CH216-Public Holidays Policy
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{{org_field_name}}
Registration Number: {{org_field_registration_no}}
Public Holidays Policy
1. Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to outline how {{org_field_name}} plans for, manages, and delivers home care services during public holidays to ensure continuity of safe, person-centred care for individuals while maintaining fair and clear arrangements for staff working on these days. This policy is guided by the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 (Fundamental Standards), including (as applicable) Regulation 9 (Person-centred care), Regulation 10 (Dignity and respect), Regulation 11 (Need for consent), Regulation 12 (Safe care and treatment), Regulation 13 (Safeguarding service users from abuse and improper treatment), Regulation 16 (Receiving and acting on complaints), Regulation 17 (Good governance) and Regulation 18 (Staffing), and is written to support compliance with the CQC assessment framework (Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led) and the related quality statements.
2. Scope
This policy applies to all home care staff employed or contracted by {{org_field_name}}, including care workers, support workers, and team leaders, as well as to those individuals who receive care in their own homes. It includes procedures for shift planning, communication, consent, staff compensation, and emergency cover on national and religious public holidays.
3. Related Policies
- CH07-Person-Centred Care Policy
- CH16-Health and Safety at Work Policy
- CH18-Risk Management and Assessment Policy
- CH27-Staff Supervision, Training, and Development Policy
- CH33-Staff Leave and Absence Policy
- CH42-Communication and Engagement with Service Users and Families Policy
4. Policy Statement
{{org_field_name}} is committed to ensuring that care continues to be delivered safely, respectfully, and effectively on public holidays, including Christmas, Easter, New Year, bank holidays, and recognised religious observances. We recognise the importance of planning in advance, communicating clearly with individuals and staff, and ensuring fairness in how shifts and compensation are managed. No person receiving care should experience a reduction in service due to a public holiday unless by choice.
Public holidays are treated as predictable periods of increased operational risk (for example, reduced workforce availability, changed access to pharmacies/GP services, and adverse weather). We will plan and resource care delivery to prevent avoidable harm and to ensure people receive care and treatment safely, including safe medicines support, nutrition and hydration support, and timely escalation when risks are identified.
Where we cannot safely meet a person’s assessed needs at the planned time or frequency, this will be escalated without delay to the duty manager/on-call manager, and appropriate contingency actions will be taken (for example, redeploying staff, prioritising time-critical visits, requesting additional support, and informing relevant professionals and/or the person’s representative where appropriate). We will not agree service reductions that would place a person at risk.
5. Service User Arrangements and Continuity of Care
a. Advanced Planning with Individuals
Care coordinators will contact each individual or their representative at least four weeks before each public holiday to confirm their care requirements. Options may include maintaining usual visits, adjusting visit times, or temporarily suspending care by choice. All decisions are documented in the care plan with consent.
Where public holiday arrangements change at short notice (for example, deterioration in health, hospital discharge, carer breakdown, severe weather, or staffing disruption), we will update the plan as soon as reasonably practicable and record the rationale, risks identified, and actions taken.
Planning will explicitly identify time-critical visits (for example medicines support, meal preparation for people at risk of malnutrition, continence support, pressure-area care, and welfare checks for people living alone). These visits will be prioritised within public holiday rotas and contingency plans.
b. Risk Assessment of Changes
Where any change or reduction in service is requested, staff will assess the potential risks to health and wellbeing, including medication, nutrition, mobility, and social needs. Alternative arrangements (e.g. family involvement, welfare calls) are offered where needed to maintain safety and dignity.
Where the person lacks capacity to agree changes, decisions will be made in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and recorded as a best-interests decision, including who was consulted, what options were considered, and why the final decision was reached.
Where consent is required for any change to how care is delivered, this will be obtained and documented. Any refusal will be managed using proportionate risk management, with escalation where safety may be compromised.
c. Emergency and On-Call Cover
An out-of-hours service is available on all public holidays via {{out_of_hours}}. Emergency response arrangements are tested before each holiday period, and staff are reminded of procedures in place for escalation, safeguarding, and medical emergencies.
Public holiday delivery is supported by our Contingency / Business Continuity Plan, which sets out how we maintain safe care during disruptions such as severe weather, fuel shortages, IT/telephony outages, unexpected staffing shortages, or loss of access to medicines supply. The plan includes defined triggers for escalation, roles and responsibilities, communication routes, and post-incident review.
