11. Renfrewshire Council Business Continuity Policy 2025 - 2027 - Report
Renfrewshire Council · 19 August 2025
Back to Communities and Housing Policy Board — 19 August 2025 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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________________________________________________________________ To: Communities and Housing Policy Board On: 19 August 2025 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Environment, Housing and Infrastructure ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Renfrewshire Council Business Continuity Policy 2025 - 2027 ___________________________________________________________________ 1 Summary 1.1 The Business Continuity Policy 2025 – 2027 outlines how Renfrewshire Council will ensure the continuity of critical services during emergencies or disruptions. This Policy sets out to ensure that all requirements on the Council as a “Category 1 Responder” under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 are met and that this work aligns with the Business Continuity Institute’s Good Practice Guidelines, and British Standards Institute ISO 22301 standard. ___________________________________________________________________ 2 Recommendations 2.1 It is recommended that the Communities and Housing Policy Board: Approves the Renfrewshire Council Business Continuity Policy 2025 – 2027 (Appendix 1) Notes the Renfrewshire Council Business Continuity additional documents list (Appendix 2) ___________________________________________________________________ 3 Background 3.1 As defined in the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, the Council is a “Category 1 Responder”, meaning that the Council is at the core of the response to most emergencies. This classification emphasis the critical role the Council plays in emergency preparedness. 3.2 The Council’s ability to respond to a significant or disruptive event, and the continued delivery of critical services at an acceptable level, is addressed by maintaining a robust and effective suite of Business Continuity Plans (BCPs), Emergency Plans and Incident Response Procedures.
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3.3 The Corporate Management Team (CMT) provides leadership in matters of Business Continuity Management with the Chief Executive having overall responsibility for this area. The Council Resilience Management Team (CRMT) will provide coordination and control for all aspects of business continuity and particularly during periods of service disruption. 3.4 This Policy sets out how Renfrewshire Council will conduct its Business Continuity Management arrangements and provides a governance framework to support Council decision making on service prioritisation during significant disruptions. 3.5 The Policy outlines the roles and responsibilities of key personnel actively involved in business continuity across the Organisation to ensure that arrangements are effective, up to date and regularly tested and validated. 3.6 The work of this Policy and wider business continuity arrangements, including reviewing Business Continuity Plans, testing, exercising and training, will be supported by the Civil Contingencies Service Manager and Civil Contingencies Service Officer aligned to Renfrewshire Council. 3.7 The Policy will be reviewed every two years, as a minimum, or earlier should a significant change in legislation require this. Implications of the Report 1. Financial – This report demonstrates the Council’s commitment to ensure that appropriate Business Continuity arrangements are in place across the organisation to ensure appropriate arrangements are in place to minimise costs and financial impact during an incident or event. 2. HR & Organisational Development - This report supports Renfrewshire Council’s commitment to the health, safety and wellbeing of employees at all times. 3. Community/Council Planning – Our Renfrewshire is safe - This Policy sets out the Council’s approach to meet the requirements as a “Category 1 Responder” as defined in the Civil Contingencies Act 2004. Building strong, safe and resilient communities - This Policy sets out how critical council services will be supported to continue to deliver services when the Service is subject to an interruption to normal delivery and operating. 4. Legal – None. 5. Property/Assets – None.
