Published on July 6th 2022 by Iris Steen

Check care staff’s data security and protection competency: new tools

Better Security, Better Care launches new data protection discussion and assessment resources for managers and frontline workers

In order to complete the Data Security and Protection ToolkitThe Data Security and Protection Toolkit is an online self-assessment tool that allows health and social care organisations to provide assurance that they are undertaking good data security and that personal information is handled correctly.  The T More (DSPT), care providers need to demonstrate that their staff have been trained and are competent in data security and protection.

Better Security, Better Care – the support programme on the DSPT – has found that many care providers struggle to meet the DSPT training requirement of 95% of frontline staff with access to personal data are competent in data security and protection. (See the full report produced by IPC for the programme: Training and Skills Development for the Care Sector).

At present, there is no compulsory or formal training course that frontline staff or specialist staff within social care providers must complete.

Better Security, Better Care is continuing to work on this, but in the meantime, we have developed, tested and published two learning tools:

• a manager’s discussion tool designed to help managers to have discussions with frontline staff to check their knowledge and provide evidence of their competence in data security and protection
• an assessment for frontline staff: a multi-choice quiz which can provide evidence that they are competent in data security and protection if they gain an 80% pass mark.

These tools can be used flexibly to help care providers to meet the DSPT requirement for 95% of frontline staff with access to personal data to be competent in data security and protection.

Speaking about the new resources, Michelle Corrigan, Programme Director of Better Security, Better Care said:

“Our 28 local support partners across the country are helping care providers to complete the Data Security and Protection ToolkitThe Data Security and Protection Toolkit is an online self-assessment tool that allows health and social care organisations to provide assurance that they are undertaking good data security and that personal information is handled correctly.  The T More. One of the biggest challenges, especially for small providers, is how to demonstrate that their frontline staff are competent and knowledgeable about data protection.

“We hope these new resources will give care managers the confidence to discuss data protection issues with their staff, and provide a simple way of assessing their staff’s knowledge.

“We are continuing to work with NHS Digital and NHS Transformation Directorate on this issue and have fed back care providers’ comments about training and competency questions on the DSPT.”

The tools and report are available on the Digital Social Care website.

Please note: Using these resources can support meeting the DSPT training requirements, but it does not guarantee it.

Digital Social Care has also collated information about useful training resources.

Care providers can contact their Better Security, Better Care Local Support Organisation for support on competing the DSPT. Find Local Support Organisations here.

Media enquiries

Contact Iris Steen at iris.steen@digitalsocialcare.co.uk Tel 07792 636761

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