Getting started.. questions to consider when revising or developing your plans DEFINING SERVICE / BUSINESS CONTINUITY Ensure the right people have the right information at the right time. 1. Understand your facility and organisation 2. Engage the right people and stakeholders 3. Agree essential or priority services 4. Understand your resource dependencies 5. Identify risks and weaknesses 6. Challenge assumptions about what will happen during an emergency or disruption 7. Document plans to help those involved 8. Help people to succeed don t design unrealistic plans 9. Communicate and educate staff and volunteers 10. Regularly test and review your plans PREVENTION Is there a common understanding of the emergencies or disruptions that could impact on your organisation? Have you verified your assumptions about how events may unfold and disrupt your services? E.g. will staff continue to come to work? What services can you provide without electricity? What are the essential services your organisation provides to clients? That is, how will you prioritise services in the event of an emergency or disruption? What are the critical resources you depend on to provide your services? E.g. casual staff, volunteers, transport providers, gas, electricity etc. What is the likely impact of an emergency or disruption, on your critical resources? E.g. staff may not to come to work if schools are closed, or rosters may not be available if IT systems are down. 1
What is the maximum amount of time you can continue to operate essential services without each critical resource? E.g. electricity, water, gas, waste removal, IT systems, etc. Who will you contact for help if a critical resource fails? Are contact details up to date? What supplies are likely to be impacted by an emergency or disruption? E.g. food, special dietary equipment or supplies, pharmaceuticals, continence aids etc. How will you ensure adequate and timely supply? What are the triggers or criteria, for reducing or suspending services? When were these last tested? What risks currently impact on the provision of services? E.g. staff vacancies, client behaviours of concern, budget constraints etc. What risks have particular implications for ensuring the continuity of services during an emergency or disruption? E.g. unreliable IT systems, ageing or inadequate infrastructure etc. What systems are in place for record keeping i.e. service records, medical records, rosters and personnel records etc? What processes are in place for o Backing up o Remote access o Storage o Transport of records What is the likely financial impact of an emergency or disruption? Are funds readily available to purchase additional supplies or meet increased staff costs? Is there a map or aerial photo outlining alternative access in and out of your facility? Is there a site map of your facility readily available for use in an emergency or disruption? E.g. identifies the location of water main, hot water service, gas main, air conditioning unit, electrical switchboard, sewer point etc. Is the map up to date? 2
Do staff in charge of the facility know how to turn off the gas and water in the event of an emergency or disruption? What contingencies are in place for managing services in the absence of electricity, water or gas? Under what circumstances is it unsafe to operate evaporative air conditioning? Does your organisation have a back up generator for use in the event of an electricity failure? If so, who is responsible for manually starting the generator? How often is this procedure tested? Where is the fuel stored? Is there a preventative maintenance program in place for buildings and equipment? How effective is it? Who performs building maintenance? Eg. cleaning gutters? What process is in place to ensure vegetation is managed throughout the summer season? Is vegetation managed according to CFA recommendations? Is there clear access to all buildings for emergency services? Is there adequate lighting and signage to assist emergency services to identify your facility? Are all exits clearly identified and not obstructed? PLANNING Who is responsible for developing and maintaining your service / business continuity plans? What plans are currently in place? How effective are they? Ensure each phase of the plan is clearly defined, documented and regularly tested. Include: o remaining on-site o evacuation or early relocation to an alternate site 3
Does your organisation have multiple sites or locations? If so, how is site based emergency planning linked to overall organisational planning? What are your legal, service agreement and policy requirements? Have you factored these into your continuity plans? Do you share buildings with another provider or tenant? If so, have you liaised with them to develop and test your plans? How often do you liaise with the following people about your emergency management plans o DHS Regional Co-ordinator o Local Council o Emergency Services e.g. SES, CFA o Neighbours / community services o Others? Are the Fire and Emergency Response Procedures Manuals up to date in all residential services? When were they last reviewed and tested? Can any existing plans be modified to address an all hazards approach to business continuity and / or emergency management? What supplies are available to maintain the safety of staff, volunteers and clients during an emergency or disruption o Blankets o Medicines o Continence supplies o Aids and equipment o Food and bottled water o Sunscreen, hats and protective clothing o Torches o Portable First Aid Kits How many days of food supply are usually kept in your facility? How will you manage the safety of clients with special dietary or medical needs in the event of an emergency or disruption? E.g. texture modified feeds, PEG feeds, peanut allergy etc. 4
What is the process for managing requests from the media during an emergency or disruption? Have clients pets been considered in plans to relocate or evacuate? How are plans communicated to staff and other stakeholders? How often does this occur? Are existing plans easily accessible to staff and are they in a format that promotes ease of use? What should be communicated to clients, families and funding agencies before, during and after an emergency or disruption? Does you organisation have a communication plan or crisis management plan to provide situation reports to key stakeholders? Is the plan integrated with other relevant agencies? E.g. CFA, DHS. How does your organisation ensure it receives accurate and timely information about external emergencies and disruptions? E.g. ABC radio How are regular situation reports about emergencies or disruptions, communicated throughout the organisation? What format or method is used? Who is responsible for developing and implementing these communications? Security How will you maintain the security of your facility during an emergency or disruption? Does your organisation have a procedure for securing all doors and windows if required? Can you limit access to your facility if required? If so, what is the procedure? How will you notify staff, clients and visitors that access to the facility has been restricted? 5
