Operational partnerships - Business continuity policy (O28)

1. Security protective marking

1.1 Not protectively marked.

2. Summary of changes to policy

2.1. This policy has been reviewed in April 2024 - paragraph 5.1 updated 

3. What this policy is about

3.1. The Police and Crime Commissioner and the Chief Constable of Kent Police confirm that it is their policy to ensure the continuity of service delivery within the force, following an unplanned disruption to normal working.

3.2. In so doing the force and the Police and Crime Commissioner will promote greater confidence to the public and central government that the service provided to the people of Kent and Medway will be sustained despite adverse events that affect the force or an individual district/department.

3.3. Business continuity is a legislative requirement of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, and therefore mandatory.

4. Statement of policy

4.1. The Police and Crime Commissioner is accountable under the Police Act for securing the maintenance of an effective and efficient police force for Kent and Medway. This includes ensuring that the force has reviewed its resilience to manage unplanned events, determined acceptable levels of service delivery and implemented a Business Continuity Management Programme to ensure these levels are achieved.

4.2. Business continuity is a methodical way to restore normal service following an incident, based on common sense, good management and cost effectiveness.

5. Implications of the policy

5.1. Finance/staffing/training/other

• heads of department will ensure that an appropriate level understanding exists within their departments. It is best practice to exercise business continuity plans yearly
• business continuity is a theme that applies to all areas of business across the force. Relevant departments will maintain a business continuity management plan which links into the overall Business Continuity Management Strategy and critical functions of the force, which can be found on the internal Kent Police website
• the business continuity workstream is monitored by the Joint Operational Learning/Contingency Planning Board. 

5.2. Risk assessments

A failure to create business continuity plans or keep them regularly reviewed and tested would amount to non-compliance with the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and damage to our organisational reputation. It would also significantly increase the risk of a failure to respond in a timely and co-ordinated manner with the potential that individuals and the wider community may be exposed to increased levels of harm.

5.3. Equality Impact Assessment (EIA)

An EIA has been carried out, and shows the proposals in this policy would have no potential or actual differential impact on grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, transgender, disability, age, religion or belief or sexual orientation.

6. Monitoring and review

6.1. This policy will be reviewed every two years with the next review taking place in April 2026.

7. Other source documents

None listed.

8. Security

8.1. Kent Police have measures in place to protect the security of your data in accordance with our Information Management policy. 

9. Retention and disposal of records

9.1. Kent Police will hold data in accordance with our Records Review, Retention and Disposal policy.