The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 places a duty upon Local Authorities to put in place Business Continuity Management arrangements and to promote business continuity to businesses, in particular small and medium enterprises, and voluntary organisations.
Business Continuity Management (BCM) is a process that helps mitigate the risks of an incident, disaster, disruption or emergency. It means planning to ensure the smooth running of an organisation, or delivery of a service in the event of a disruption.
This could include one or more of the following:
Did you know?
Why do you need a business continuity plan?
Experience has shown that organisations with business continuity arrangements in place are more likely to stay in business and recover quickly in the event of an emergency than those who do not. It is not only the major emergencies that disrupt organisations; a wide range of day-to-day disruptions can threaten the smooth running of an organisation.
Developing a business continuity plan will assist you to manage your risks to ensure that, at all times, your organisation can continue operating to at least a pre-determined minimum level. This will enable you to continue service delivery during and beyond a crisis.
Attached is a link to HM Government website - ‘Preparing for Emergencies', which has useful advice on business continuity. The website exists to provide information to the public, businesses and voluntary/community groups on the risks and what to do if an incident occurs.
Preparing for Emergencies (opens new window)
In addition, the emergency planning unit has created a template plan for your business.
TEMPLATE PLAN LINK
If you require further assistance or wish to discuss any particular issues concerning business continuity, you can contact our Business Continuity Team.
Paul Eades - Risk Manager Tel: 01437 776291
Or the Emergency Planning Dept Tel: 01437 775661