Veterans Corps.
Before operational requests can be considered, Veterans Corps and the partner organisation must agree the scope of support, named authorised contacts, command and supervision, safeguarding, information sharing, insurance, health and safety, communications and activation procedures.
The agreement also records the partner's own eligibility and assurance requirements. These may include Enhanced DBS status, identity or qualification checks, driving entitlement, specific training, PPE or completion of the authority's induction. Headquarters applies those requirements when identifying volunteers for that partner; a volunteer who does not meet them is not offered that mobilisation.
Once those arrangements are approved, an authorised partner can raise a defined requirement with Headquarters. Volunteers are contacted only after Headquarters has assessed and authorised the request. A Warning Order asks about availability; only a separate Mobilisation Instruction authorises attendance.
For an immediate threat to life or property, call 999.
Establish a partnership
Speak with Veterans Corps Headquarters.
Authorities and public bodies interested in including Veterans Corps within their preparedness arrangements should contact Headquarters directly. We will discuss governance, local capability, assurance requirements and the formal agreement needed before any operational request can be accepted.
Telephone: 020 3432 2451
No personal, operational or incident information is collected on this page.