CHW165-Emergency Supply Shortages and Contingency Planning Policy
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Registration Number: {{org_field_registration_no}}
Emergency Supply Shortages and Contingency Planning Policy
1. Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to ensure that {{org_field_name}} is prepared for, and can effectively manage, any emergency or unplanned supply shortages that may impact our ability to deliver safe and effective care. This includes shortages of food, water, personal protective equipment (PPE), medical supplies, medication, staffing, fuel, utilities, or other critical resources. The policy outlines the contingency plans in place to minimise disruption, safeguard individuals using the service, and comply with the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 and the Regulated Services (Service Providers and Responsible Individuals) (Wales) Regulations 2017. It also supports CIW’s expectations under good governance and safe care delivery principles.
2. Scope
This policy applies to the entire workforce of {{org_field_name}}, including permanent, temporary, agency staff, and management. It also applies to suppliers, contractors, and visitors where relevant. The policy is supported by our emergency planning and business continuity arrangements and is designed to ensure the home remains operational and safe during unforeseen disruptions.
3. Related Policies
This policy should be read in conjunction with:
CHW04 – Good Governance
CHW11 – Safe Care and Treatment Policy
CHW16 – Health and Safety at Work Policy
CHW17 – Infection Prevention and Control Policy
CHW18 – Risk Management and Assessment Policy
CHW19 – Emergency and Business Continuity Plan
CHW21 – Medication Management and Administration Policy
CHW24 – Management of Accidents, Incidents, and Near Misses Policy
4. Policy Statement and Procedures
4.1 Identifying and Monitoring Critical Supplies
We maintain an inventory of critical supplies required to deliver safe and uninterrupted care. These include, but are not limited to: medical consumables, incontinence products, prescribed medication, PPE, cleaning materials, food and drink, bedding, heating, and IT systems. Stock levels are reviewed at minimum weekly by designated staff and overseen by the Registered Manager, {{org_field_registered_manager_first_name}} {{org_field_registered_manager_last_name}}. Minimum stock thresholds are established to trigger early reordering, and preferred supplier arrangements are in place to ensure continuity of supply.
4.2 Risk Assessment and Contingency Planning
A full risk assessment is undertaken to evaluate the likelihood and impact of supply shortages. This includes considering seasonal pressures, pandemics, delivery disruptions, fuel crises, or supplier insolvency. The Emergency and Business Continuity Plan (CHW19) includes specific contingency plans for each critical supply category. These plans identify: alternative suppliers, mutual aid agreements with local care homes, stockpiling arrangements, and prioritisation strategies to protect the most vulnerable residents.
4.3 Communication, Escalation and Notification in an Emergency
In the event of an actual or anticipated shortage of a critical supply or resource, the Registered Manager, or the person responsible for managing the service in their absence, will activate the relevant contingency arrangements and allocate clear responsibilities to appropriate members of staff.
The service will maintain effective communication with staff, individuals using the service and, where appropriate, their representatives, families, service commissioners, health professionals, suppliers and other relevant agencies. Information provided will be timely, accurate and appropriate to the needs and communication requirements of the individuals affected.
Staff will be informed of:
- the nature and expected duration of the shortage or disruption;
- any immediate risks to individuals;
- temporary changes to normal working arrangements;
- alternative supplies, equipment or procedures that must be used;
- individual responsibilities during the disruption; and
- the arrangements for escalation if the situation deteriorates.
Emergency contact details for critical suppliers, utility providers, health services, commissioners, contractors and relevant statutory agencies will be maintained, kept accessible and reviewed as part of the service’s emergency and business continuity arrangements.
The service provider will ensure that Care Inspectorate Wales is notified of any event which prevents, or could prevent, the provider from continuing to provide the regulated service safely, in accordance with Regulation 60 and Schedule 3 of the Regulated Services (Service Providers and Responsible Individuals) (Wales) Regulations 2017, as amended.
Unless otherwise specified by the Regulations, a required notification to Care Inspectorate Wales will be made without delay, in writing and in the manner and form required by Care Inspectorate Wales, including through CIW Online where applicable.
The Registered Manager will ensure that the Responsible Individual and service provider are informed promptly of any significant shortage or disruption and of any notification made to Care Inspectorate Wales. A record will be maintained of the incident, decisions taken, actions implemented, communications made and any regulatory or statutory notifications submitted.
4.4 Medication and Clinical Supplies
To prevent medication shortages, reordering is planned to allow for delivery delays, and excess stock is avoided in compliance with safe storage protocols. Medication administration is monitored closely to detect low stock, and emergency prescriptions are arranged when necessary via GPs or out-of-hours providers. In the event of a shortage of a particular drug, we liaise with the pharmacy, prescribers, and healthcare professionals to identify safe alternatives and update the MAR (Medication Administration Record) promptly.
4.5 PPE and Infection Control Resources
PPE usage is monitored daily and logged. During outbreaks or pandemics, additional PPE is ordered in advance based on projected usage. Emergency stockpiles are kept on-site and replenished as used. {{org_field_infection_control_lead_name}}, in their role as {{org_field_infection_control_lead_role}}, ensures infection control measures are maintained, and substitutions of PPE meet Public Health Wales standards.
4.6 Food and Catering Supplies
The kitchen team maintains a stock of non-perishable food items to sustain meals for up to 72 hours in case of delivery delays. Alternative menus are planned using available ingredients, and individuals with special diets are prioritised. We maintain contact with multiple food suppliers and local providers who can deliver in emergencies. Water supply disruptions are managed by storing bottled water and liaising with the local utility provider.
4.7 Staffing Shortages
In the event of significant or unexpected staff absence, including absence caused by illness, an infectious disease outbreak, adverse weather, transport disruption, industrial action or another emergency, the Registered Manager will implement the service’s staffing contingency arrangements.
