Training item - Business Continuity Update
Minutes:
Members were given a presentation on an update in relation to Business Continuity Planning. The Director explained that the Business Continuity Plan provided the Council with the ability to maintain its services and be responsible to members of the public during any disaster which might befall the Council. She explained that the Council had been practising and testing for specific disasters in order to identify any weaknesses and to make the necessary adaptations to processes. The Director explained the role of key officers in responding to a disaster; when and how information was cascaded to senior management.
In response to a query from Councillor D Abbott regarding risk assessment information, the Director explained that the information was available on the intranet and that there were plans to make staff more aware of this and of their responsibilities via staff briefings and the weekly staff bulletin. Councillor C Woodward explained that this could be made mandatory in terms of questions asked by new staff during the induction process.
The Director explained what weaknesses had been identified and that the Business Continuity Plan would be added to the Emergency Plan and that staff would be involved in a test session with no prior warning.
In response to a query from Councillor P Boylan, the Director explained that plans were in place to address mass sickness, even death and explained the built in resilience to potential IT failures. She explained how data was backed up regularly in Stevenage and that staff could log on from anywhere. The Director assured Members that mechanisms were in place to ensure that Members were kept fully informed and that Officers had information on which Members were media trained to speak to the press.
Councillor M Allen referred to disasters and questioned how quickly the Council could be up and running following such an event. The Director explained that it depended on the severity of the disaster but the aim was within 24 hours.
The Chairman queried whether Business Continuity Planning procedures were shared between Councils. The Director explained that as far as she was aware, East Herts had never been asked to share their procedures.
The Chairman, on behalf of Members, thanked the Director for the presentation.
The Committee received the presentation.
RESOLVED – that the presentation be received.