6. Staff Planning and Shift Allocation
a. Fair and Transparent Rota Planning
Rota coordinators will prepare holiday rotas in advance, ensuring an equitable rotation among staff. Consideration is given to individual preferences, religious observances, and contracted hours. Staff will be consulted about availability and given the opportunity to volunteer or request specific days off where possible.
b. Staff Availability and Consent
Staff will be rostered in line with their contract of employment and service needs. Where a public holiday falls on a staff member’s normal working day, they may be scheduled to work subject to contract terms, safe staffing requirements, and fair rota allocation. We will consult on rotas in advance and will consider reasonable adjustments, including for religious observance, where this can be achieved without compromising safe care delivery.
c. Compensation and Pay
Pay and time off arrangements for public holidays are set out in each worker’s contract and written particulars. There is no automatic legal right to be off on a bank holiday; however, all workers must receive at least the statutory minimum paid annual leave entitlement, and employers may include bank holidays within that entitlement. Where enhanced pay, time off in lieu (TOIL), or other arrangements apply, these will be clearly documented, applied consistently, and kept under review to ensure fairness and compliance with relevant employment law and guidance.
7. Holiday Period Contingency Triggers and Actions
We will activate enhanced oversight for defined holiday periods (for example Christmas/New Year and Easter) and for any bank holiday weekend where risk is elevated. Triggers include unexpected staffing shortfalls, adverse weather, widespread sickness, disruption to medicines supply, IT/telephony failure, or increased demand (for example hospital discharge).
Actions may include redeploying staff, using planned “floater” capacity, prioritising time-critical visits, increasing welfare checks or telephone support where appropriate, contacting informal carers with consent, escalating to the duty manager/on-call manager, and liaising with external partners (for example GP out-of-hours, NHS 111, district nursing, pharmacy, or commissioners) where required to keep the person safe.
A post-holiday review will be completed to capture learning and improvements, including any incidents, missed or late calls, complaints, compliments, and staff feedback.
8. Cultural and Religious Inclusion
a. Respecting Diverse Observances
{{org_field_name}} acknowledges that people may celebrate different public or religious holidays based on their cultural and spiritual beliefs. Individuals are supported to observe these days meaningfully, including adjustments to care routines, meals, dress, and personal preferences. Staff are trained to support this inclusively and respectfully.
b. Staff and Service User Matching
Where it supports the person’s expressed preferences and does not disadvantage other people or staff, we will consider continuity and matching (for example language, communication needs, or cultural understanding). Decisions about allocation will be based on assessed needs, preferences, competence, and availability, and will not result in discriminatory practice.
9. Communication and Documentation
All holiday arrangements, including changes to visit times, adjusted care plans, and staff rota assignments, are documented clearly in care records and internal systems. Service users and their families receive written or verbal confirmation of arrangements. Staff receive rotas and expectations in writing at least two weeks in advance.
Records must provide a clear audit trail of: (1) what was planned, (2) what was delivered, (3) any variance, (4) the reason for variance, (5) risks identified, (6) escalation actions taken, and (7) outcomes. Managers will review holiday-period records, incidents, complaints and feedback to identify themes and improvement actions.
10. Monitoring and Complaints
Any concerns raised about public holiday service delivery or staff treatment are managed in accordance with our complaints policy. We monitor satisfaction levels and incident reports around holiday periods to identify areas for improvement and uphold quality standards.
Complaints and concerns can be raised during public holidays using the same routes as any other day. We will ensure people know how to complain, that complaints are accessible (including for people with communication needs), and that concerns are logged, responded to within stated timescales, and used to improve the service.
11. Responsibilities
The Registered Manager {{org_field_registered_manager_first_name}} {{org_field_registered_manager_last_name}} is responsible for ensuring service continuity and staff support during public holidays. Care coordinators and rota planners must follow this policy, and all staff are responsible for adhering to their assigned roles and reporting any issues or changes promptly.
12. Policy Review
This policy will be reviewed annually or sooner in response to legal, regulatory, or operational changes. Updates will be communicated to all staff and stakeholders, and training will be provided where required to ensure consistent implementation.
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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