What this means for your practice
Test restoration in an authorised isolated environment and verify representative functions. Record the restored version, missing components and corrective actions.
An example to discuss with your team
Restore a test copy and run the agreed journey from entry page to successful outcome using fictional data.
How to review the arrangement
Ask the maintainer to restore a sample version and complete an important journey, such as sending a test enquiry to its intended destination. Which settings or connections were missing? Record those findings with owners and recheck the relevant weakness. A green backup screen should not be the only recovery evidence presented.
Test what visitors and staff need to do
Ask the supplier to restore a copy in an agreed safe test setup. Choose a version and a few tasks that represent the service, such as opening a download, using a form and following a booking link. Use fictional information and appropriate test destinations so the exercise does not create real requests or messages.
Check the settings and connected services as well as the visible pages. A restored site can look right while sending an enquiry to the wrong place or lacking a required file. Record what was restored, what had to be supplied separately and any step that depended on undocumented knowledge. Give the resulting fixes a responsible person and recheck the specific weakness. Keep a summary the practice can understand: which functions were demonstrated, what remains unresolved and how the exercise compares with the agreed recovery expectations. That is more useful than simply receiving another successful-backup notification.
How to check the result
Track completed restore exercises and unresolved defects found during recovery.
Turn reading into a next step
Your action checklist
Work through these checks with your team or supplier. Tick the ones you have resolved and leave unknowns open.
Record what you know, what is still missing and the answer you need from your team or supplier.
Use project decisions only, without personal, patient or confidential details. Entries stay in this page and are not submitted to Kay & Co. Copy or download before leaving; this page does not save your notes.
Further reading
These sources provide background for the topic. The practice examples and checklist are illustrative planning suggestions from Kay & Co.
Related guides
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