How often do you test your service / business continuity plans? When were they last tested? What worked and what didn t? Staff What are the constraints or limitations of your current workforce, including volunteers? E.g. vacancy rates, on call capacity, reliance on casual staff etc. Are the roles and responsibilities for managing an emergency or disruption clearly defined and understood by staff? What is the role of volunteers in an emergency or disruption? Have all staff and volunteers been trained in all aspects of emergency management, from remaining on site, to early relocation and full scale evacuation? How often? When was training last completed? How is compliance monitored and enforced? What information is included in the orientation program for new staff, casual staff and volunteers? Are staff contact details up to date? What is the process for ensuring details remain current? How will staff be kept informed of external threats / disruptions? E.g. fire danger, severe weather warnings, pandemic etc. What is the process for contacting staff who have not reported to work? How many staff are volunteers for emergency services such as CFA and SES? How may this impact on your services during an emergency or disruption? What is the impact on staffing your services, if schools and early childhood centres are closed? Do you have a policy about staff bringing their children to work? What level of staff absenteeism could be tolerated before the minimum level of service is no longer possible? 6
What plans are in place to manage staff shortages during an emergency or disruption? Will you continue to pay staff who are unable to come to work? What support services are available to staff during and after an emergency or disruption? E.g. Employee Assistance Program, critical incident debriefing, meals, transport etc. Early relocation / evacuation What criteria will you use to decide on early relocation? Has this been tested? Where are clients, staff and volunteers evacuated to in the event of an emergency or disruption? Is there more than one route to the evacuation location? How much time is needed to travel via each route? Could routes be closed in the event of a major emergency? Where are clients, staff and volunteers relocated to in the event of an emergency or disruption? Do these locations meet clients needs? E.g. access, security etc. What is the process for ensuring these alternate facilities will be available when needed? What is the process for notifying the alternate facilities that the decision has been made to relocate early? What is the process for notifying the alternate facilities during an emergency or disruption that the decision has been made to evacuate? What transportation is available in the event of an emergency or disruption? Are contracts or agreements in place with transport providers? Has secondary / alternate transport been identified if needed? 7
Has a relocation / evacuation bag been prepared for each resident? What should it include? How are resident specific treatment supplies identified for transportation? E.g. medications, mobility aids, PEG feeds etc. Do you have enough staff and volunteers on duty to accompany residents during transit and at the alternate locations? What is the process for tracking each resident s arrival, and progress at the alternate facility? Who will care for residents / clients at the alternate facilities? What is the procedure for notifying a resident s next of kin of a decision to relocate or evacuate? Who is responsible for doing this? What contingencies are in place if your preferred mode of communication is not available? How will you ensure each resident / client is clearly identifiable before, during and after transfer to an alternate location? How will others identify a client with specific needs? E.g. texture modified diet, behaviours of concern, wandering etc. What is the process for identifying those clients who have complex communication needs? How will you ensure their safety, particularly during evacuation or early relocation? Are working with children checks or police checks required for people who provide care to your clients? What are the implications of this when relocating or evacuating to an alternate site? How are resident s care needs communicated and documented? How will you maintain clients privacy? How are residents medications and treatment sheets stored during and after relocation or evacuation? What is the process for back up of medical and other service records? 8
RESPONSE Who is in-charge during an emergency or disruption? What contingencies are in place if that person is not available? Does your organisation have an Incident Command System (ICS)? That is, a formal structure and processes for coordinating the organisation s response to an emergency or disruption. This includes designated equipment and defined roles for activating and carrying out your plans. Does your Incident Command System include provisions for working in partnership with Emergency Services (e.g. Police, CFA) to control an emergency or disruption? What is the process for notifying staff during an emergency or disruption, that your Incident Command System has been activated? Have you determined who should (and those who should not!) make the decision to reduce or shut down services? Does your organisation have defined criteria for activating plans in response to specific threats, as identified in your analysis of potential emergencies and disruptions? E.g. o Fire, including bushfire o Severe weather - storms and heat wave o Loss of electricity, gas or water o IT systems failure, industrial dispute o Infectious disease outbreak or pandemic o Increased demand for services o Bomb threat, multiple injuries / fatalities o Emergency evacuation How do you track the whereabouts of staff and clients who are participating in community based activities, or staff who provide outreach support? What are the procedures for notifying clients, carers and families of changes to services? What is the process for notifying staff or other service providers of these changes? What is the process for notifying clients that a day program has been cancelled? What contingencies are in place if you don t make contact with the client the first time? 9
What is the process for notifying clients who are away from a residential facility for the day, of decisions to relocate or evacuate? What contingencies are in place to communicate in the event there is no mobile phone or land line coverage? In what order of priority are people relocated or evacuated? How long does it take to evacuate the facility? When was this last tested? What procedure is in place to verify that rooms have been fully evacuated? RECOVERY What is the process for ensuring each resident has a smooth transition back to their facility or service? What is the process for notifying clients and their families / carers that you are ready to resume usual services? How will you manage any back log in services or paperwork? What is the financial impact to your service if clients choose to cease using your services in the event of regular closures? Who is responsible for preparing a report of events and lessons learnt? How will this information be used to improve practice? Will you share the findings with other agencies / stakeholders? How will you record / track any expenses incurred during an emergency or disruption? Are standard templates or expense forms available? What procedures are in place for seeking reimbursement for expenditure from funding agencies? How will you prove expenditure? Does your organisation have a process to debrief with community responders? How will you recognise the contribution of staff, volunteers and others? The information provided in this document is intended for general use only. It is not a definitive guide to the law, does not constitute formal advice, and does not take into consideration the particular circumstances and needs of your organisation. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of this document at the date of publication. VMIA cannot be held responsible and extends no warranties as to the suitability of the information in this document for any particular purpose and for actions taken by third parties. 10