Cybersecurity for Care Homes: Protecting Resident Data and Meeting DSPT Requirements
Care homes occupy a unique position in the health and social care cybersecurity landscape. They hold detailed records of their residents' most sensitive health, medication, and personal circumstances. They often access NHS systems including the Summary Care Record. They are subject to CQC registration and inspection. And they typically operate with minimal IT resource — a practice manager, a care software system, and a network maintained by a local IT supplier who may have no formal security credentials. The gap between the sensitivity of the data and the maturity of the security programme is wider in care homes than almost anywhere else in health and social care.
Care homes that access NHS systems must complete the DSPT — but over 40% of care homes with NHS system access have not achieved Standards Met.
DSPT Requirements for Care Home Providers
Care homes and domiciliary care providers with access to NHS systems (Summary Care Record, NHSmail, digital care records shared with NHS) must complete the annual DSPT self-assessment. The DSPT requirements for social care providers are proportionate to scale — smaller providers have a simplified assessment pathway. Key requirements include: a named person responsible for data security; staff data security training completion records; a documented process for handling data breaches; evidence of secure disposal for paper records; and basic IT security controls (unique accounts, automatic screen lock, backup procedures). CQC uses DSPT status as evidence in Well-led inspections.
Building a Simple, Effective Security Programme for Care Homes
For care home operators without dedicated IT teams, a practical security programme focuses on the basics that prevent the most common incidents: unique user accounts for every member of staff; regular mandatory data security awareness training (the DSPT mandates 95% completion); a clear process for reporting potential data breaches with the registered manager responsible for ICO notification decisions; secure disposal of paper resident records (locked bins, confidential waste contractor); automatic backup of the care management software; and a supplier contract review to ensure care software providers have appropriate data processing agreements and Cyber Essentials certification. Kyanite Blue's vCISO service provides proportionate, affordable DSPT support for care home operators.
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