[BCM] [CAS] [E3] [BCS] [T2] [CBF] [1] Recovery Strategies

[Business Continuity Strategy] [Template 2]

Bann_BCM_BCS_Recovery Strategies

Business Continuity Strategy

CBF-1 Residential Care Operations

The Children’s Aid Society’s Residential Care Operations form the backbone of its mission to provide a safe, nurturing, and rehabilitative environment for children and youth in need. As such, the resilience of these operations during disruptions is critical.

A well-defined recovery strategy ensures that essential services continue with minimal downtime, safeguarding the well-being of residents, maintaining trust with stakeholders, and fulfilling legal and regulatory obligations.

This chapter outlines the recovery strategies for each Sub-Critical Business Function (Sub-CBF) under Residential Care Operations.

Each strategy is aligned with the Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and considers factors such as alternative facilities, temporary staffing measures, digital support platforms, and pre-identified emergency resources.

The strategies are designed to balance speed of recovery with practicality, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability in times of crisis.

Table 2: Recovery Strategies Table

Sub‑CBF Code	Sub‑CBF	RTO	Recovery Strategy	Recovery Location	Details of Recovery Strategy	Justification for Selected Recovery Strategy
1.1	Intake & Safety Assurance	4 hours	Immediate relocation to a pre-identified safe site	Partner organisations’ shelters/ emergency foster care network	Activate emergency intake procedures; use manual registration forms; deploy standby staff and volunteers for triage and safeguarding	Intake is mission-critical to ensure the safety of children. A rapid response protects vulnerable individuals and fulfils statutory obligations.
1.2	Daily Care & Supervision	8 hours	Continuity via temporary accommodation and relief caregivers	Partner care homes, community halls, or pre-arranged hotel accommodation	Deploy relief staff roster; provide meals and supervision at alternate accommodation; manual record-keeping until IT systems are restored	Ensures uninterrupted basic needs (food, shelter, supervision) for children; avoids psychosocial distress and risk to safety.
1.3	Therapeutic Programming	48 hours	Remote or hybrid therapy sessions	Online teletherapy platforms or borrowed facilities from partner NGOs	Utilise secure telehealth tools; reschedule non-urgent sessions; priority given to crisis intervention therapy	Programs can be delayed temporarily but should resume within 2 days to avoid regression in children’s progress.
1.4	Casework & Care Planning	24 hours	Remote work through digital access and manual backup	Staff homes or backup office at partner NGOs	Access digital case records via secure cloud; temporary manual updates; weekly supervisory calls maintained	Maintains continuity of case management and reporting, critical for legal compliance and family coordination.
1.5	Transition Support (Thrive21+)	72 hours	Remote engagement via digital tools and scheduled check-ins	Online communication platforms	Provide virtual mentoring, career guidance, and check-ins; delay non-urgent workshops or external visits	Transition support is important but can tolerate a short delay; continuity maintains trust and avoids disengagement.
1.6	Facility Operations	24 hours	Outsourced facility services and emergency repairs	On-site or contracted third-party facility providers	Activate contracts with backup vendors for repairs, utilities, and maintenance; use mobile generators if needed	Ensures living conditions remain habitable; essential for the health and safety of residents.
1.7	Communications & Stakeholder Engagement	12 hours	Cloud-based communication tools and media response plan	Offsite digital platforms	Use cloud email, SMS alerts, and social media; activate spokesperson protocol for public messaging	Timely, accurate communication is essential to maintain stakeholder trust and manage reputation during crises.
1.8	Post-Event Recovery & Evaluation	Immediate	Activate BCM response and command structure	Pre-identified alternate command centre	Mobilise Incident Management Team (IMT); shift to alternate command site; ensure continuous coordination with staff, volunteers, and partners	Recovery coordination underpins the effectiveness of all other Sub-CBF strategies.

The recovery strategies outlined for Residential Care Operations at the Children’s Aid Society ensure that essential services remain resilient in the face of disruption.

By prioritising child safety, continuity of care, and stakeholder confidence, these strategies provide a balanced approach to operational recovery.

They incorporate partnerships, alternative locations, digital tools, and robust governance mechanisms to reduce downtime and ensure compliance with legal and ethical obligations.

Ultimately, these recovery strategies enable the organisation to safeguard its mission—to provide care, protection, and hope for children and youth—while strengthening its overall resilience in times of uncertainty.

Resilience in Service: BCM Implementation for Children’s Aid Society
eBook 3: Starting Your BCM Implementation
MBCO	P&S	RAR T1	RAR T2	RAR T3	BCS T1	CBF

CBF 1: Residential Care Operations
DP	BIAQ T1	BIAQ T2	BIAQ T3	BCS T2	BCS T3	PD

More Information About Business Continuity Management Courses

To learn more about the course and schedule, click the buttons below for the BCM-300 Business Continuity Management Implementer [B-3] course and the BCM-5000 Business Continuity Management Expert Implementer [B-5].