Business Continuity
"Business Continuity Management is a generic management framework that is valid across the public, private and voluntary sectors. It is an ongoing process that helps organisations anticipate, prepare for, prevent, respond to and recover from disruptions, whatever their source and whatever aspect of the business they affect."
UK Resilience, Cabinet Office
"The [Civil Contingencies Act 2004] imposes a series of duties on local bodies in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland (to be known as "Category 1 responders"). These duties include the duty to assess the risk of an emergency occurring and to maintain plans for the purposes of responding to an emergency."
Explanatory Notes to Civil Contingencies Act 2004
The Staffordshire Resilience Forum, or SRF, has been established in response to the statutory requirements of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004. This stipulates that a meeting must be held at least once every 6 months in order to:
"…establish and maintain effective multi-agency arrangements to respond to major emergencies, to minimise the impact of those emergencies on the public, property and environment of Staffordshire, and to satisfy fully the requirements of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004".
The SRF is a multi-agency partnership made up of representatives from the county's public services, including the blue-light emergency services, County, City and District Authorities, the National Health Service, or the NHS, the Environment Agency and other partners. The main multi agency partners of the SRF are known as Category 1 Responders, as defined by the Civil Contingencies Act. The SRF is also assisted by wider partners such as the Military, the Voluntary Sector, the Highways Agency and the public utility companies.
Those in Category 1 are those organisations at the core of the response to most emergencies (e.g. emergency services, local authorities, NHS bodies) and Staffordshire County Council as a Category 1 Responder has a number of statutory obligations, which have been set out by the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 (CCA) and its accompanying Civil Contingency Planning Regulations 2005. Under the auspices of the CCA this Authority must undertake certain additional functions;
- Assess the risk of emergencies occurring and use this to inform contingency planning;
- Put in place emergency response and recovery plans;
- Put in place Business Continuity Management arrangements;
- Put in place arrangements to make information available to the public about civil protection matters and maintain arrangements to warn, inform and advise the public in the event of an emergency;
- Share information with other local responders to enhance co-ordination;
- Co-operate with other local responders to enhance co-ordination and efficiency; and
- Provide advice and assistance to businesses and voluntary organisations about business continuity management (Local Authorities only).
To ensure that the Authority is able to fulfil these obligations, it is important that it is involved in the wider planning process with partner organisations. Within Local Government, this includes other Local Authorities; District Councils, Borough Councils, Unitary Authorities and Government Office. In the broader community, detailed planning is undertaken with the Police, Civil Contingencies Unit, Fire and Rescue Service, Primary Care Trusts, Acute Hospitals and the Ambulance Service through the Staffordshire Civil Contingencies Structure.
Promoting Business Continuity
The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 places a duty upon local authorities to promote Business Continuity to businesses, predominantly small/medium enterprises (SME). Collectively local authorities within Staffordshire in collaboration with Civil Contingencies Unit have produced a leaflet that gives an overview of Business Continuity Planning and Business Continuity Management.
Guide to Business Continuity Management (310 KB)
Useful Links
Staffordshire Prepared is an integrated website jointly developed by the local authorities and Civil Contingencies Unit and containing useful information on the Emergency Planning arrangements on a multi-agency level in Staffordshire.
Emergency Planning Information Community Risk Register
Business Continuity Institute
Good Practice Guidelines
Expecting the Unexpected (PDF)
London Prepared
Business Continuity Advice
Cabinet Office
Business Checklist for Flu Pandemic Planning
Environment Agency
Flood Preparation Guide for Businesses(PDF)
HM Government - Preparing For Emergencies
Business Continuity Advice
Generic Challenges to Business Continuity
MI5 Security Service
Security Advice - Business Continuity
UK Resilience
Emergency Preparedness
Business Link
Prepare Your Business for Disaster
Last Modified:
26/03/2007 09:40:47
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