COVID-19 Update

Update by Damian Walters, BiKBBI CEO:

Further to our statement last week in relation to the COVID-19 situation, I would like to provide the following update.

Whilst the government have held off the closure of schools, a scenario which would trigger our own contingency plans, it is clear that significant measures are being considered to attempt a delay of virus spread. This could include the closure of schools in the near future according to government sources.

Any national school closure would, without doubt, cause practical challenges for our staff and subsequently affect our ability to operate business as usual. Therefore, I had little alternative other than to move quickly to formulate an emergency plan to avoid significant disruption to our service, in particular the operation of our compliance function.

I am pleased to confirm that we have completed viability and security checks over the weekend on our systems and operational processes. Our systems therefore are ready for our staff to work from home, which includes a comprehensive communication strategy to ensure staff are not isolated. This includes daily video conferencing, digital file collaboration and real time screen sharing. We’re confident that this technology bridges the geography and supports tech we introduced last year, namely our Compliance & Administrative Management System (CAMS).

Importantly, we are now ready to initiate our emergency plans within a few hours if necessary. My staff are briefed to move from office operations to home and I am more than confident that our plans will ensure a smooth move for the team and a seamless continuation of our service for stakeholders.

Whilst we must all remain calm during these unsettling times, my stance is to hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. Whatever this global challenge brings, it is my responsibility to safeguard the organisation for today and the future, and these plans go some way to minimise any inevitable negative impact that this virus presents.

I would like to thank my team for their support. This is a group of loyal people, who time-and-time again go above and beyond the call of duty to support me and the organisation.

Furthermore, I would like to thank our IT consultants Lumic for their guidance and reactive, professional support. They have been amazing!

Finally, this will be our last update on the subject, unless circumstances change or if we move forward for our contingency plans.

I would like to wish you all the very best of health and encourage you to follow NHS guidelines on protecting yourselves and those around you.