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6. Information Technology – None. 7. Equality & Human Rights - (a) The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report. If required following implementation, the actual impact of the recommendations and the mitigating actions will be reviewed and monitored, and the results of the assessment will be published on the Council’s website. 8. Health & Safety – None. 9. Procurement – None. 10. Risk - This Report sets out the Council’s approach to Business Continuity to reduce the risk that governance and arrangements are not clear, particularly in an emergency situation. 11. Privacy Impact – None. 12. COSLA Policy Position – Not applicable. 13. Climate Risk – Not applicable. 14. Children’s Rights – Not applicable. _________________________________________________________ List of Background Papers (a) Background Papers: None. ___________________________________________________________________ Authors: Gill Darbyshire, Senior Service Development Manager: gill.darbyshire@renfrewshire.gov.uk Charlotte McCallum: Civil Contingencies Services Manager: charlotte.mccallum@renfrewshire.gov.uk Gordon McNeil, Director of Environment, Housing & Infrastructure: Gordon.mcneil@renfrewshire.gov.uk
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1 Business Continuity Policy 2025 - 2027 August 2025
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Business Continuity Policy 2025 -2027 2 Table of Contents 1. Introduction ....................................................................................................... 3 2. Policy Statement ............................................................................................... 5 3. Aim of Business Continuity Policy ..................................................................... 6 4. Civil Contingencies Service (CCS) ...................................................................... 7 5. Legal Compliance and Best Practice ................................................................. 7 6. Business Continuity Management Process ....................................................... 9 7. Renfrewshire Council’s Business Continuity Arrangements Lifecycle ............. 11 8. Decision Making ............................................................................................... 13 9. Review and Approval ....................................................................................... 16 10. Further Information ......................................................................................... 16 Appendix 1 ................................................................................................................... 17 Appendix 2 ................................................................................................................... 20
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Business Continuity Policy 2025 -2027 3 1. Introduction 1.1. Renfrewshire Council delivers many critical services across the area that have a huge impact on the lives of our residents. It is imperative that The Council continue to deliver services at an acceptable level when faced with an interruption (any challenge which effects the way in which services are normally delivered). 1.2. As defined in the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, the Council is a Category 1 Responder, meaning the Council is at the core of the response to most emergencies. This classification emphasis the critical role the Council plays in emergency preparedness and response. 1.3. Under this legislation the Council has a legal duty to prepare for, respond to and recovery from emergencies. This includes assessing risks, development of contingency plans, ensuring business continuity, and coordinating with other agencies. The Council must also warn, inform and advise the public of risk before an emergency and to keep the public informed in the event of and during emergencies. 1.4. The Civil Contingencies Service (CCS) Team, who provide 24/7 duty cover, are the identified initial point of contact during an incident or emergency and, as outlined in the Council’s Incident Response Procedure, can act as Council Incident Officer (CIO) until an appropriate Officer is appointed. The CCS is responsible for the selection, appointment and briefing of a CIO. A CIO will be chosen from the available trained officers and, where possible, will come from an area not directly involved in the incident. 1.5. To assist in the continued delivery of services to an acceptable level, the Council maintains a suite of business continuity documents and contingency plans which can be activated by services when they are facing a significant disruption. The Chief Executive is ultimately responsible for Business Continuity arrangements in terms of the Statutory duty as a Category 1 responder but responsibility for maintaining and updating the suite of Business Continuity documents lies with the Director of each Department, supported by the appropriate Head of Service and Service Manager, depending on subject matter.
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Business Continuity Policy 2025 -2027 4 1.6. In order to meet this duty, the Council jointly funds the Civil Contingencies Service (CCS) as a partnership arrangement with Inverclyde Council, East Renfrewshire Council and West Dunbartonshire Council. The Civil Contingencies Service employs 4 Civil Contingencies Officers, 1 Civil Contingencies Service Assistant and 1 Civil Contingencies Service manager, all of whom are trained by the Business Continuity Institute to provide guidance to services on how to build a robust Business Continuity System in line with the Business Continuity Institute’s Good Practice Guidelines and British Standards Institute ISO 22301. Note: In order to meet the Council’s statutory duty, it is supported by a number of wider organisations including the Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP), OneRen and voluntary/faith groups. These organisations have a longstanding commitment to support both the Council and the wider Renfrewshire community and work in close partnership with the Council in responding to local and national emergencies.
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Business Continuity Policy 2025 -2027 5 2. Policy Statement 2.1. Renfrewshire Council accepts its responsibility to meet its statutory duty, as defined in the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, to create and maintain Business Continuity Management Arrangements and Emergency Plans. 2.2. The Council’s ability to respond to a significant or disruptive event, and the continued delivery of critical services at an acceptable level, is addressed by maintaining a robust and effective suite of Business Continuity Plans, Emergency Plans and Incident Response Procedures. 2.3. The Chief Executive has responsibility for Business Continuity, as set out in the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, and will be supported by the Corporate Management Team (CMT) will provide leadership in matters of Business Continuity Management. The Council Resilience Management Team (CRMT) will provide coordination and control during periods of service disruption. Council Teams will provide advice to the Council Resilience Management Team on their area of expertise, depending on the situation. 2.4. The Council’s Business Continuity Management Arrangements seek to identify the time- critical activities that Council services undertake, to determine how long services can feasibly continue without aspects of functionality and to identify practical back-ups and workarounds that will allow the Council to continue to deliver critical services at an acceptable level. 2.5. Although emergencies can arise from various causes, their impacts often result in identical or similar outcomes, therefore the Council follows a ‘Consequences not Causes’ ethos for Business Continuity Planning. As a result, many aspects of preparation may be generic in nature, concentrating on reducing the impacts of an emergency while, from a planning standpoint, giving relatively little consideration to the cause of the disruption.
