If you couldn’t call,
would they know the plan?

Start with the people, not the group chat.

A group chat is useful while the service works. A household plan should also cover the moment it does not. Ready Scotland recommends recording important contacts, support needs and agreed meeting places, with a paper copy people can find.

Ask each person what help they would want, who they trust and what they could manage themselves. Don’t assume a relative wants a visit, can use stairs, can read a small printout or will have a phone to hand.

Choose a format everyone involved can use: clear print, large text or another accessible version. Keep private information secure and share only what the people carrying out the plan need to know.

Agree what happens if the first call fails.

Ofcom explains that power and severe weather can affect phone and broadband services. A charged phone is helpful, but it does not guarantee coverage. If there is signal and calls fail, an ordinary text may still get through; it is not guaranteed.

1. Choose the first contact.

   Who checks on who, and how? Make sure the person has agreed to the role and knows where to find the contact details.

2. Choose the backup arrangement.

   What will you do if calls or messages do not connect? A trusted local person may be better placed to check in, if it is safe and they have agreed. Do not turn a failed call into an automatic instruction to travel through hazardous conditions.

3. Choose a safe place and an alternative.

   Agree accessible meeting places for situations where you cannot get home or make contact. Check opening hours, routes and access needs. Never travel to a pre-agreed place if current official instructions make it unsafe.

A battery radio can help you receive official updates; it cannot tell your family you are safe. Keep receiving information and making two-way contact as separate jobs in the plan.

If someone depends on a digital landline or telecare, ask the provider how it works during a power cut and what support or backup applies. Don’t assume a new messaging app, radio system or satellite feature will work on every device or in every location.

One household, worked through.

The people and arrangements below are fictional. They illustrate planning questions, not a universal response to an emergency.

The outcome is a short set of agreements. It does not need to become a complicated command structure. An arrangement that nobody has confirmed is still a question to resolve.

Plan around routines that cannot simply pause.

Children and childcare. Check the school or childcare provider’s emergency procedures, collection arrangements and contact details. Explain your household plan calmly, in language the child understands. Help them learn their address and when to ask for help.

Care and powered equipment. Ask the relevant care, equipment and utility providers to help with individual backup arrangements. A general family plan cannot determine safe medical-device runtime or replace professional advice.

Animals. Decide who can help with feeding, transport or temporary care if the usual person is unavailable. Keep any necessary details with your household plan rather than relying on one person remembering them.

People living alone. Agree the check-in and its limits together. A trusted neighbour may be part of it, but only with everyone’s agreement. Follow official instructions during an incident, including evacuation advice.

Have the conversation while it’s an ordinary day.

Ask someone else to find the plan and explain the next step. Check whether the writing is readable and the contacts still agree. Talk through a failed call without creating a real outage or leaving anyone without support.

Revisit the plan after a move or a change in school, care, equipment or household circumstances. Mark the version you are using so an old card does not quietly become the family’s only copy.

Then connect the plan to the supplies: read the 72-hour emergency kit guide and check who can find and use what you have.