We speak your sector's language — not just BCM.
Generic business continuity plans fail because they don't account for the real risks of your specific operation. We build plans around the threats, regulators, and operational realities of your sector — so your plan works when you actually need it.
Restaurants
Retail
Early education
Allied health
Local government & city councils
Others
Aged care
Restaurants & Cafes
When you can't open tomorrow, every hour costs you.
The hospitality sector faces unique operational pressures where downtime isn't just an inconvenience—it's immediate lost revenue and reputational risk. We provide tailored continuity solutions built specifically for the pace and regulatory environment of commercial kitchens and dining rooms.
TOP RISKS
Key staff no-show
Your head chef calls in sick on a Friday night. Do you have a cross-training plan, a casual pool, and a simplified service model ready to activate?
Food safety incident
A contaminated batch, a customer complaint, or a council inspection gone wrong. Without a documented response procedure, you're improvising under pressure.
Supplier failure
Your main produce supplier doesn't deliver the morning before a full house. Do you have backup suppliers and a backup menu ready to go?
What we provide
Restaurant-specific BCP
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A fill-in business continuity plan built around your operational reality — kitchen, floor, suppliers, equipment, and food safety — not a generic template.
Crisis Response
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An 8-step laminated-style card for your wall — what to do in the first 24 hours of any crisis. Your staff can follow it without calling you first.
Food safety risk register
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Pre-populated with the 12 most common restaurant risks — HACCP-aligned, likelihood and impact rated, and ready for you to review and customise.
Insurance liaison report
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A formal document summarising your BCM controls to present to your insurer or broker — supporting premium reductions and stronger claim positions.
FSANZ Food Standards compliance · Local council food business registration · HACCP alignment · Liquor licence compliance · Safe Work Australia (WHS)
"We had a fire in the kitchen at 5pm on a Saturday. Because we'd done the plan, my manager knew exactly who to call, what to document, and how to notify our insurer. We were back open in three days."
— Restaurant Owner, melbourne cbd
BCP template, crisis cheat sheet, risk register, checklist, guide and scorecard.
Local Government & City CouncilsÂ
Your community depends on you. Your legislation demands it.
Local councils provide essential services to tens of thousands of residents — waste collection, permits, community facilities, aged care services, and emergency response coordination. A cyber attack, a flood, a critical system failure, or a workforce disruption doesn't just affect operations — it affects the community you serve. And under Victorian legislation, preparedness is not optional.
TOP RISKS
Cyber attack on council systems
Ransomware, data breach, or system compromise affecting ratepayer records, permit systems, or payroll. Several Australian councils have been hit. Without a tested ICT continuity plan, recovery is weeks — not days.
Natural disaster or flooding
Some councils experienced and are facing an increasing number of natural catastrophe, which has been becoming more unpredictable in the recent years.. Councils must coordinate community response while keeping their own operations running — simultaneously.
Critical workforce disruption
A pandemic, industrial action, or sudden loss of specialist staff across planning, engineering, or community services can interrupt essential services and trigger public accountability obligations.
Council functions that need continuity plans
- Waste & infrastructure: Collection, roads, drainage, parks maintenance
- Community services: Aged care, disability, maternal & child health
- Statutory planning: Permits, building approvals, enforcement
- Emergency coordination: MEMP, Municipal Emergency Resource Officer
- Finance & rates: Ratepayer records, payroll, accounts payable
- Customer service: Service centres, switchboard, online portals
- ICT & digital systems: Councils rely on 50+ systems — continuity for each
- Governance & compliance: Council meetings, audit obligations, reporting
What we provide
Municipal business continuity plan
A council-wide BCP aligned to the Emergency Management Act 2013 (Vic) and the Local Government Act 2020 — covering critical service functions, ICT dependencies, workforce continuity, and recovery priorities. Written to satisfy EMV expectations and internal audit requirements.
MEMP review & alignment support
A structured review of your Municipal Emergency Management Plan against current legislative and EMV requirements — identifying gaps, updating response structures, and ensuring your MEMP reflects your current operational footprint and community risk profile.
ICT & cyber continuity framework
A dedicated continuity framework for council ICT systems — covering system prioritisation, recovery time objectives, manual fallback procedures, and incident response protocols aligned to the Essential Eight and VPDSF requirements.
Tabletop exercise facilitation
A facilitated scenario exercise for your executive leadership team and department heads — testing your BCM and emergency arrangements under a realistic disruption scenario, with a formal after-action report and improvement recommendations.
Business Impact Analysis (BIA)
A structured BIA across all council departments — identifying critical functions, maximum tolerable downtime, resource dependencies, and recovery priorities. The foundation of any effective BCP and a standard expectation in local government BCM programs.
ISO 22301 gap assessment
A formal gap assessment of your current BCM arrangements against ISO 22301 — the international standard for business continuity management systems. Produces a prioritised action plan and supports audit readiness, insurance positioning, and executive reporting.
Why Sora — and why it matters for councils
01 — We have worked inside government. Our partners have designed BCM frameworks for public sector organisations — including at the state level. We understand council governance, political accountability, community obligations, and the reality of working with limited resources across competing priorities.
03 — We are cost-effective for smaller councils. Inner-metropolitan and regional councils often cannot justify the cost of a Big 4 engagement for BCM. Sora delivers the same quality of thinking at a scale and price that works for your budget and procurement process.
02 — We know Victorian legislation specifically. The Emergency Management Act 2013, the Local Government Act 2020, and the MEMP framework are not new to us. We have worked within these obligations — not just read about them.
04 — We can engage as an extension of your team. Whether you need a standalone BCP document, a full BCM program, or support for a specific audit or exercise, we adapt to your project scope, timeline, and internal resourcing.
