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{{org_field_name}}

Registration Number: {{org_field_registration_no}}

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Emergency and Business Continuity Plan Policy

1. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that {{org_field_name}} has a structured and efficient Emergency and Business Continuity Plan (EBCP) to safeguard the safety and well-being of service users, staff, and stakeholders. This policy outlines the measures taken to prevent, respond to, and recover from emergencies or disruptions that may impact care services. It ensures that {{org_field_name}} remains resilient, compliant with regulatory requirements, and able to maintain essential operations during unforeseen events.

2. Scope

This policy applies to:

• All employees, including care workers, management, and administrative staff.
• Service users and their families, ensuring continuity of care.
• Third-party providers and contractors, including medical supply chains and emergency response partners.
• Regulatory bodies and local authorities, ensuring compliance and coordination during crises.

It covers:

• Risk assessment and emergency preparedness.
• Continuity planning for essential services.
• Communication strategies during emergencies.
• Staff roles and responsibilities in crisis response.
• Monitoring, reviewing, and testing the business continuity plan.

3. Legal and Regulatory Framework

This policy supports compliance with the Health and Social Care Act 2008 regulatory framework and CQC expectations, including:

• Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, in particular:
  • Regulation 12 (Safe care and treatment): risk assessment, mitigation, infection prevention and control, safe management of medicines and continuity of safe care during disruption.
  • Regulation 13 (Safeguarding service users from abuse and improper treatment): maintaining safeguarding protections during emergencies and staffing disruption.
  • Regulation 17 (Good governance): effective systems and processes to assess/monitor quality and safety, and to assess/mitigate risks (including business continuity risks).
  • Regulation 20 (Duty of candour): openness and transparency if an incident results in notifiable safety harm.
• Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009 – Regulation 18 (Notification of other incidents): notification to CQC without delay of specified incidents/events including those that prevent safe service delivery.
• Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and associated regulations: protecting staff and others during emergency response.
• Data Protection Act 2018 / UK GDPR: confidentiality, availability and integrity of records, including during IT outage/cyber incident.
• Equality Act 2010: ensuring continuity and emergency responses are equitable and reasonable adjustments are maintained.
• Civil Contingencies Act 2004 (good practice reference): while domiciliary care providers are not generally Category 1 responders, we align our arrangements with local resilience expectations and coordinate with local partners when required.

4. Risk Assessment and Emergency Preparedness

{{org_field_name}} conducts regular risk assessments to identify potential threats, including:

• Natural disasters (e.g., flooding, extreme weather events).
• Health emergencies (e.g., pandemics, outbreaks of infectious diseases).
• Utility failures (e.g., power cuts, water supply disruptions).
• Cybersecurity breaches impacting digital care systems.
• Supply chain disruptions affecting medication and care equipment availability.

Preventive measures include:

• Developing contingency plans for each identified risk.
• Training staff on emergency response procedures.
• Ensuring all service users have an individual emergency care plan.
• Establishing relationships with local emergency responders and healthcare providers.

4.1 Service-user prioritisation and minimum safe service levels

In addition to the general risk assessment, we maintain and review a Service Continuity Risk Register which identifies:

• People who require time-critical visits, for example: medication administration, meal preparation where there is no alternative, continence support, moving and positioning to prevent harm, and welfare checks for people at risk of self-neglect.
• People with limited informal support (for example, those living alone or without a family network) and those at higher risk during disruption, for example: cognitive impairment, oxygen use, hoisting needs, or other essential equipment dependencies.

During disruption, we operate a prioritisation protocol to ensure time-critical care is delivered first. We will record:

1. The risk assessment and rationale for any changes to care delivery,
2. The decision made (including any temporary reduction, rescheduling, or alternative arrangements),
3. Who was informed (service user, family/representative, commissioner/funder, and relevant professionals), and
4. The review timescale and trigger for reinstating normal arrangements.

4.2 Individual Emergency/Contingency Plans

Each service user’s care plan includes an Emergency/Contingency section that covers: key risks in the home, emergency contacts, access arrangements, essential routines, medication details (including GP and pharmacy information), equipment dependencies (for example, hoist or oxygen), and agreed contingency actions if a visit is delayed, shortened, or cannot be completed as planned.

5. Continuity Planning for Essential Services

Essential service continuity controls include:

a) Staffing and capacity escalation

• An on-call escalation process to source cover, including redeployment, bank/agency staff, overtime, and mutual aid arrangements with vetted partner providers.
• A minimum safe staffing approach aligned to prioritised care needs, travel time, and staff competencies.
• A process to inform commissioners/funders where packages of care may be impacted and to agree interim actions and risk controls.

b) Visit prioritisation and call management

• A documented method to prioritise time-critical visits and to re-schedule lower-risk calls with consent and appropriate safeguards.
• A welfare-check protocol (telephone/video call or an alternative visit) if a call may be delayed beyond agreed thresholds.

