WHAT'S NEW? £21M CONFIRMED TO SUPPORT CARE PROVIDERS WITH DATA AND CYBER SECURITY
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has confirmed continued funding for the Better Security, Better Care programme following a competitive tender. The renewed grant of £21m over the next three and a half years, to March 2029, will extend support for adult social care providers across England to strengthen their data protection and cyber security capabilities.
This next phase will feature ongoing national and local support, and the rollout of two new service strands: • Voluntary data and cyber health checks: Delivered via local care associations to help providers baseline and improve their data, privacy, and cyber practices.
• Dedicated transition support for enhanced standards: Co-designed with the sector to ensure that Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT) requirements remain proportionate and tailored for adult social care.
The next phase will also focus on helping providers move beyond compliance with the DSPT to embed good data protection and cyber security practice into daily operations. This will support care services to not only meet national standards but to make data safety a routine part of delivering quality care.
BUILDING ON STRONG SECTOR PROGRESS
The programme enters this renewed phase on the back of substantial achievements including a rapid increase in care providers with the DSPT in place – up from less than 5% in 2019 before the programme started in 2021, to just over 76% this year. Social care is now the largest sector to have the DSPT in place.
These results have been achieved in large part thanks to the local support provided by the network of Local Support Organisations
(LSOs), offering workshops, one-to-one advice, and hands- on help.
Michelle Corrigan, Programme Director of Better Security, Better Care, said: “We are delighted that, at a time when resources are tight, the government has recognised how critical support for care providers is. Data protection and cyber security are essential to safe, high-quality care, and this next phase is about moving beyond compliance with the DSPT to genuine implementation of good practice in day-to-day operations.
“With this renewed funding, we can continue to build on the strong progress already made. Our local support organisations play a vital role in reaching providers across the country, helping them develop the confidence and capability to manage data safely and securely.”
Ethan Gray, Adult Social Care Cyber Policy Lead at the Department of Health and Social Care, commented: “The Better Security, Better Care programme has been instrumental in changing the way providers think about data security, it has helped thousands of providers to meet national data protection standards and strengthen their cyber resilience, while embedding good digital practice across social care. We’re delighted to continue working with Digital Care Hub and the sector to build on this success and ensure every provider can benefit from safe, secure digital ways of working.”
The next stage of the programme will reinforce national and local support mechanisms, deepen sector engagement, and introduce new services tailored to evolving requirements. Once all Local Support Organisations have grant agreements finalised, the full list will be published.
www.digitalcarehub.co.uk
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