"Local government BCM is uniquely complex — you are simultaneously a service provider, a regulator, a community anchor, and an emergency coordinator. Most BCM consultants don't understand that duality. Sora does, because we've been in the room."
— Partner, Sora Advisory Group
Aged care and nursing homes
Residence safety and regulatory compliance - simulatenously
Aged care is one of Australia's most heavily regulated sectors — and one of the most operationally demanding. A nursing shortage, infection outbreak, medication error, or failed ACQSC audit can put residents at risk and your registration in jeopardy. Your continuity plan must satisfy both your duty of care and your regulatory obligations, at the same time.
TOP RISKS
Nursing staff shortage
A sudden staffing gap that breaches care ratios. Without agency agreements and an escalation protocol, residents can be left without adequate care.
Infection outbreak
Outbreaks spread fast in residential care. Your IPC plan, PPE stock, and outbreak notification procedures must be ready before an outbreak starts.
ACQSC audit or SIRS notification
A reportable incident mishandled or an unannounced audit without documentation ready can trigger compliance action. Preparation is not optional.
What we provide
Aged care BCP aligned to ACQSC standards
A continuity plan built around the Aged Care Quality Standards — covering staffing, infection control, clinical care continuity, and emergency evacuation.
Outbreak & SIRS response protocols
Step-by-step documented procedures for infection outbreaks and SIRS-notifiable incidents — so your team can respond correctly and document everything.
Clinical risk register
Pre-populated with 12 aged care-specific risks — falls, medication errors, elopement, outbreak, evacuation, accreditation — rated and ready to customise.
Mock audit preparation support
A structured internal review against the Aged Care Quality Standards — so you know where your gaps are before ACQSC does.
Aged Care Quality Standards: ACQSC accreditation, SIRS (Serious Incident Response Scheme), Infection Prevention & Control, Aged Care Act 1997, AS 5050 / ISO 22301
"After an unannounced ACQSC audit, we realised we had a plan on paper but nothing our staff could actually follow under pressure. Sora rewrote our response procedures — in plain language our nurses could use at 2am."
— Facility Manager, aged care provider, Sydney
Our aged care toolkit is the only sector-specific BCM package built around ACQSC expectations and real facility operations.
Early childhood education and careÂ
Children in your care. Regulators watching your every move
Running a childcare centre or kindergarten means managing the safety of children, satisfying one of Australia's most active regulatory bodies, and keeping qualified staff on the floor — all at the same time. A staffing shortfall that breaches ratio requirements, an evacuation with no documented procedure, or a failed ACECQA assessment can put your licence, your families, and your business at serious risk.
TOP RISKS
Educator-to-child ratio breach
An educator calls in sick and no cover is available. Depending on your ratios and age groups, you may be legally required to reduce enrolments or close that room — with no notice to families.
ACECQA assessment or complaint
An unannounced visit or a family complaint triggers a regulatory assessment. Without documented policies, risk assessments, and evidence of compliance, your rating — and your approval — is at risk.
Emergency evacuation or lockdown
A fire, gas leak, or intruder requires immediate, practised action with children from ages six weeks to five years. An undocumented or untested evacuation procedure is both a safety risk and a regulatory failure.
What we provide
NQF-aligned business continuity plan
A BCP built around the seven Quality Areas of the National Quality Standard — covering staffing, health and safety, physical environment, partnerships, leadership, and governance.
Emergency & evacuation procedures
Documented, drill-ready evacuation and lockdown procedures for each room, age group, and scenario — including assembly points and roll-call processes.
Staffing continuity & ratio management plan
A documented protocol for managing sudden educator absences covering ratio thresholds by age group and escalation steps.
ACECQA assessment preparation support
A structured review against the National Quality Standard before an assessment visit identifying gaps in documentation.
Education and Care Services National Law · National Quality Standard (NQS) · ACECQA assessment & rating · Serious incident notification · Educator-to-child ratio requirements
"We had our ACECQA assessment on six days' notice. Because our BCP documented everything — our evacuation drills, our staffing escalation steps, our risk assessments — the assessor had nothing to question. We came out with an Exceeding rating in Quality Area 7."
— Centre Director, long day care centre, Brisbane
Built for centres that can't afford a compliance failure. NQF-aligned documentation, evacuation procedures, and staffing protocols.
RETAIL & SMALL BUSINESS
When your POS goes down on the busiest day of the year.
Retail disruptions rarely make the news — but a cyber attack, a payment system failure, a flood, or a key staff member leaving can be existential for a small retailer. Your continuity plan should be as practical as your stock management system — built for the pace and pressure of retail operations.
TOP RISKS
Cyber attack or POS failure
Payment systems go down on Boxing Day. Do you have a manual backup procedure, a communication plan for customers, and a recovery contact on speed dial?
Supply chain disruption
Your primary distributor can't deliver for three weeks. Do you have alternative suppliers, buffer stock policies, and a customer communication plan?
Flood, fire or premises damage
An extreme weather event or a building fire puts your premises out of action. Do you have an insurance claim procedure, a temporary trading plan, and off-site stock records?
What we provide
Retail BCP template — Covers POS and IT failure, supply chain disruption, premises damage, and staff shortage — with plain-language response steps your team can follow immediately.
Insurance premium support report — Formal documentation of your business continuity controls to support lower premiums on business interruption, property, and cyber insurance policies.
Safe Work Australia (WHS) · Australian Consumer Law · Privacy Act (data & cyber) · State Fair Trading requirements
"Simple. Practical. Ready to use."
Retail-specific BCM documentation that protects your business without taking you away from running it.
Professional services
Retail travel & tour operators
Can't find your sector? We probably serve it.
If you have staff, customers, a licence, or a supplier you depend on — you need a continuity plan. Browse the industry groups below. Every card links to a deeper conversation about your specific risks.