Escalation workflow for critical incidents

Purpose

1.1. Automate the identification, escalation, and resolution of critical incidents in home help services for social care clients.
1.2. Ensure prompt communication and automated notification to appropriate stakeholders, supervisors, and emergency contacts when incidents are detected.
1.3. Automated escalation guarantees compliance with regulatory requirements and safeguards vulnerable clients in in-home assistance.
1.4. Automator improves visibility and traceability of incident handling, with all escalation steps documented automatically.
1.5. Automating escalation enforces standardized workflows, reduces manual intervention, and mitigates service delivery risks.

Trigger Conditions

2.1. Incident report flagged as critical by a care worker through digital forms or mobile app.
2.2. Passive monitoring sensors (e.g., fall detection, door sensors) registering abnormal activity.
2.3. Scheduled visit missed or unconfirmed by staff via clock-in digital system.
2.4. Critical health parameters (e.g., heart rate, glucose) reported outside safe thresholds.
2.5. Client-initiated alert via emergency button or wearable devices.
2.6. Automatedly received complaints from family or third-party agencies.

Platform Variants

3.1. Twilio SMS
• Feature/Setting: Automate sending urgent SMS using Twilio Programmable Messaging API.
• Sample: Configure escalation rule to send SMS on incident creation via API endpoint `/Messages.json`.
3.2. SendGrid
• Feature/Setting: Automated email alerts using SendGrid Mail Send API.
• Sample: Trigger on critical status; automate email via `v3/mail/send` endpoint.
3.3. PagerDuty
• Feature/Setting: Automates incident and escalation via Incidents API.
• Sample: Use `POST /incidents` to create escalation with defined escalation policy.
3.4. Slack
• Feature/Setting: Automate posting alerts to responders using Incoming Webhooks.
• Sample: Set webhook URL and automate POST for #critical-incident channel notification.
3.5. Microsoft Teams
• Feature/Setting: Automate adaptive card notifications via Teams Bot Framework.
• Sample: Automate card message to escalation group on incident detection.
3.6. ServiceNow
• Feature/Setting: Automatically generate incident records and workflows.
• Sample: Use Table API to automate incident creation in `incident` table.
3.7. Zendesk
• Feature/Setting: Automate raising support tickets tagged “critical-incident”.
• Sample: Automate POST to `/api/v2/tickets` with escalation fields.
3.8. Salesforce Service Cloud
• Feature/Setting: Automates creation of critical case with case escalation rules.
• Sample: Automate API call to `/services/data/vXX.0/sobjects/Case/` with escalation logic.
3.9. Freshdesk
• Feature/Setting: Automate ticketing with escalation policies.
• Sample: Automate ticket creation via `/api/v2/tickets` with priority and escalation tag.
3.10. Jira Service Management
• Feature/Setting: Automate issue creation and assign to escalation workflows.
• Sample: Automate REST API call to `/rest/api/2/issue` for “Critical Incident” projects.
3.11. HubSpot
• Feature/Setting: Automate task creation for incident follow-up.
• Sample: Automate engagement creation using `/crm/v3/objects/tasks`.
3.12. Monday.com
• Feature/Setting: Automate escalation boards and notification using Automations.
• Sample: Configure “When status changes to Critical, notify” automator.
3.13. Asana
• Feature/Setting: Automate creation of tasks and automated assignment to supervisors.
• Sample: Automate with API POST `/tasks` for critical workflow section.
3.14. Google Chat
• Feature/Setting: Automate bot messages to escalation room via Chat API.
• Sample: Post alerts with HTTP request to webhook endpoint.
3.15. Webex
• Feature/Setting: Automate incident notifications as messages to teams.
• Sample: Use POST to Rooms API to notify the escalation group.
3.16. AWS SNS
• Feature/Setting: Automate multi-channel escalation notifications (SMS, email, etc.).
• Sample: Publish automatedly to `TopicArn` when incident flagged.
3.17. Azure Logic Apps
• Feature/Setting: Automate workflow orchestration to notify systems and users.
• Sample: Build automated logic flow triggered on incident event.
3.18. Zapier
• Feature/Setting: Automate cross-platform escalations using Multi-Step Zaps.
• Sample: Trigger sequence when critical form submitted.
3.19. IFTTT
• Feature/Setting: Automates simple escalation actions when conditions met.
• Sample: Set up applet for 'If incident critical, then send notification'.
3.20. Google Workspace (Gmail/Calendar)
• Feature/Setting: Automate sending incident emails and adding calendar events for escalated reviews.
• Sample: Automate notification email and escalated task meeting creation.
3.21. Okta
• Feature/Setting: Automate directory or group notification and access escalation for crisis teams.
• Sample: Use automated workflow to assign escalation access to incident responders.
3.22. Aircall
• Feature/Setting: Automate calls to responders for urgent incidents using Aircall API.
• Sample: Automate placing outbound call to escalation chain.

Benefits

4.1. Automates rapid notification and response to critical incidents, reducing manual delays.
4.2. Automation ensures every escalation is logged, traceable, and compliant.
4.3. Automator reduces human error and missed steps through rule-based escalation.
4.4. Improves client safety and service quality via immediate, automated outreach and response.
4.5. Frees staff for higher-value tasks by automating repetitive escalation routines.
4.6. Scalability—automation adapts to increased incident volume without extra headcount.
4.7. Automatedly consolidates communication across diverse channels, ensuring no alert is missed.