How to Evidence Your Business Continuity Plan in a Social Care Tender

July 30, 2025

Showing (not just saying) that your service can cope under pressure is a big scoring lever in social care tenders. Use hard evidence, recent examples, and clear governance to prove your Business Continuity Plan (BCP) is real, tested, and effective.

What Evaluators Expect to See

A live BCP with named roles, triggers, escalation paths, and decision logs.
Practised responses (drills and real incidents) with lessons learned and updates applied.
Continuity for people: critical visits covered, medication/admin tasks delivered, safeguarding maintained.
Records and KPIs that show reliability over time—not one‑off claims.

Evidence Bundle (Attach or Reference)

BCP overview (current version)—scope, scenarios (IT failure, staffing shortfall, severe weather, supplier outage), and 24‑hour playbook.
Role cards & on‑call rota—who decides what, when, and how to escalate.
Drill summaries—date, scenario, metrics (time‑to‑cover, % critical delivered), actions and completion dates.
Incident logs (redacted)—timeline, actions, outcomes, recovery, and family/commissioner comms.
Supplier & data resilience—backup/restore notes, offline care plans, alternative transport/IT/telephony routes.
Training & inductions—attendance lists, briefing slides, aide‑memoire sheets.

How to Structure Your Answer

Commit: State policy position—BCP reviewed 6‑12 monthly and after incidents; version‑controlled and board‑approved.
Explain the triggers: What starts the plan (e.g., 20% staff loss on a shift, EPRR alert, system outage > 30 minutes).
Show the playbook: First 2 hours, first 24 hours—who leads, what gets protected first, how people are updated.
Prove it works: Add a recent drill or real event summary with KPIs and actions closed.
Close with governance: How learning updates the plan, who signs off, when the next test is scheduled.

First 24‑Hour Playbook (Example)

0–15 mins: Duty Lead declares incident; open log; identify critical people/visits from risk register.
15–60 mins: Redeploy staff; activate bank/agency; confirm ETAs; notify high‑risk people/families first.
1–3 hours: Stabilise schedules; put non‑critical tasks on hold; confirm meds/admin cover; brief commissioners.
By end of shift: Issue written update; record exceptions; set next review checkpoint.
Within 24 hours: Return to BAU; complete incident log; assign actions and target dates.

KPIs That Lift Scores

% critical visits delivered during disruption (target: 100%).
Time‑to‑first cover for high‑risk cases (target: < 60 minutes).
Missed‑visit rate and average delay (target: near‑zero/low, trending down).
Communication SLA—families informed within set times; commissioner updates within contract timescales.
Action closure rate from drills/incidents (target: 100% by due date).

Staffing Continuity Proof

Cross‑skilling matrix—who can administer meds/complex tasks.
Standby windows on peak periods and micro‑geography rotas to reduce travel.
Pre‑vetted bank/agency pool—profiles, rapid induction, supervisor checks.

Digital & Data Resilience Proof

Offline care plan access if systems fail; printed essentials for high‑risk people.
Backups & restore tests—frequency, last test date, outcomes.
Fallback comms—SMS lists, alternative phones, WhatsApp/alert groups with governance.

Communication Standards During Disruption

Risk‑based sequencing: phone calls for high‑risk first; SMS/email for low‑risk.
Time‑bound updates: “We’ll confirm the revised ETA by 10:30.”
Single accountable lead: name/role shared; clear contact route.

Mini Case Study (Template)

January 2025—severe weather affected travel for morning rounds in Area B. Duty Lead activated BCP at 06:20. Cross‑skilled staff redeployed; pre‑vetted agency engaged for three calls. 100% critical visits delivered; average delay 22 minutes; families notified by 07:10. Lessons: added 2 standby slots on weekday mornings; refreshed local snow‑route map. Actions closed by 04 Feb 2025.

Checklist to Attach with Your Bid

BCP (current version) with roles, triggers, and 24‑hour playbook.
Last two drill summaries with KPIs and completed actions.
One redacted incident log showing decisions and outcomes.
Cross‑skill matrix and standby rota snapshot.
Backup/restore test note; offline access procedure.

Bottom line: pair a concise narrative with hard evidence. A tested plan, clear roles, and measurable outcomes are what move continuity answers into the top scoring band.