The Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT) replaced the Information Governance (IG) Toolkit in April 2018. This page has guidance and templates to help you with it.
​The Care Provider Alliance and NHS Digital are collaborating on a series of webinars to introduce the Toolkit to care providers.
​The DSPT should be completed once per financial year. It is an online, self-assessment tool for demonstrating compliance with the 10 data security standards. It has been designed for health and social care organisations.
​The DSPT has been piloted with care providers and has a view specifically tailored for our sector. It forms part of a new framework for proving statutory compliance on data security and protection.
If you operate through the NHS Standard Contract you need to complete the DSPT to at least 'entry level' by 31st March 2019.
For everyone else, there is no mandatory action to take in 2018.
We recommend that providers start to complete the DSPT from April 2018 regardless of your contract status. The DSPT will help you to demonstrate your compliance with CQC KLOEs, the 10 data security standards, and new data protection legislation - the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018.
If you have any questions around information sharing for care providers or the guidance on this page, please contact ig.feedback@careprovideralliance.org.uk.
We have worked with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS Digital to develop an 'entry level' for social care organisations. This is because for many this will be a new process.
To help organisations reach 'entry level' compliance, we have produced the Data Security and Protection Toolkit: Entry Level Guidance for Social Care Providers.
​We have written the Data Security and Protection Toolkit: Standards Met Guidance for Social Care Providers to help any providers who are working towards achieving 'standards met'.
​How to record what data we share and why do we need to do it?
​The following policies and procedures have been designed as templates which can be edited or changed dependent on your own organisation structure. You don't need to use them and can use your own or other's if you want to.
These policies are aligned with the DSPT's requirements.
This guidance sits alongside the policies and procedures above.
We understand that there are a lot of changes happening to legislation and national guidance which may be confusing for the citizens who use our services.
We have created this editable template which you can use to give them more information.