18 May 2026
Resilience and preparedness
A workforce-led approach to resilience
We approach resilience through workforce capability, supporting organisations to ensure their people are prepared to respond to and recover from adverse events. Our solutions strengthen readiness, improve decision-making under pressure and sustain performance during prolonged and complex disruption.
An increasingly complex and demanding risk environment
The operating environment for many organisations is becoming more demanding. Adverse events are increasing in frequency and complexity, often occurring in quick succession and placing sustained pressure on services and the people delivering them.
For many, the challenge is not only managing organisational risk but being part of the wider response when incidents occur.
Organisations are facing a series of challenges including:
- Resilience responsibilities delivered alongside core roles and day-to-day operational demands
- Constrained resources for resilience, while requirements for preparedness and compliance continue
- Workforce capability to support resilience varying across roles and functions
- Gaps between plans and the ability to apply them in practice
- The need to maintain performance during prolonged or repeated disruption
- Increasing reliance on effective multi-agency and cross-sector working
Applying workforce capability to resilience
Our resilience solutions provide practical ways to develop and apply capability across the workforce, supporting organisational readiness and wider system resilience priorities.
- National Occupational Standards (NOS) for Resilience and Emergencies: Developed in partnership with the UK Resilience Academy, defining the skills and behaviours required to support resilience across roles and functions.
- Scenario-Informed Resilience Assessment (SIRA): Delivered in partnership with the Resilience Advisory Network, bringing together workforce development and crisis response expertise to assess preparedness through immersive, scenario-based planning.
- Level 3 Certificate in Terrorism Protection and Security Awareness (CTPSAP): Endorsed by Counter Terrorism Policing and the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO), building workforce awareness of terrorism risks and appropriate responses.
- Workforce Threat Preparedness: Equipping staff at all levels with the knowledge and confidence to recognise threats and act effectively.
Why partner with us?
- Recognised authority in resilience capability: Our work underpins national resilience standards, including those commissioned by the Cabinet Office, providing a trusted foundation for workforce capability.
- Trusted by national security and resilience organisations: Our work in protective security and preparedness is recognised and endorsed by organisations responsible for counter-terrorism and resilience, reflecting the quality and relevance of our qualifications and workforce solutions.
- Workforce capability expertise applied in high-pressure environments: We have supported organisations such as the UK Border Force to develop workforce capability in complex, operational contexts.
- Cross-sector insight: We work across health, public services and critical infrastructure, supporting organisations with responsibility for responding to adverse events.
Trusted across sectors
Through our brands we have supported organisations including
Cabinet Office
UK Resilience Academy (UKRA)
National Counter-Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO)
North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum
Border Force
Case study: Strengthening multi-agency preparedness through the Scenario Informed Resilience Assessment (SIRA)
Discover how the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum worked with us to test real-world preparedness using an immersive, scenario-based approach – moving beyond strategy to understand how partners actually respond under pressure.
The exercise revealed strengths, gaps, and critical dependencies across organisations, creating a clear, shared picture of resilience and driving immediate action. Find out what they learned and how it’s shaping a more coordinated, resilient system.
Case study: Resilience and emergencies professionalisation through new National Occupational Standards
Learn how The Workforce Development Trust led a nationwide collaboration to redefine the skills and standards needed for resilience and emergency response – bringing together hundreds of experts to shape a unified, future-ready framework.
This work is helping organisations across sectors strengthen preparedness, align training and build the capabilities needed to respond to evolving risks. Read the full case study to see how these standards are transforming resilience in practice.
Related news and insights
Get in touch
Get in touch with us to learn more about our resilience and preparedness services.