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Business Continuity Policy 2025 -2027 6 2.6. The Council recognises that its workforce is central to the delivery of critical services. During periods of disruption, contingency arrangements will be in place to support staff availability, redeployment, and wellbeing. This includes the activation of remote and flexible working protocols where feasible, identification of critical roles and cross- training to ensure service continuity, provision of mental health and wellbeing support for affected employees, use of temporary staffing solutions, including agency staff or redeployment from other services. 3. Aim of Business Continuity Policy 3.1. The purpose of the Business Continuity Policy is to outline how Renfrewshire Council will conduct its Business Continuity Management arrangements. 3.2. The Policy defines the roles and responsibilities of those responsible for Business Continuity Plans and work (including Service Managers, Heads of Service and Directors) across the organisation to ensure that arrangements are effective, up to date, and regularly tested and validated. 3.3. This policy provides a broad framework to support the Council's decision-making on service prioritisation during significant disruptions. It is important to note that this process will be influenced by the specific circumstances, so the rationale provided in this document is intended as guidance rather than a substitute for experience and dynamic decision-making which will be used if/when the situation arises. The decision to invoke Business Continuity arrangements will be made as outlined in Section 7 of this Policy.
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Business Continuity Policy 2025 -2027 7 4. Civil Contingencies Service (CCS) 4.1. The Council has a dedicated Civil Contingencies Service (CCS), in partnership with Inverclyde Council, East Renfrewshire Council and West Dunbartonshire Council. The team consists of a Civil Contingencies Service Manager, four Civil Contingencies Service Officers and one Assistant Civil Contingencies Service Officer. Together they provide governance, management and support covering all aspects of civil contingencies work. 4.2. The Civil Contingencies Service Manager leads the delivery of a wide range of work to support the mission and vision of Renfrewshire Council in relation to Business Continuity and emergency planning arrangements through compliance to regulations, risk management and organisational policies, including supporting Services to have appropriate, robust and meaningful BCPs in place. 4.3. The Civil Contingencies Service Manager and Civil Contingencies Service Officer (aligned to Renfrewshire Council) will offer support, advice and guidance to services specifically with all Business Continuity work including preparing Business Continuity Plans (BCPs), testing and exercising and the ongoing implementation of this Policy. 5. Legal Compliance and Best Practice 5.1. In order to comply with the legal requirements as set out in the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and in line with the Business Continuity Institute’s Good Practice Guidelines and British Standards ISO 22301, the Council's overall Business Continuity Management arrangements will: Comply with the duties of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, aiding our emergency response while continuing to deliver critical services to the public. Establish objectives, targets, controls, processes and procedures in relation to Business Continuity Management in order to deliver results that align with the needs of the Council. Support decision-making, communication mechanisms, and provide guidance to enable the prioritisation of key services during disruptions.
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Business Continuity Policy 2025 -2027 8 Consider the interdependencies and resource requirements that departments rely on. Develop strategies and understand what services will do in the event of a disruption. Clearly define roles and responsibilities under our Business Continuity Management approach. Monitor Business Continuity Management performance through reviews, testing and exercising and validation to support Services to identify areas that require improvement. Maintain and improve upon the Business Continuity Management arrangements by taking any relevant corrective action based on the results of reviews and validation; and Promote knowledge of Business Continuity Systems at all levels of management; and Ensure that its People policies are reviewed and aligned with Business Continuity arrangements. This includes policies on health and wellbeing, flexible working, special leave, pay during disruption, deployment and emergency resourcing. These policies will be regularly reviewed to reflect operational needs and legal compliance during emergencies.
