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{{org_field_name}}

Registration Number: {{org_field_registration_no}}

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Emergency Supply Shortages and Contingency Planning Policy

1. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that {{org_field_name}} maintains effective arrangements for responding to emergency shortages of supplies, medicines, personal protective equipment (PPE), staff and other resources required to deliver the domiciliary support service safely and effectively.

{{org_field_name}} will take reasonable and proportionate steps to anticipate, identify and respond to shortages so that individuals continue to receive care and support in accordance with their assessed needs, personal plans and personal outcomes.

This policy ensures that:

• supplies required to provide safe and effective care and support are available in sufficient quantities and are of a suitable type;
• arrangements are in place to identify, monitor and respond to actual or anticipated shortages;
• continuity of care is maintained so far as reasonably practicable;
• sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, trained, skilled, competent and experienced staff are deployed to meet individuals’ care and support needs;
• medicines are managed safely and a sufficient supply is maintained through lawful ordering, re-ordering and liaison arrangements;
• risks to individuals arising from shortages are identified, assessed and reduced so far as reasonably practicable;
• contingency arrangements are activated promptly where normal service delivery is threatened;
• individuals, their representatives and relevant commissioners or health and social care professionals are informed where a shortage affects, or is likely to affect, an individual’s care and support; and
• Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) is notified without delay, in writing and in the manner required by CIW, where an event prevents, or could prevent, {{org_field_name}} from continuing to provide the service safely.

This policy will be implemented in accordance with:

• the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016;
• the Regulated Services (Service Providers and Responsible Individuals) (Wales) Regulations 2017, as amended, including the requirements relating to policies and procedures, standards and continuity of care, staffing, supplies, health and safety, medicines, records and notifications;
• statutory guidance issued under section 29 of the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016 for service providers and responsible individuals;
• applicable Care Inspectorate Wales requirements and notification arrangements;
• the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and associated health and safety requirements; and
• applicable national infection prevention and control guidance.

2. Scope

This policy applies to:

• All employees of {{org_field_name}}, including care staff, supervisors, and managers.
• All service users receiving domiciliary care, particularly those dependent on medical equipment, medication, or specialist diets.
• External suppliers and partners, including pharmacies, medical suppliers, and food distributors.

This policy covers:

• Identification and prevention of supply shortages.
• Contingency planning for critical supplies (medications, PPE, food, staffing).
• Alternative supply chain management.
• Emergency response procedures during shortages.
• Monitoring, reviewing, and improving contingency measures.

3. Policy Statement

{{org_field_name}} is committed to minimising disruptions to care services by maintaining effective contingency plans for supply shortages. Our key principles include:

• Proactive risk assessment – Identifying potential supply chain risks early.
• Stock management – Ensuring essential supplies are available at all times.
• Alternative procurement strategies – Establishing secondary supply sources.
• Communication and coordination – Ensuring timely updates to staff, service users, and external partners.
• Regulatory compliance – Ensuring all actions align with CIW and public health requirements.

4. Managing Emergency Supply Shortages Efficiently

4.1. Identifying and Preventing Supply Shortages

To reduce the likelihood of supply shortages, {{org_field_name}} will:

• Conduct regular stock audits, ensuring sufficient levels of critical supplies.
• Monitor supplier reliability, ensuring early detection of potential issues.
• Maintain a risk register, tracking potential supply chain vulnerabilities.
• Establish early warning systems, with suppliers providing advance notice of potential shortages.

In the event of potential shortages, a contingency plan will be activated immediately, prioritising service user safety.

4.2 Contingency Planning for Critical Supplies

{{org_field_name}} will maintain proportionate contingency arrangements for resources that are necessary to provide the service safely and in accordance with individuals’ assessed needs and personal plans.

Medication and Medical Supply Shortages

Where {{org_field_name}} has responsibility for supporting an individual with medicines, arrangements must be in place to support continuity of that individual’s prescribed medicines and to identify potential supply problems at the earliest practicable opportunity.