At all times, the service provider will ensure that sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, trained, skilled, competent and experienced staff are deployed, having regard to:
- the Statement of Purpose;
- the assessed care and support needs of individuals;
- individuals’ dependency levels and identified risks;
- the personal outcomes individuals are being supported to achieve;
- the layout and operation of the service;
- the skills and competencies required on each shift; and
- any requirement for registered nursing staff or other appropriately qualified professionals.
Staffing levels and skill mix will be reviewed throughout the staffing shortage and adjusted where individuals’ needs, risks or circumstances change.
Contingency measures may include:
- requesting suitably competent off-duty or bank staff to work additional shifts;
- obtaining staff from approved staffing agencies;
- reorganising rotas and duties while maintaining safe staffing levels and skill mix;
- reallocating appropriately trained and competent staff to essential duties;
- postponing activities or duties that are not essential to individuals’ immediate care, safety or well-being where it is safe and appropriate to do so; and
- deploying managers or other employees to direct care duties only where they are suitably qualified, trained, skilled, competent and experienced for the duties they will undertake and meet all applicable fitness-to-work requirements.
Agency, temporary and other workers used as part of the contingency arrangements must meet the applicable fitness requirements. The service provider will obtain and retain appropriate evidence that required recruitment, identity, employment, qualification, registration and Disclosure and Barring Service checks have been undertaken, as applicable to the person’s role.
Temporary or agency staffing arrangements must not compromise the continuity of care that individuals reasonably require. Staff who are unfamiliar with the service will receive sufficient information about the service, relevant policies and procedures, emergency arrangements and the needs, risks and personal plans of the individuals for whom they will provide care before undertaking duties, so far as is necessary to enable them to work safely.
The Registered Manager will maintain a record of the staffing shortage, staffing decisions made, staffing levels and skill mix deployed, contingency measures implemented and any risks identified or escalated.
Where insufficient staffing prevents, or could prevent, the service provider from continuing to provide the service safely, the service provider will notify Care Inspectorate Wales without delay in accordance with Regulation 60 and Schedule 3 of the Regulated Services (Service Providers and Responsible Individuals) (Wales) Regulations 2017, as amended.
4.8 Utilities, Essential Systems and IT Failures
The service will maintain current emergency contact details for electricity, gas, water, sewerage, telecommunications and other relevant utility providers and contractors so that faults, interruptions and emergencies can be reported and escalated without delay.
Contingency arrangements will be maintained for failures affecting essential utilities, heating, hot water, lighting, fire and safety systems, communications, care equipment and information technology systems. The response to any failure will be based on an assessment of the risks to individuals and will prioritise the continuation of safe care and support.
Where appropriate to the service and identified risks, contingency arrangements will include access to suitable emergency lighting, torches, charged communication equipment, alternative heating or other appropriate emergency resources and manual or paper-based systems.
Where electricity or information technology systems are unavailable, staff will use the service’s approved contingency documentation arrangements to ensure that essential care information, medicine-related information, risk information, incidents, observations and communications continue to be recorded accurately and remain accessible to those who require them. Information recorded during the outage will be transferred or reconciled with the normal record-keeping system when it is safe and practicable to do so, with an appropriate audit trail.
Emergency lighting, fire detection and alarm systems, heating systems and other safety-critical equipment will be maintained and tested in accordance with applicable legal requirements, risk assessments and maintenance schedules.
Any interruption or system failure will be risk assessed promptly. The Registered Manager will consider:
- the nature and expected duration of the interruption;
- the needs and vulnerabilities of individuals using the service;
- the effect on heating, hot water, lighting, food preparation, medicines, care equipment, infection prevention and control, fire precautions and communication;
- whether safe care can continue at the premises;
- whether additional professional, contractor, commissioner or emergency-service assistance is required; and
- whether temporary relocation or other emergency arrangements are necessary to protect individuals.
The service provider will notify Care Inspectorate Wales of any event which prevents, or could prevent, the provider from continuing to provide the service safely.
In particular, this includes:
- an interruption to electricity, gas, water or sewerage at premises used to provide the regulated service which lasts for longer than a continuous period of 24 hours;
- failure or malfunction of the heating system which lasts for longer than a continuous period of 24 hours;
- failure or malfunction of fire alarms or other safety devices which lasts for longer than a continuous period of 24 hours; and
- physical damage to the premises which has, or is likely to have, a detrimental effect on the care and support provided to individuals.
These examples do not limit the wider requirement to notify Care Inspectorate Wales where another utility, equipment, system or infrastructure failure prevents, or could prevent, the service from continuing to be provided safely. Required notifications will be made without delay and in writing in accordance with Regulation 60 and Schedule 3 of the Regulated Services (Service Providers and Responsible Individuals) (Wales) Regulations 2017, as amended.
4.9 Coordination with External Agencies
In the event of major supply disruptions, we contact relevant partners including:
Local Authority commissioning teams
Public Health Wales
Local Emergency Planning Groups
Neighbouring care homes for mutual support
{{org_field_local_authority_authority_name}} and CIW are informed where risks to care delivery or safety are identified. Our Registered Manager and Responsible Individual ensure timely, transparent communication and collaborate with partners to minimise risk.
4.10 Learning and Continuous Improvement
After any incident involving emergency supply shortages, a debriefing is held to review the effectiveness of the contingency measures and identify lessons learned. The Emergency and Business Continuity Plan and this policy are updated accordingly. Findings are also reviewed as part of our Quality of Care Review cycle. Staff involved are supported and recognised for their contribution to maintaining safe service delivery.
5. Policy Review
This policy will be reviewed annually, or sooner if there is a significant change in legislation, CIW guidance, supplier circumstances, or a supply-related incident. All staff will be made aware of changes through training and internal communication.
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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