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Business Continuity Policy 2025 -2027 9 6. Business Continuity Management Process 6.1. Business continuity is integral to our operations across all three phases of the Incident Management Cycle: Planning, Response, and Recovery. It influences all levels of coordination and response, including Strategic, Tactical, and Operational. Our business continuity framework, as set out in Section 6.4 below, is designed to coordinate responses effectively during disruptions. 6.2. Our Business Continuity Plans and documentation support various dedicated, incident- focused arrangements within the Council. These arrangements can be specific to certain incidents or consequences (e.g., Support Centre Guidance) or more general for handling any incident (e.g., Incident Response Procedures). 6.3. Appendix 1 sets out, in detail, the roles and responsibilities in relation to Business Continuity Process Management. 6.4. Renfrewshire Council’s Coordination and Response Tiers (as illustrated in Diagram 1) are: Strategic (Gold): Managed by the Corporate Management Team (CMT). Tactical (Silver): Overseen by the Council Resilience Management Team (CRMT). Operational (Bronze): Involves front-line Service Delivery Managers, including Business Continuity Plan Owners (Service Managers). Diagram 1: Renfrewshire Council Incident Response Structure
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Business Continuity Policy 2025 -2027 10 6.5. Communication will be between the Strategic, Tactical and Operational Tiers, each having an equal role with clear remit (rather than a hierarchical approach), to ensure appropriate decision making and governance in any incident situation. The Chair of the CRMT will liaise between the CRMT (Silver) and CMT (Gold) with the CCS Manager/Officer liaising between CRMT (Silver) and Operational Services (Bronze). 6.6. Where appointed, the Council Incident Officer (CIO) provides a focal point of communication between the Council and other responding agencies – and supports the activities of the CMT / CRMT. 6.7. Clear and timely communication with the workforce during incidents is essential. The Council will maintain internal communication protocols to: Inform staff of service changes, expectations, and support available. Provide updates through established channels (e.g. intranet, email, team briefings). Enable feedback mechanisms to capture staff concerns and lessons learned. 6.8. Renfrewshire Council’s business continuity arrangements consist of a wide range of documents including those created specifically for a particular scenario to allow a deeper focus on that area where a specific high risk scenario has been identified. Full details are included in Appendix 2 to this Policy. 6.9. Although this Policy relates to Renfrewshire Council is it recognised that in addition to the documents outlined above that several key Partners and organisations (including voluntary and faith groups), the Health & Social Care Partnership (HSCP) and OneRen, work closely with the Council on many occasions to offer mutual aid, where necessary, subject to operational efficiencies, in shared responsibility for the resilience of the wider Renfrewshire community.
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Business Continuity Policy 2025 -2027 11 7. Renfrewshire Council’s Business Continuity Arrangements Lifecycle 7.1. Policies & Programmes (Embedding) 7.1.1. This Policy sets out key responsibilities for implementing business continuity. All Services across the Council have the offer of a range of support from the Civil Contingencies Service (CCS) Team and are equipped and empowered through available Business Continuity Plan (BCP) templates and ongoing training and testing to understand and fulfil their roles in business continuity. 7.1.2. Training and testing of Business Continuity arrangements will be undertaken with individual Services, Departments and wider groups and will be scenario based created to focus on the highest risks identified in the National Risk Register, to assess resilience based on “consequences not causes”. 7.1.3. A standard corporate Business Continuity Plan (BCP) template, as agreed by the CRMT, and training will be regularly reviewed and enhanced by the CCS Team to support Services and to reflect feedback or industry standard changes and improvements. 7.1.4. Relevant and regular updates and information are shared with CRMT as appropriate both as part of the regular planned CRMT meeting cycle and outwith if required.
