Why Business Continuity Still Gets Overlooked in Social Care — And Why That’s a Risk

July 21, 2025

In social care, there’s often a strong focus on policies, procedures, and service delivery — but business continuity planning (BCP) can fall by the wayside. Many providers underestimate how important a robust BCP is to commissioners, regulators, and the people you support.

Business continuity isn’t just about preparing for fire, flood, or IT outages — it’s about showing you understand your risks and have realistic, tested plans to manage them. In a sector facing workforce shortages, rising costs, and complex supply chains, resilience planning matters more than ever.

Too often, social care providers rely on generic templates or outdated plans that don’t reflect their actual vulnerabilities. Commissioners and regulators are increasingly aware of this — and it can undermine confidence in your tenders or compliance evidence.

Why Does This Matter?

Commissioners want assurance you can deliver services safely, even in disruption.
CQC expects governance systems to include continuity planning and risk management.
Business continuity failures can lead to contract loss, enforcement action, or safeguarding incidents.
Strong BCP strengthens tenders by demonstrating foresight, leadership, and resilience.

If your plan hasn’t been reviewed, updated, or tested recently, it’s likely already out of date. And if your team can’t articulate it clearly in tenders or inspections, commissioners won’t trust it exists in practice.

This isn’t about ticking boxes — it’s about protecting people, reputation, and contracts.

Written by Mike Harrison, Founder of Impact Guru Ltd — specialists in bid writing and strategy for social care providers

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