c) Medicines and clinical dependencies

• Arrangements with pharmacies, families, and commissioners for urgent medication supply, MAR chart availability, and safe administration during disruption.
• Clear contingency actions for missed or delayed doses, including escalation to the prescriber, NHS 111, GP, or emergency services where clinically indicated.

d) Infection prevention and control / PPE continuity

• Triggers for enhanced IPC measures (for example, outbreak or pandemic response), PPE stock monitoring, and alternative supply arrangements.

e) Technology and records downtime

• A “digital downtime” procedure covering paper visit logs, access to essential care information, steps to restore systems, and secure back-entry of records once systems recover.

f) Travel disruption and severe weather

• Route planning, travel safety rules, and contingencies such as deploying staff locally, adjusting call windows, and coordinating with family/community support where appropriate and safe.

g) Service-user home evacuation / temporary arrangements

• Clear criteria for when evacuation or temporary relocation is required, who authorises this, and how we coordinate with emergency services, family, and commissioners.

5.1 Regulatory and commissioner notifications (CQC and others)

The Registered Manager (or delegated On-Call/Duty Manager) will ensure that required notifications are made without delay in line with CQC (Registration) Regulations 2009, Regulation 18 (Notification of other incidents). This includes incidents/events occurring during delivery of the regulated activity, or as a consequence of it, that affect the health, safety, or welfare of people using the service.

Notification triggers include (not exhaustive): serious injury; allegations/incidents of abuse; events that prevent the service from running safely and properly; and other notifiable events listed in Regulation 18.

Process:

1. Record the incident, immediate actions taken, impact on service users, and safeguarding actions (where relevant).
2. Inform commissioners/funders (as required by contract) and agree interim risk controls and any temporary care plan changes.
3. Submit CQC notification(s) via the required route and retain confirmation in the incident file.
4. Where required, apply Duty of Candour processes and communicate with the affected person and/or representative.
5. Complete an after-action review and update the risk register and business continuity arrangements accordingly.

6. Communication Strategies During Emergencies

Effective communication is critical during emergencies. Our communication plan includes:

• Emergency Contact Lists: Maintaining up-to-date records of all staff, service users, and emergency contacts.
• Multi-Channel Alerts: Using phone calls, emails, and SMS alerts to quickly inform stakeholders.
• Coordination with Local Authorities: Engaging with public health officials and emergency services.
• Family and Service User Communication: Ensuring families receive regular updates and reassurance.
• Media Management: Appointing a spokesperson for external communication and public statements.

6.1 Communication cascade and decision log

We will operate a communication cascade (On-Call/Duty Manager → care coordinators → care staff) with a single source of truth for updates (for example, an incident log and a situation report). All key decisions (visit changes, risk mitigations, notifications made) will be recorded with date/time, decision owner, rationale, and review time.

6.2 Communication with commissioners and partners

Where disruption affects capacity or safe delivery, we will promptly communicate with commissioners/funders, relevant partner services (for example, GP, pharmacy, community nursing where involved), and families/representatives. We will document the communication and any agreed interim arrangements.

7. Staff Roles and Responsibilities in Crisis Response

All staff members are trained in their roles and responsibilities in emergency scenarios. Key roles include:

• Registered Manager:
  • Oversees the activation of the business continuity plan.
  • Liaises with regulatory bodies and emergency responders.
• On-Call / Duty Manager:
  • Maintains the incident log, implements the prioritisation protocol, authorises short-notice rota changes, and ensures escalation to commissioners and CQC notifications where required.
• Safeguarding Lead (or delegated manager):
  • Ensures safeguarding risks are actively monitored during disruption and that referrals are made where required.
• Crisis Response Team:
  • Includes senior management and key personnel to coordinate efforts.
  • Monitors the situation and adapts the response plan accordingly.
• Care Workers:
  • Ensure the safety and well-being of service users.
  • Implement emergency care plans for vulnerable individuals.
• Administrative and Support Staff:
  • Maintain essential records and ensure communication lines remain open.
  • Support logistics, such as securing emergency supplies and coordinating relief efforts.

8. Monitoring, Reviewing, and Testing the Business Continuity Plan

• We will complete table-top exercises at least twice per year (for example: severe weather, staffing shortage, IT outage/cyber incident, outbreak/pandemic scenario).
• We will complete an annual live communication test of contact lists and the on-call cascade.
• We will complete a post-incident or post-exercise debrief within 10 working days, producing an action plan with named owners and deadlines.
• Governance oversight: continuity risks and actions will be reviewed in management meetings and included in quality/safety reporting to demonstrate ongoing risk management and improvement.
• Document control: the plan will include version history, review date, and evidence of staff awareness (for example, briefing records and supervision/training records).

9. Policy Review and Updates

This policy is reviewed annually or sooner if:

Staff feedback identifies areas for improvement.

New legislation or regulations require updates.

Lessons are learned from real-life emergencies or drills.

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Responsible Person: {{org_field_registered_manager_first_name}} {{org_field_registered_manager_last_name}}
Reviewed on: {{last_update_date}}
Next Review Date: {{next_review_date}}
Copyright © {{current_year}} – {{org_field_name}}. All rights reserved.