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Business Continuity Policy 2025 -2027 12 7.2. Plans: Review and Maintenance (Analysis, Design and Implementation) 7.2.1. The wide range of functions provided by Services, the constraints they face, and the support required for effective delivery when faced with a range of situations are thoroughly considered as part of Business Continuity Plans (BCPs). 7.2.2. Service-level Business Continuity Plans should be reviewed and updated at least annually, as required due to service changes, or when required due to lessons identified during utilisation. 7.2.3. Oversight of all Renfrewshire Council BCPs is retained by the CRMT as outlined in the CRMT Terms of Reference, Section 2.1 which states “Ensure appropriate arrangements/procedures and protocols are in place to enable Renfrewshire Council to fully discharge the statutory duties conferred upon it by relevant legislation including the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and Contingency Planning (Scotland) Regulations 2005” while the Chief Executive has overall responsibility for this area of work. 7.2.4. Critical services will be prioritised, in discussion with CRMT and CMT, while recognising that this prioritisation may change depending on the nature of the incident at the time. The minimum resources needed to sustain these priority services will be identified. Strategies and solutions to manage a range of disruptions are outlined clearly in Service BCPs. 7.2.5. The Service Manager, or owner of the Service Level BCP, is responsible for ensuring an annual review and updating of any information is undertaken as a minimum requirement. 7.2.6. All relevant sections of the Business Continuity Plan (BCP) standard template must be completed with full and accurate information included to ensure that details are included against each possible scenario. 7.2.7. The Service Manager/Owner of the Service Level BCP, is responsible for ensuring that an accurate and up to date copy of the current BCP is retained and accessible at all times (noting that any hard copy documents much be stored in a secure location). A copy of this document must be shared with the CCS Team who will also retain a copy. A suitable digital solution, as agreed with ICT, will be in place for storing a further digital copy of the documentation.
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Business Continuity Policy 2025 -2027 13 7.3. Validation following invocation of Business Continuity arrangements in a “live or training situation.” 7.3.1. Learning from real incidents or dedicated training and exercise programs within the Service is integral to validating Business Continuity arrangements. After any incident or training exercise a review of the current BCP will be undertaken by the Service involved and any actions identified will be recorded and the necessary steps taken to update arrangements outlined in the BCP. This approach ensures BCPs meet required standards, provide the details required and can support the business during an incident while offering the opportunity to identify areas for improvement. 7.3.2. The Civil Contingencies Service will oversee a wide range of training opportunities and exercise activities, offering guidance and support for the validation of Service-Level Business Continuity Plans. 8. Decision Making 8.1. Decision Making in Single Service Disruptions 8.1.1. When a single Service faces service delivery disruptions, the ultimate decision-making authority rests with the BC Plan Owner/Manager of the impacted Service, in conjunction with the appropriate Head of Service, if circumstances permit. All decisions must be accurately recorded including a clear outlined of the decision, who took this decision, why this decision was taken and the timing of this. 8.1.2. Owners of individual Service Level Business Continuity Plans are empowered to invoke the BC Plans based on managerial experience, knowledge, and understanding. The Service Manager/Owner will determine the appropriate response to the disruption, focusing on effectively delivering critical priorities. Examples of resource allocation include: Reassigning team members to cover essential functions. Allocating emergency funds to maintain critical service delivery. Utilising backup systems and equipment to ensure continuity.
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Business Continuity Policy 2025 -2027 14 8.2. Decision Making in Single Department Disruptions 8.2.1. When a single Department faces service delivery disruptions, the ultimate decision- making authority rests with the Director (or their deputies) of the impacted Department. All decisions must be accurately recorded including a clear outlined of the decision, who took this decision, why this decision was taken and the timing of this. 8.2.2. The Director (or Deputy) will decide which services should be prioritised for continuation and which may be suspended. This decision-making process will include identifying resource and support requirements and potentially reallocating resources. Examples of resource allocation include: Assigning additional staff to critical projects within the Department. Shiȅing financial resources to support urgent needs. Moving essential equipment to areas experiencing the highest demand. 8.2.3. The Director (or Deputy) will be supported by the Departmental Management Team or other appropriate senior officers, depending on the circumstances. 8.3. Decision Making in Cross/Multiple Service Disruptions 8.3.1. In the event of widespread service delivery interruptions across the Council, the Corporate Management Team (CMT) and the Council Resilience Management Team (CRMT) will serve as the decision-making bodies for the Council as outlined above in Section 6.4 of this Policy. All decisions must be accurately recorded including a clear outlined of the decision, who took this decision, why this decision was taken and the timing of this. 8.3.2. A suggested prioritisation, based upon knowledge and potential business impact analysis is outlined in each service Business Continuity Plan. This information is reviewed annually as a minimum, as part of the annual update of Business Continuity Plans, and feeds into the Renfrewshire Council Business Continuity Plan, maintained by the CCS Team on behalf of the Chief Executive, and outline of prioritised services.
