Skip to main content
Home
  • The Legislative Assembly meets on 16/04/2024 (01:00 PM)
    Assembly sit 16/04/2024
  • The Legislative Council meets on 16/04/2024 (01:00 PM)
    Council sit 16/04/2024
  • The Public Administration meets on 08/04/2024 (10:00 AM)
    Committee meet 08/04/2024

Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 610 asked in the Legislative Council on 10 August 2022 by Hon Dr Steve Thomas

Parliament: 41 Session: 1

COMMUNITIES — BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLANS

610. Hon Dr STEVE THOMAS to the Leader of the House representing the Minister for Community Services:

I refer to my question without notice 583 asked on 9 August 2022 about the Department of Communities' business continuity plans.

(1) What are the specific and deemed criteria and trigger points required for the application and activation of a business continuity plan with a Department of Communities team, unit or directorate?

(2) Who within the Department of Communities deems that the criteria have been met and the application of a business continuity plan should apply?

(3) What are the identities of the 11 business units and seven directorates that have activated a business continuity plan between 1 May 2022 and 31 July 2022?

Hon SUE ELLERY replied:

I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. Although there are only three parts to this question, the member has asked for a significant amount of detail, so I will give him the answer—but I am sorry it is a long answer because that is the level of detail he has asked for.

(1) The business continuity plan owner is responsible for its activation in the event of a significant business disruption event that impacts on the ability of the directorate to continue to deliver critical business activities. Key business disruption event impact scenarios include loss of key staff; loss of access to building or infrastructure; loss of ICT infrastructure; loss of third party suppliers; and workforce depletion, such as 10 per cent staff loss, 20 per cent staff loss and 30 per cent staff loss.

(2) The business continuity plan owner is responsible for deeming that the criteria have been met and a business continuity plan should apply. The business continuity plan owner must submit a request to activate a business continuity plan, and the activation must be reviewed and endorsed by the relevant senior—tier 1 or 2—executive of the business continuity plan owner. The business continuity plan owner is the head of the relevant division, directorate or business unit.

(3) The 11 business units or regional offices are in service delivery, two business units for the north metropolitan region and midwest–Gascoyne; in statewide services, one business unit for the WA Seniors Card; in integrity, intelligence and professional standards, two business units for duty of care and complaints management; in regulation and quality, one business unit for National Disability Insurance Scheme worker screening; in specialised care and accommodation, five business units for business and practice improvement, the Kath French Secure Care Centre, individualised services, residential care, and supported community living and intervention support services.

The eight directorates are specialised care and accommodation in the community services division; human resource business partnering in the people division; the statewide welfare incident coordination centre in the community services division; corporate communications in the office of the director general; people executive in the people division; organisational development and workforce capability in the people division; the Office of Disability in the strategy and partnerships division; and the Office for Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence in the strategy and partnerships division.

There is a correction to question without notice 583. From 1 May 2022 to 31 July 2022, within the Department of Communities, 11 business units, eight directorates and zero divisions had activated a business continuity plan. The correction is due to a system error.