A Note From The Directors
This page is designed to help our team, suppliers and our clients understand our plans should the current events with Coronavirus continue to escalate. It is important to say that our objective is to deliver standard business practices with the minimum of disruption. We are committed to our team, suppliers and clients and as such are monitoring the situation carefully.
We have taken advice from National Health England along with our insurance company and in short we will be guided by National Health England to follow the protocols set up by the UK government.
The paragraphs below explain our protocols, we understand that this may generate some questions and if so we would be delighted to discuss your event and how the Coronavirus may affect it.
David Gillott – Director
Aims
The aims of this plan are to provide a safe, quick and seamless recovery of operations following a disaster or interruption to normal services that impacts on Four Gables Limited and to limit any disruption and damage.
Specifically, the plan provides:
- Clear roles, responsibilities, decision making authority and list of actions for staff to recover operations in the event of a disaster or crisis
- Details of information to record in an emergency
- Information to regularly review risks and contingency options
- A plan to brief staff and clients on procedures to provide an effective plan in the event of a disaster
Policy Summary
The Business Continuity Plan has been designed to restore operational services in event of a disaster or when normal services cannot be delivered from the office. A disaster is defined as ‘an incident that results in the loss of staff, access to the office or to computer processing to the extent that relocation of work must be considered’. A disaster can result from a number of accidental, malicious or environmental events such as:
- Loss of staff
- Damage to the office premises or to the office contents
- A fire, flood or terrorist attack destroys the premises and contents
- Serious disruption of computer services including software and hardware failures or a cyber / fraud attack
- Loss of telephone and internet connection
- Loss of electricity and heating
Goals
The Specific goals of the plan are:
- To have key business operations reinstated via home working by staff within one working day of a disaster
- To minimize the disruption to our business
- To operate by remote access or a temporary facility for as long as is required
- To reinstate full operations in the usual office or another premises as soon as practical.
Decision-making authority
The decision to initiate business continuity procedures will be taken by the Director (David Gillott) after assessing the situation. If the Director is not available or contactable, oversight and responsibility will be assumed by the chain of command.
The decision to initiate business continuity procedures will be communicated as widely and promptly as possible to all staff and clients via telephone, text or email. All staff will follow the procedures contained in this plan until business recovery is complete or until instructed otherwise by the Director or direct line managers. Various staff members are likely to be assigned responsibility for implementing or coordinating the procedures outlined in this plan and are responsible for reporting to the Chief Executive during a disaster.
Oversight
This plan will be kept current with daily operating procedures. It is the responsibility of the Director to ensure that procedures are in place to keep this plan up to date.
Responsibilities during the recovery period
The Director is responsible for:
- Defining the problem, the extent of the disruption, its consequences and the probable implications for the foreseeable future.
- Taking the decision to implement disaster recovery procedures.
- Deputising staff as required in order to ensure all staff are informed and understand their roles and instructions.
- Informing family members in the event of staff injury.
- Ensuring all clients are well informed about the evolving situation.
- Directing external communications.
- Determining the return to normal operations.
- Documenting decisions and progress for written report to the Board.
All staff are responsible for:
- Assessing the immediate nature and extent of the problem and alerting the Director as soon as possible.
- Resuming normal working procedures from home via remote access networks, if possible.
- Following procedures laid out in this plan and instructions from the Director, assigned deputies or managers.
- Making sensible judgments to determine what activities are appropriate based on the nature and extent of the disruption.
Insurance
Key person: Director (David Gillott)
Notify as soon as possible after incident and stay in contact as required with insurance broker and insurance companies and document all contact and actions to support insurance claim.