Emergency Management and Business Continuity Management are closely related disciplines and share the same response management structures, however not all business continuity incidents pose an immediate threat to life or limb and therefore do not require a full emergency / incident management response.

Business continuity management is the process of planning for and responding to emergencies/critical incidents or other disruptions in order to continue the delivery of the critical services at an acceptable level e.g. the need to ensure continuity of education in schools. Whilst it may be difficult to reduce the likelihood of an external disruptive event occurring, it is possible to put plans in place to reduce or mitigate the impact of such an event. Whatever the cause of the disruption, the impacts usually fall into one or more of these categories:

 

The primary aim is to ensure that, unless there is an overwhelming pressure or necessity, the school remains open during term times and that normal routines and timetables are maintained as far as possible.

Below is a summary of the typical impacts/risks that a loss or disruption may have if recovery requirements are not identified via contingency plans.

Education	·      Loss of large numbers of days of teaching ·      Disruption to education ·      Loss of coursework etc.
Child welfare/well-being	·      Physical impacts (e.g. hunger, cold etc) ·      Psychological impacts (e.g.loss of coursework, having to move school) ·      Future prospects and educational abilities.
Parents/Guardians	·      Loss of earnings (taking time off work) ·      Disruption to work ·      Perception of school
Statutory Compliance	·      Duty of care/in loco parentis ·      H&S legislation ·      Duty to provide 190 days education ·      OFSTED ·      Duty to provide free school meals etc
Reputation	·      Damage to the reputation of the school. ·      Damage to the reputation of Kent County Council.
Staff	·      Financial impact. ·      Physical impact. ·      Psychological impact.

A business continuity plan is similar to a school emergency plan and you are likely to want to combine some parts.  A School Emergency Management and Business Continuity Plan template (with supporting guidance) is available to download. The template sets out a framework and it is important that you add any necessary information about your school and adapt it, as appropriate, to your school and circumstances.

 

Your plan should provide generic guides to actions that should be considered by the Headteacher, his/her nominated deputy, and the school in case of any disruption or interruption to school activities.

 

For further advice and support regarding Business Continuity please contact Lindsey Torode, Emergency Planning Officer.

 | Published: 21-11-11  | TOP