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{{org_field_name}}

Registration Number: {{org_field_registration_no}}

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Business Continuity and Contingency Planning Policy

1. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to outline how {{org_field_name}} ensures the ongoing delivery of safe, person-centred, and high-quality care during times of disruption, emergency, or unplanned events. As a regulated provider of domiciliary care, we understand that the individuals we support depend on us for essential and, in many cases, life-sustaining care. Our commitment is to ensure that even in the face of unexpected circumstances, care will continue with minimal disruption, in line with the Health and Social Care Standards and the expectations of the Care Inspectorate.

This policy also supports our statutory duties as a registered care service to (a) maintain an up-to-date contingency/continuity plan that safeguards people’s safety and wellbeing in the event of sudden closure or other unexpected events, and (b) ensure that required records are kept and required notifications are submitted to the Care Inspectorate within set timescales using the Care Inspectorate digital portal or eForms system, in line with relevant legislation and Care Inspectorate guidance.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all staff, including senior management, care support workers, coordinators, administrative staff, and any agency or temporary personnel working on behalf of {{org_field_name}}. It encompasses all forms of service disruption, including but not limited to severe weather, power outages, system failures, pandemics, staff shortages, transport strikes, and loss of access to our business premises.

3. Related Policies

This policy is supported and informed by the following internal documents:

• Emergency Response and Disaster Recovery Policy
• Health and Safety Policy
• On-Call and Out-of-Hours Policy
• Infection Prevention and Control Policy
• Safeguarding Adults and Children Policy
• Medication Management Policy
• Incident and Accident Reporting Policy
• Staff Deployment and Lone Working Policy
• Data Protection and Confidentiality Policy

4. Business Continuity and Contingency Strategy

4.1. Our Commitment to Continuity of Care

At {{org_field_name}}, we have developed a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) that sets out a structured, practical, and people-centred approach to responding to unexpected incidents. This plan ensures that the care and support needs of individuals are met without interruption, particularly for those who rely on time-sensitive support such as medication administration, mobility assistance, and personal care.

We categorise all individuals we support according to priority need. In an emergency situation, we are able to identify which individuals must receive support first. This classification is based on risk assessments contained within their personal plans and is reviewed regularly.

4.2. Preparedness and Risk Planning

To reduce the risk of disruption, we conduct regular risk assessments across our operations. These assessments help us to identify potential threats—whether internal, such as IT system failures, or external, such as adverse weather—and to put in place preventative measures.

We ensure that:

• All key staff are aware of their roles during an emergency.
• Contact details for staff, emergency services, and individuals we support are kept securely both electronically (with secure cloud access) and in hard copy at a designated off-site location.
• We maintain partnerships with reliable agency staff suppliers to provide immediate staffing cover in case of sudden shortages.
• Managers are trained in emergency coordination and decision-making under pressure.

4.3. Managing Staffing and Resources During Disruption

In the event of an emergency that results in a reduction of available staff, we implement our tiered care delivery model. This means that critical visits—such as those involving medication, meal preparation, and essential personal care—are prioritised.

Team leaders or senior care coordinators will quickly assess which visits can be delayed or rescheduled without compromising safety or dignity. Communication with people we support and their families is carried out sensitively and promptly to keep them informed and reassured.

We also ensure that staff can work flexibly during emergencies. For example, we may adjust rota patterns, authorise extended shifts, or temporarily reassign staff across geographic areas. These decisions are made in line with working time regulations and with staff wellbeing in mind.

4.4. Emergency Communication Procedures

Effective communication is central to our continuity planning. Our BCP outlines how to contact all key stakeholders during a crisis. We ensure that people we support and their family representatives are updated if any change to their care is required. We do this via phone calls, text messages, or email, depending on the person’s preference.

Internal communication between staff is managed through mobile devices, cloud-based scheduling systems, and a central on-call rota. The Registered Manager (or formally appointed delegate) is responsible for ensuring statutory notifications and updates are submitted to the Care Inspectorate via the digital portal/eForms within required timescales, and that commissioners (e.g., the relevant HSCP/local authority) and other partner agencies are informed where required. We ensure appropriate staff have access to the portal/eForms at all times so notifications can be made promptly and securely. Care Inspectorate

When notifying the Care Inspectorate, staff must use initials only (unless a specific notification explicitly requires identifiable information) and follow our confidentiality and data protection procedures.