{{org_field_name}} will:

• monitor medicine supply arrangements, where this forms part of the service being provided, and take appropriate action where insufficient supplies, delayed prescriptions or other supply problems are identified;
• follow the organisation’s Medication Management and Administration Policy at all times;
• liaise promptly, as appropriate, with the individual’s community pharmacy, GP, prescriber, relevant healthcare professional, representative or commissioner where there is an actual or anticipated shortage;
• ensure ordering and re-ordering arrangements support the maintenance of a sufficient supply of the individual’s medicines;
• ensure that any advice or instructions received from a pharmacist, prescriber or other authorised healthcare professional are recorded and communicated to relevant staff;
• escalate urgently any situation in which an individual may miss a time-critical or clinically important medicine;
• ensure that any alternative medicine, formulation, strength, dose or treatment is only supplied, prescribed or authorised by an appropriately authorised healthcare professional; and
• record the shortage, risk assessment, advice received and actions taken where the shortage affects or could affect the individual’s care and support.

{{org_field_name}} will not:

• maintain a general emergency stock of prescription medicines for use between different individuals unless there is a separate lawful authority and governance arrangement that expressly permits this;
• borrow, share or transfer medicines prescribed or supplied for one individual for use by another individual;
• instruct staff to substitute one medicine for another without appropriate authorisation; or
• alter a prescribed dose, strength, formulation, frequency or method of administration unless this has been authorised by an appropriate prescriber or other healthcare professional acting within their lawful authority.

Where a medicine cannot be obtained and the individual’s safety may be affected, the Registered Manager must ensure that appropriate professional advice is obtained without delay and that the individual’s personal plan and risk management arrangements are reviewed where necessary.

Personal Protective Equipment and Infection Prevention Supplies

{{org_field_name}} will ensure that sufficient supplies of PPE and other infection prevention and control equipment required to provide care safely are available and suitable for their intended purpose.

{{org_field_name}} will:

• monitor stock levels and anticipated usage;
• maintain contingency arrangements with alternative suppliers;
• escalate anticipated shortages before available supplies reach a level that could compromise safe care;
• ensure PPE is selected and used in accordance with current infection prevention and control requirements and the organisation’s Infection Prevention and Control Policy;
• ensure staff receive appropriate information, instruction and training in the use of PPE; and
• ensure that conservation measures do not result in unsafe reuse, extended use or substitution of PPE contrary to current guidance or manufacturers’ instructions.

Food, Nutrition and Other Individual Supplies

Where support with food, drink, nutrition or obtaining essential personal supplies forms part of an individual’s assessed needs and personal plan, {{org_field_name}} will take reasonable steps to minimise the effect of a shortage on that individual’s health, safety and well-being.

This may include:

• supporting the individual or their representative to identify alternative lawful sources of required supplies;
• liaising with commissioners, family members, representatives or relevant professionals where agreed and appropriate;
• identifying appropriate alternative food or drink options that remain consistent with the individual’s assessed dietary requirements;
• obtaining specialist advice where a prescribed, texture-modified, fortified, allergen-controlled or other specialist diet cannot be maintained; and
• reviewing and recording risks where the shortage could affect nutrition, hydration or another assessed need.

Staff must not independently alter a prescribed diet, nutritional treatment or clinically directed food or fluid consistency.

Staff Shortages and Contingency Planning

{{org_field_name}} must ensure that, at all times, a sufficient number of suitably qualified, trained, skilled, competent and experienced staff are deployed to provide care and support safely and in accordance with individuals’ personal plans.

Contingency arrangements will include, as appropriate:

• the use of suitably trained and competent on-call, relief or bank staff;
• the use of agency staff where necessary;
• adjustment of rotas and deployment arrangements while maintaining safe staffing and reasonable continuity of care;
• prioritisation of urgent management action according to assessed risk;
• escalation to the Registered Manager and Responsible Individual where staffing levels could compromise safe service delivery; and
• liaison with relevant commissioners where the service may be unable to deliver commissioned care safely.

Where agency, temporary or other replacement staff are used, {{org_field_name}} must be satisfied that the individual is fit to work at the service and that all required recruitment, vetting, registration, qualification and competency requirements have been met. Agency staff must receive sufficient information about the service and about the individuals they support to enable them to provide safe care.

