SAFETY & SECURITY
the company’s franchisees. Nevertheless, he produced a guide for franchisees but take up of the DSPT by individual franchisees was low.
Nick was made aware that a company as large as Bluebird Care, with multiple franchisees, could complete one DSPT centrally as long as franchisees had the same policies and procedures in place. Luckily, Bluebird Care has centralised policies and procedures around information governance, with each individual business obliged to legally record their franchise agreements.
THE MANY BENEFITS FOR BLUEBIRD OF USING THE DSPT
Nick says the company can already see the benefits of completing the DSPT, as he explained: “The DSPT is a tool that demonstrates we’re doing even more to protect both customer and staff data against breaches, upholding our reputation.”
Creating a centralised DSPT allowed Nick to take a helicopter view of all Bluebird Care policies and identify any gaps. It also provided a structure for their data protection policy, including tightening up policies for staff using their own mobile phones.
In addition, being DSPT compliant to Standards Met offers Bluebird Care franchisees opportunities that they might have missed otherwise. For instance, it allows them to access shared systems such as GP Connect and NHSmail.
EATING AN ELEPHANT – OR DOING THE DSPT IN BITE-SIZED PIECES
Nick admits that at first undergoing a DSPT audit can seem overwhelming.
“It looks like a lot. But sitting and looking at it doesn't get it done. It’s best to break it down into bite-sized pieces. I dedicated half an hour a day over the course of a week. Fill in the mandatory bits first to focus on what’s important. Get help from others, such as your IT supplier, if there’s questions you can’t answer. And your Local Support Organisation offers free professional 1-2-1 support from a friendly face, supporting your journey and identifying risks along the way.”
If I’d known I could do the DSPT centrally I would have done it two years ago. Doing this centrally frees up time for our franchisees’ Care Managers to do other things.”
Image credit: Dan Nelson on Unsplash RINGING THE CHANGES WITH DSPT
“I urge all franchise owners to use the toolkit and view it as the final checklist for ensuring they have all the necessary data protection safeguards in place”, said Nick. “Then you can reassure your customers and your employees that their information is safe.”
www.digitalsocialcare.co.uk/bettersecuritybettercare NICK’S TOP TIPS
• Companies with multiple franchisees can complete the DSPT centrally if policies and procedures are the same across the business.
• Break the DSPT down into bite-sized pieces:
• Complete it a step at a time; you don’t have to do it all in one go.
• Set aside half an hour a day over a week to complete it. • Fill in the mandatory bits first. • Get help from IT suppliers.
• If you are a large national care group or franchise organisation, contact the Better Security, Better Care national helpline for support with publishing the DSPT for multiple sites via email
help@digitalsocialcare.co.uk or telephone 0808 196 4848.
• If you are a smaller group, you can contact the Local Support Organisation where your head office is based.
https://www.digitalsocialcare.co.uk/data-security-protecting-my-information/better-security-better-care/local-support-partners/
• If you’re publishing at head-quarters level for multiple sites, make sure you select all the branches to be covered by your DSPT. If you don’t, they will not be associated with your DSPT.
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