In the face of unforeseen challenges such as global pandemics, major storms, and energy supply disruptions, our commitment to customer support and employee safety remains steadfast.
Priority is given to servicing our Priority Service Register customers, hospitals, and care homes, while collaborating with retailers to facilitate the safe operation or necessary closure of local businesses. Beyond the incident itself, our focus lies on the well-being of individuals throughout and after the event.
We work hard to make sure our customers and the communities we serve feel informed, supported, and cared for at every stage, with a visible presence in the area where appropriate. 10 July 2024 Page 33 of 201 Post-incident, debrief sessions are conducted to analyse successes and areas for improvement, especially in the context of significant regional or national incidents. Collaboration extends to local agencies, resilience forums, support bodies, and industry counterparts within Water UK.
Insight revealed that our non-operational staff can contribute meaningfully during operational incidents, thereby freeing up operational resources for problem resolution. To formalise this discovery, we’ve established a structured process where employees across the company can volunteer for various roles, including engagement with the Business Continuity Team, participation in exercises to validate plans, involvement in incident teams, and registration as volunteers.
The contribution of these volunteers spans a diverse range of tasks, such as managing bottled water stations, coordinating volunteers, data analysis, call handling, customer liaison, social media management, and traffic coordination. Not only does this help us to deliver unrivalled customer experiences, but it also enriches the skillset of our workforce and fosters continuous learning.