4. The communities we support

Complete short task 6 in workbook (10 minutes)

The approach taken by social workers following a disaster will depend on the context of the disaster and the populations impacted. It is important for social workers to be prepared to support those who are more likely to be impacted by disasters, and less able to support themselves.

Areas to consider in identifying populations and preparing a plan:

  • What disasters are most likely to impact on the groups you support?
  • Consider people who need support leaving their homes.
  • People in shared homes (care homes, children’s homes).
  • People without family/friend support networks.
  • How would you contact them in the event of a disaster?
  • Who would you need to work with?
  • If they need to leave their home, would they go, how would they travel?
  • What would they need once they get there?
  • How would this impact on their current needs?
  • Are there any cultural/community needs/resources that should be considered?

More in depth government guidance on identifying people who are vulnerable in a crisis can be found here. These issues, and the research related to working with specific populations following a disaster, will be discussed in more detail in Module 3.

Next section

Section links

  1. What is a disaster?
  2. The role of social workers in a disaster
  3. Skills for disaster working
  4. The communities we support (current page)
  5. Culturally appropriate support
  6. Follow up task