Digital Care Hub February Newsletter
Action Research Fund: Harnessing Cyber Security Expertise in Adult Social Care
In December 2023, Better Security, Better Care launched the Action Research Fund – a three-month research project which aims to harness cyber security and data expertise and knowledge from across the sector with the aim to identify gaps and opportunities for adult social care.
Following proposals and a review panel made up of sector experts, five project grants were awarded to 4 organisations. The action research fund officially reached its mid-way point on the 31st of January. A summary update on each project is now available.
Adult Social Care Cyber Landscape Review survey
A survey of adult social care providers is about to launch to understand more about how cyber security is currently managed within the Adult Social Care sector. This is part of a wider programme of research looking at cyber security and data risk across the sector.
The government is committed to helping adult social care providers improve their cyber resilience. New ways of supporting the sector are being tested and considered. To help the government set the best approach, the Department of Health and Social Care have asked Ipsos, an independent research company, and the Institute of Public Care (IPC) at Oxford Brookes University, to research the state of cyber resilience in adult social care.
More information about the approach and timescales are available on our website.
Multifactor Authentication for NHSmail
Guidance on how to set up multifactor authentication on NHSmail accounts.
eLearning on data protection
Just to remind you that you can use our comprehensive elearning resource for staff for free. We have also made it available as a SCORM file so that you can download it into your own LMS. We’ve added a new ‘locked’ version of the SCORM file so that users need to complete all sections before they can work their way through the complete course.
There are four modules – each one takes between 10 and 20 minutes to complete, and there is an assessment which generates a certificate if a user gets 80% of the questions right.
Fully updated DSPT guidance
Access fully updated guidance on completing every section of the Data Security and Protection Toolkit. This includes updated short videos, tips on answering each question, links to templates, policies andresources to help care providers to reach Standards Met on the DSPT. Our new guidance also includes information on the relevance of the DSPT to commissioners, regulators and tech suppliers.
We do hope that the revised guide helps you to complete your DSPT, but if you need more support, please contact our nationalhelpline or one of our 28 local support organisations across the country. Or book to attend one of our webinars.
Access support from Better Security, Better Care
Friendly Care: Simplifying Medication Management
Katy Ford, Care Manager at Friendly Care Residential & Nursing Home, shares how they’ve been able to leave behind paper-based medication management with confidence by adopting an eMAR system.
Job Opportunity
Clinical informatics job opportunities for social care
NHS England are advertising for new Digital, Data and Technology roles. These are all explicitly inviting applications from people with backgrounds in social care as well as health.
Clinical Informatics Manager JobAdvert (jobs.nhs.uk)
Clinical Informatics specialist JobAdvert (jobs.nhs.uk)
SeniorClinical Informatics specialist JobAdvert (jobs.nhs.uk)
Completing the DSPT for the first time
Location: Zoom \ Date: Tuesday 13 Feb \ Time: 3 - 4pm
The Data Security and Protection Toolkit is an online self-assessment tool to help adult social care providers in England to store and share information safely.
Learn how to
Register for the DSPT – including how to register if you have multiple services and sites
Complete to Approaching Standards and Standards Met
Publish your DSPT standard
Access free, official support from the Better Security, Better Care programme.
Caldicott Guardians - What do care providers need to know?
Location: Zoom \ Date: Tuesday 20 February \ Time: 2 - 3:30pm
Previously only NHS organisations and local authorities were required to have a Caldicott Guardian. In 2021, the National Data Guardian published guidance that changes that so that more organisations are expected to have one. This includes adult social care organisations in England.
In this webinar, we are joined by representatives from the UK Caldicott Council and Caldicott Guardians to explain what this means for social care organisations and what you will need to do.
The session will be chaired by the National Care Forum, the leading voice for the not-for-profit social care sector.
Review and republish your DSPT
Location: Zoom \ Date: Tuesday 27 Feb \ Time: 3 - 4pm
The Data Security and Protection Toolkit is an online self-assessment tool to help adult social care providers in England to store and share information safely.
This webinar is for care providers who have published before, and are reviewing and republishing their DSPT.
It will cover what has changed within the Toolkit for 2023/24, as well as how to:
Login to your DSPT account
Review your DSPT – including what is different if you were previously published at Entry Level or Approaching Standards
Complete to at least Standards Met
Publish your DSPT standard
Access free, official support from the Better Security, Better Care programme.
Delegated healthcare activities: learn and share event
Location: One Park Crescent, London W1B 1SH \ Date: Thursday 29 February \ Time: 10am - 3pm
Join Skills for Care at this event, hosted on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care, for those with experience of delegated healthcare activities. You’ll hear about the learning from a recent evaluation undertaken by Skills for Care of the voluntary guiding principles and resources to support delegation of healthcare activities.
Deborah Sturdy CBE, Chief Nurse for Social Care, will lead the day which will include case studies and roundtable discussionsfocusing on how to introduce and embed the principles into practice and understanding how to commission safe delegation.
There will be lots of opportunities to ask questions, explore practical approaches and hear from different perspectives across social care and health including from organisations who have been testing the principles and resources.