The use of temporary staff or staff employed under non-guaranteed hours arrangements must not prevent individuals from receiving the continuity of care that is reasonably required to meet their care and support needs.

A required face-to-face care visit must not be replaced by a telephone call, video call, remote check or other form of virtual contact solely because insufficient staff are available.

Remote contact may only be used where it is appropriate to the individual’s assessed needs and personal plan, does not expose the individual to avoidable harm or neglect, and forms part of a lawful and appropriately agreed care arrangement.

Where {{org_field_name}} cannot safely provide a planned visit or element of care, the Registered Manager must ensure that:

• the immediate risk to the individual is assessed;
• alternative safe care arrangements are made wherever possible;
• the individual and, where appropriate, their representative are informed;
• the relevant commissioner is informed without delay where commissioned care is affected;
• relevant health or emergency services are contacted where necessary to protect the individual;
• the decision, risk assessment, actions and communications are recorded; and
• CIW is notified where the circumstances prevent, or could prevent, the service from continuing to be provided safely.

4.3. Alternative Supply Chain Management

To prevent reliance on a single supplier, {{org_field_name}} will:

• Develop relationships with multiple suppliers, ensuring backup options are in place.
• Monitor supplier reliability, assessing delivery times and availability.
• Maintain an updated supplier database, ensuring quick access to alternative providers.
• Work with local authorities and NHS supply chains, ensuring access to emergency stockpiles if needed.

4.4 Emergency Response Procedures During Supply Shortages

Where an actual or anticipated shortage threatens the safe or effective delivery of the service, the Registered Manager must ensure that the response is proportionate to the level of risk and that action is taken without unnecessary delay.

The following procedure will apply:

1. Assess and escalate the event

The Registered Manager, or the senior person authorised to act in their absence, will establish:

1. what resource or supply is unavailable or at risk of becoming unavailable;
2. the anticipated duration and extent of the shortage;
3. which individuals are or may be affected;
4. whether any individual faces an immediate or significant risk to their health, safety or well-being;
5. whether care can continue in accordance with personal plans;
6. whether alternative resources or staffing can be obtained safely; and
7. whether the situation prevents, or could prevent, {{org_field_name}} from continuing to provide the service safely.
8. Protect individuals from immediate risk

Individuals with the greatest or most immediate risk will be prioritised according to their assessed needs and circumstances.

Emergency contingency measures must not result in individuals being left without essential care, medicines, nutrition, hydration, infection prevention measures or other support required to protect their health, safety and well-being.

Where {{org_field_name}} cannot itself provide the care or support required, appropriate assistance must be sought without delay from relevant commissioners, health professionals, emergency services or other appropriate agencies.

3. Maintain care in accordance with personal plans

Care and support must continue to be provided in accordance with the individual’s personal plan so far as it remains safe and practicable to do so.

A shortage does not, by itself, authorise staff to:

3. omit essential care;
4. reduce the duration or frequency of required care visits;
5. substitute remote contact for required face-to-face care;
6. alter medicines or prescribed treatment;
7. disregard infection prevention and control requirements; or
8. undertake duties for which they are not trained, competent or authorised.

Where an individual’s needs or the arrangements for meeting those needs have materially changed, the Registered Manager must ensure that the appropriate assessment, risk management, personal plan review and professional or commissioning involvement takes place.

4. Communicate with affected people

The Registered Manager will ensure that timely and accurate information is provided, as appropriate, to:

4. affected individuals;
5. representatives, where appropriate;
6. relevant staff;
7. service commissioners;
8. pharmacies, GPs or other healthcare professionals;
9. suppliers; and
10. other relevant statutory or emergency agencies.

Information provided must be sufficient to explain the effect of the shortage, the action being taken and any alternative arrangements affecting the individual’s care and support.

5. Notify Care Inspectorate Wales where required

{{org_field_name}} must notify Care Inspectorate Wales of any event which prevents, or could prevent, the provider from continuing to provide the service safely.