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Business Continuity Policy 2025 -2027 15 8.3.3. The CMT/CRMT will determine which services should be prioritised for continuation and which may be suspended. This decision-making process will include identifying resource and support requirements and potentially reallocating resources across the Council. Examples of resource allocation include: Redirecting staff from non-critical services to support critical operations. Reallocating budget funds to ensure essential services have the necessary financial support. Deploying equipment and technology to areas with the highest need. 8.3.4 The frequency of meetings during a Business Continuity disruption will be determined by the CMT and CRMT members. 8.3.5 Contact details for CMT and CRMT members are maintained in the Council’s Incident Management Contacts Directory (IMCD) which is reviewed and updated monthly and held securely by the CCS Manager. 8.3.6 During any significant disruption, the Council will engage with recognised trade unions to ensure transparency and collaboration in workforce-related decisions. This includes: Engagement on changes to working conditions, deployment, or service delivery. Joint communication planning to ensure consistent messaging to the workforce.
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Business Continuity Policy 2025 -2027 16 8.4. Decision Making in Disruption – Prioritisation of Services 8.4.1. It is recognised that depending on the scenario and nature of the incident, the decision on the prioritisation of service may be different. The appropriate governing body (e.g. CMT) will ultimately decide which services should be prioritised for continued delivery, considering the circumstances of any Business Continuity incident. 8.4.2. Services that impact the protection of “Life & Limb” will be given greater precedence and priority over other impacts, including combinations of impacts, during the initial stages of a disruptive event. 8.4.3. If an event becomes prolonged and as more information becomes available, greater emphasis may be placed on other types of service impacts. This will be done in consultation with CMT and CRMT. All decisions must be accurately recorded including a clear outlined of the decision, who took this decision, why this decision was taken and the timing of this. 9. Review and Approval 9.1. The Head of Operations and Service Development, as Chair of the CRMT, will have ongoing responsibility to maintain the accuracy and currency of this Policy, based on any changes to legislation, national guidance or Council policy. 9.2. This Policy will be reviewed every two years, as a minimum, or earlier should a significant change in legislation require this, by the Corporate Resilience Management Team (CRMT). 9.3. The Communities and Housing Policy Board has overall responsibility for Civil Contingencies and will consider this Policy. 10. Further Information 10.1. Further information regarding any aspect of this policy can be obtained from the Civil Contingencies Service (ccs@renfrewshire.gov.uk).
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Business Continuity Policy 2025 -2027 17 Appendix 1 Roles and Responsibilities Corporate Management Team (CMT) / Council Resilience Management Team (CRMT) responsibilities The CMT and CRMT are responsible for overseeing this Business Continuity Policy and ensuring the adequacy of Business Continuity arrangements across Renfrewshire Council. Business Continuity will be a standing agenda item at CRMT meetings. This ensures discussions across Council Services on best practice, keeps arrangements up to date, and provides the opportunity to address training and exercise needs identified. Any escalations or concerns will be reported by the CRMT Chair (or Deputy CRMT Chair) to the CMT. CRMT Representatives will ensure that any concerns or updates relating to Business Continuity arrangements are raised at CRMT and will appoint a Business Continuity Coordinator (see details below) for their respective Services where appropriate for that Department. Individual CMT members may request additional information, such as gap analysis or status updates, for their service areas to support assurance with Business Continuity arrangements. Civil Contingencies Service (CCS) Responsibilities The CCS is responsible for ensuring that Renfrewshire Council’s business continuity model is effective and aligns with best practices. This includes: Reviewing and updating the Council’s Business Continuity Policy in collaboration with the CRMT. Developing templates that enable Services to take ownership of their business continuity arrangements, with regular reviews to reflect the current risk landscape. Providing training and guidance as required, ensuring that relevant officers are equipped to fulfil their business continuity roles. Assisting in the development of exercises and tests to validate Department and Service Business Continuity Plans upon request. Ensuring Council-wide exercises are conducted to test and validate Business Continuity arrangements. Maintaining oversight of Departmental and Service arrangements.
