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The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) confirmed renewed grant funding of £21 million over the next three and a half years, to March 2029, for the Better Security, Better Care programme.
Delivered by Digital Care Hub, the programme supports adult social care providers in England to meet data protection and cyber security standards via the Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT) and prepare for future digital, integrated working. The next phase of the programme will feature both ongoing national and local support, and the rollout of two new service strands:
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Voluntary data and cyber health checks, delivered via local care associations, to help providers baseline and improve their data, privacy, and cyber practices.
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Dedicated transition support for enhanced standards, co-designed with the sector to ensure the Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT) requirements remain proportionate and tailored for adult social care.
In addition, Digital Care Hub has launched the Data Policy Builder, a free interactive tool to support providers through creating tailored, DSPT-compliant policies. You can access it on the Digital Care Hub website, and it works on both desktop and mobile devices. The system:
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Explains each topic, key risks and issues to consider before users start to develop their policy.
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Asks short, practical questions about what organisations currently do – and what they plan to do or achieve.
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Provides tailored advice and recommended actions to strengthen security further.
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Generates a complete policy and action plan — ready to download, brand, and share (PDF or Word).
Our CEO, Dr Jane Townson OBE, said: “The Data Policy Builder is a really welcome development for the sector. Homecare services increasingly rely on mobile technology, and many staff use their own devices for work. This tool will help providers create tailored, DSPT-compliant policies that reflect real-world practice — improving safety and confidence for staff and the people they support.”
