Leven Parish Council

Business Continuity Plan (BCP)

Supporting the Business Continuity Policy

1. Purpose of the Plan

This Business Continuity Plan sets out the procedures Leven Parish Council will follow to maintain essential services during and after a disruptive incident. It provides a practical framework for response, recovery, and restoration.

2. Activation of the Plan

2.1 When to Activate

– Disrupts or is likely to disrupt critical council functions
– Poses a risk to staff, councillors, volunteers, or residents
– Requires coordinated action beyond normal operations

2.2 Who Can Activate

– Clerk/RFO (primary decision-maker)
– Chair of the Council (if Clerk unavailable)
– Vice-Chair (if both above unavailable)

3. Incident Management Structure

Role	Responsibilities
Incident Lead (Clerk/RFO)	Coordinates response, makes operational decisions, liaises with partners
Chair/Vice-Chair	Provides governance oversight, supports communications
Councillors	Assist with local intelligence, community support, and decision-making
Contractors/Volunteers	Support operational tasks as directed

4. Critical Functions and Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs)

Critical Function	Description	RTO
Governance & Decision-Making	Meetings, urgent decisions, statutory duties	48 hours
Financial Management	Payments, payroll, financial controls	72 hours
Communications	Website, social media, resident updates	24 hours
Statutory Duties	Planning consultations, compliance	5 days

5. Risk Scenarios and Response Actions

5.1 Loss of Clerk or Key Personnel

Risks: Illness, resignation, incapacity
Actions:
– Activate cross-cover arrangements
– Chair/Vice-Chair to assume urgent duties
– Use locum clerk services if required
– Prioritise statutory and financial tasks

5.2 Loss of Premises

Risks: Fire, flood, structural failure
Actions:
– Switch to remote working
– Use alternative venues (e.g., village hall, library)
– Ensure access to cloud-based files

5.3 ICT Failure

Risks: Hardware failure, cyber incident
Actions:
– Use backup laptop or councillor devices
– Access cloud backups
– Notify IT support provider
– Follow data breach procedures if applicable

5.4 Loss of Data

Risks: Corruption, deletion, cyberattack
Actions:
– Restore from cloud backup
– Notify ICO if required
– Document incident and mitigation

5.5 Loss of Supplier or Contractor

Risks: Contractor failure, insolvency
Actions:
– Use pre-identified alternative suppliers
– Prioritise essential services (e.g., grounds maintenance)

5.6 Loss of Utilities

Risks: Power outage, water disruption
Actions:
– Switch to remote working
– Use mobile devices for communication
– Reschedule non-essential activities

6. Communication Procedures

6.1 Internal

– Phone, email, WhatsApp group
– Councillors informed within 2 hours of activation

6.2 Public

– Website updates
– Social media posts
– Noticeboards for residents without digital access

6.3 Partners

– East Riding of Yorkshire Council
– Emergency services
– Contractors and suppliers

7. Incident Log Requirements

The Incident Lead must maintain a log including:
– Time and date of activation
– Decisions made and rationale
– Communications issued
– Actions taken
– Recovery progress

8. Recovery and Restoration

8.1 Prioritisation

– Restore critical functions
– Resume normal operations
– Address backlog tasks

8.2 Post‑Incident Review

Within 14 days:
– Review what worked and what didn’t
– Update the BCP and policy
– Report findings to Full Council

9. Training and Testing

– Annual BCP exercise (tabletop or scenario-based)
– Councillor and staff induction includes BCP overview
– Review after any major incident or organisational change

10. Document Control

– Version: 1.0
– Approved by: Leven Parish Council 5^th May 2026
– Review Cycle: Annual or after major incident