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Business Continuity Policy 2025 -2027 18 Sharing feedback on best practices in relation to Business Continuity arrangements. Facilitating ICT access to relevant business continuity data to support Disaster Recovery efforts. Head of Service Responsibilities All Renfrewshire Council Heads of Service are primarily responsible for overseeing Service Level Business Continuity Plans (BCPs) within their areas of responsibility. Additionally, Heads of Service may choose to participate in Corporate, Departmental, or Service-level exercises to test business continuity arrangements. Director Responsibilities Directors are responsible for overseeing Departmental documentation within their areas of responsibility and assigning appropriate officers to coordinate activities. Directors may choose to participate in Corporate or Departmental exercises to test business continuity arrangements. Business Continuity Coordinator Responsibilities The Business Continuity Coordinator should be a manager or officer within each Department, responsible for coordinating updates to Service Level Business Continuity Plans for that Department. Although recommended that Departments identify a Business Continuity Coordinator for this type of work it is recognised that some Departments may choose not to do so and the responsibility will then lie with the individual Business Continuity Plan Owner. Business Continuity Coordinator responsibilities include: Working with Service Managers, reminding them to update their plans annually and offering support in the process, Liaising with the Civil Contingencies Service to ensure the use of up-to-date templates, identifying training needs, and assisting with audits. Individual Business Continuity Plan Owner Responsibilities Owners of individual service-level Business Continuity Plans (BCPs) are expected to maintain the BCP for their Service Area as a “live” document. Responsibilities include: Periodically reviewing the Business Continuity Plan, at least annually and aȅer every occasion that the BCP is invoked.
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Business Continuity Policy 2025 -2027 19 Updating the BCP to reflect any major or significant changes in service provision, such as (but not limited to): o Introduction of new services or programs. o Significant changes in staffing levels. o Relocation of services to new premises. o Implementation of new technology or systems. o Changes in regulatory requirements affecting service delivery.
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Business Continuity Policy 2025 -2027 20 Appendix 2 Renfrewshire Council supplementary Business Continuity Documentation Document Description Approved By Maintained By Business Continuity Management Policy Document outlining the Council’s approach to business continuity management, with roles and responsibilities. Communities and Housing Policy Board (CAHB) Head of Operations and Service Development Service Business Continuity Plan Document outlining decision making and providing key guidance for service disruptions. Head of Service Service Business Continuity Co- ordinator/ Service Manager ICT Disaster Recovery Arrangements Document which sets out how/when and in what priority order the Head of Digital, Transformation & Customer Services will seek to recover systems in the event of a loss / outage. Head of Digital, Transformation & Customer Services. It should be noted, however, that Service Level Business Continuity Plans will be a key element in this work and requirements must be linked. Head of Digital, Transformation & Customer Services.
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Business Continuity Policy 2025 -2027 21 Document Description Approved By Maintained By Incident Response Procedures Document designed to assist Council Incident Officers in their role in on-scene incident response. Provides support and guidance. Council Resilience Management Team Civil Contingencies Service Incident Roles and Responsibilities Document which outlines what each Council Service is responsible for throughout the incident response process, and the plans they have authority over. Council Resilience Management Team Civil Contingencies Service Incident Management Contact Directory Contacts directory for use during an incident. Council Resilience Management Team Civil Contingencies Service Power Resilience Framework Document detailing planning arrangements for the response to, and recovery from, a major power outage in Renfrewshire. Council Resilience Management Team Civil Contingencies Service Disruptive Weather Guidance Document which provides guidance for the Council’s role in preparing for, and responding to, the threat presented by disruptive weather conditions. Council Resilience Management Team Civil Contingencies Service
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Business Continuity Policy 2025 -2027 22 Document Description Approved By Maintained By Care for People Guidance Document which provides guidance on the role of the Council and key officers in providing welfare for those affected by an emergency. Council Resilience Management Team Civil Contingencies Service Mass Fatalities Guidance Document which provides guidance to officers should an extensive emergency take place, such as a pandemic influenza, where Renfrewshire Council may have to consider the care of the deceased. Council Resilience Management Team Civil Contingencies Service Security Threats Guidance A number of protocols which consider potential attacks faced by a Renfrewshire Council building. Council Resilience Management Team Civil Contingencies Service Major Accident Hazard Pipelines Emergency Plan (Part 2) A document detailing the plan for managing an emergency relating to a major gas pipeline in Renfrewshire. Council Resilience Management Team Civil Contingencies Service
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Business Continuity Policy 2025 -2027 23 Renfrewshire Council Renfrewshire House Cotton Street Paisley PA1 1BR