During a continuity incident we will notify the Care Inspectorate, typically within 24 hours, of relevant notifiable events such as: death of a person using the service, protection concerns/allegations of abuse, serious accidents/incidents/injuries, outbreaks of infectious disease, missed medication or missed care where this impacts wellbeing, significant equipment breakdown affecting service delivery, allegations of misconduct, and key staffing/management issues (e.g., absence/change/unfitness of manager/provider). We will also submit required follow-up updates (for example, protection concern updates within one month where required) and keep consistent records to evidence our actions and learning.

4.5. Maintaining Access to Records and IT Systems

All care records, including personal plans, are stored securely in a digital format with encrypted, remote-access backups. In the event of a local system or power failure, our staff are trained to access essential documents via mobile-enabled systems or to follow manual backup procedures stored off-site.

Our data protection arrangements ensure that confidential information remains secure during emergencies. These arrangements are monitored by our Data Protection Officer, {{org_field_data_protection_officer_first_name}} {{org_field_data_protection_officer_last_name}}, who is responsible for overseeing compliance with data protection legislation (UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018) during any change in routine operations, including secure remote access, device security, and minimisation of identifiable information in regulatory reporting.

4.6. Recovery and Return to Normal Service

Once a disruption has been resolved, our focus shifts to recovery. A debrief meeting is held with key staff involved to reflect on the effectiveness of the response. We update any risk assessments and revise the BCP if weaknesses are identified. People we support and their families are invited to provide feedback on how the incident was handled and whether they felt adequately informed and safe.

Learning from each incident is fed into our quality assurance system, in line with the guidance provided in the Care Inspectorate’s self-evaluation frameworks. Where needed, changes to practice or training are implemented swiftly to reduce the risk of recurrence.

Where an incident during disruption meets the threshold for the Duty of Candour procedure, we will follow our Duty of Candour process (including communication, apology where appropriate, record keeping and organisational reporting). We will also provide updates to the Care Inspectorate notification where an “update” is required (for example outcomes of investigations or hospital admission), and ensure our internal records match what has been reported.

4.7. Training and Staff Awareness

All new staff are trained on business continuity as part of their induction, including how to respond to emergencies, access backup systems, and escalate concerns. This training is refreshed annually or when the BCP is updated.

We also incorporate scenario-based planning into team meetings to ensure all staff remain confident and prepared. This includes mock drills on severe weather protocols, IT failures, or sudden staff shortages.

Staff are encouraged to raise any concerns regarding preparedness, safety, or contingency plans through their line manager or anonymously if needed. This openness is aligned with the SSSC Code of Practice and promotes a culture of safety and accountability.

4.8 Service contingency planning / exit strategy (sudden closure or provider failure)

We maintain an up-to-date contingency plan/exit strategy to safeguard the safety and wellbeing of people using the service in the event of sudden closure (including loss of financial viability) or any other unexpected event that prevents continued operation.

This includes:

• immediate risk-based prioritisation of essential care;
• urgent communication with each person (and their representative/HSCP where relevant) about interim arrangements;
• secure access to essential care information needed to transfer or hand over care safely;
• escalation to commissioners and Care Inspectorate notification where required; and
• documented decision-making and a post-event review to reduce recurrence.

5. Responsibilities

• The Registered Manager holds overall responsibility for initiating and managing our emergency response and business continuity plans.
• The Deputy Manager and on-call team coordinate local responses and support staff on the ground.
• The Data Protection Officer ensures that all emergency processes comply with legal data handling requirements.
• All care staff are expected to familiarise themselves with this policy and their role during a continuity event.
• The Nominated Individual and Company Director are responsible for reviewing the organisational risk strategy and ensuring the appropriate resourcing of contingency plans.

6. Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed on an annual basis or earlier if:

• There are significant changes in legislation or regulatory guidance,
• The business undergoes major operational changes,
• Or after any incident requiring the activation of the Business Continuity Plan.
• The Care Inspectorate updates its records and notification guidance (including changes to notifiable events, portal/eForms processes, or timescales).

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}}
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