The North West Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (NW ADASS) has published guidance to support adult social care (ASC) commissioners in increasing implementation of the Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT).
The DSPT is an annual self-assessment, developed by the former NHS Digital, that shows care providers what they need to do to keep people’s paper or digital information safe and protect their business from the risk of a data breach or a cyber attack
The new guidance provides example wording of DSPT requirements for councils in adult social care contracts, and covers the monitoring of how providers adhere to the requirements as part of the Better Security, Better Care programme for the sector.
It has been developed been developed with input from Wakefield, Tameside, Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen Councils, along with the Institute of Public Care and Oxford Brookes University.
Michelle Corrigan, programme director of Better Security, Better Care, said: The guide will help councils encourage adult social care providers to evaluate and improve their data security, whether they be digital or paper based, by completing their DSPT. This is one of many ways local authorities can support implementation of the DSPT among adult social care providers.”