This includes, but is not limited to, a shortage which results in, or creates a risk of:

5. an insufficient number of suitably qualified, trained, skilled, competent and experienced staff being available to provide the service safely;
6. an inability to deliver essential care and support in accordance with individuals’ assessed needs or personal plans;
7. the loss of essential supplies or equipment required to provide care safely;
8. an inability to maintain safe medicines arrangements;
9. an inability to maintain required infection prevention and control measures; or
10. any other significant interruption which threatens safe continuation of the regulated service.

Unless a different statutory timescale applies, the notification must be made without delay, in writing and in the manner and form required by CIW. In accordance with the applicable statutory guidance, notifications should usually be made within 24 hours of the event occurring.

The notification must contain sufficient details of the event and the action being taken to protect individuals and maintain the service.

Making a CIW notification does not replace the requirement to notify or involve any other body, commissioner, health professional, emergency service or safeguarding authority where this is separately required.

6. Record the incident and response

A contemporaneous record must be maintained which includes, where applicable:

6. the date and time the shortage was identified;
7. the nature and cause of the shortage;
8. the individuals affected or potentially affected;
9. the risk assessment undertaken;
10. decisions made and by whom;
11. contingency measures implemented;
12. communications with individuals and representatives;
13. communications with commissioners, healthcare professionals, suppliers or other agencies;
14. any CIW notification made, including the date and time;
15. any missed, delayed or altered care and the action taken to protect the individual;
16. when normal arrangements were restored; and
17. any immediate lessons or corrective actions identified.

4.5 Monitoring, Reviewing and Improving Contingency Measures

{{org_field_name}} will monitor the effectiveness of its supply-shortage and contingency arrangements and will take action where weaknesses, risks or failures are identified.

The Registered Manager will ensure that:

• critical supplies and relevant contingency arrangements are reviewed at appropriate intervals;
• staffing contingency arrangements are reviewed against the needs of individuals and the requirements of the service;
• supplier performance and significant supply failures are monitored;
• emergency contacts and alternative supplier information are kept current;
• staff know how and when to escalate an actual or anticipated shortage;
• relevant incidents, near misses and service disruptions are recorded;
• notifications made to CIW and other statutory bodies are retained as part of the service’s governance records; and
• corrective actions arising from an incident are allocated, monitored and completed.

Following any significant shortage, disruption or activation of this policy, the Registered Manager will review:

• whether the contingency arrangements operated effectively;
• whether any individual experienced harm, avoidable delay, missed care or increased risk;
• whether staffing levels and deployment remained safe;
• whether medicines and other essential supplies remained sufficient;
• whether communications and escalation arrangements were effective;
• whether required statutory notifications were made correctly and without delay; and
• whether amendments are required to this policy, related procedures, risk assessments or business continuity arrangements.

The Responsible Individual must be informed of significant events affecting the safe operation of the service and must have access to records necessary to exercise effective oversight.

Relevant incidents and notifiable events arising from shortages or service disruption will be considered through the organisation’s quality monitoring and quality-of-care review arrangements so that patterns, trends, risks and lessons are identified and acted upon.

Where the review identifies that the quality or safety of the service has been, or may be, compromised, remedial action must be taken without delay and progress against that action must be monitored.

This policy and associated contingency arrangements will be updated where required following:

• a change in legislation, regulations, statutory guidance or CIW requirements;
• a significant incident or notifiable event;
• identification of a recurring or material supply-chain or staffing risk;
• changes to the service’s Statement of Purpose or service delivery arrangements; or
• findings from monitoring, audit, inspection or quality-of-care review.

5. Related Policies

This policy aligns with:

• Infection Prevention and Control Policy (DCW17) – Covering PPE and hygiene supplies.
• Safe Care and Treatment Policy (DCW11) – Ensuring uninterrupted care during shortages.
• Staff Supervision, Training, and Development Policy (DCW27) – Covering contingency training.
• Medication Management and Administration Policy (DCW21) – Ensuring medication access and supply chain reliability.
• Business Continuity and Emergency Planning Policy (DCW19) – Covering wider crisis management planning.

6. Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed annually or sooner if required due to:

• Changes in CIW regulations or government guidelines.
• New supply chain risks or disruptions.
• Feedback from staff, service users, or external partners.
• Lessons learned from previous supply shortages.

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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.