September 23rd 2024
Parkgate Nursing Agency in Balham, London employs just under 20 social care workers and has around 35 clients. As a small family ran domiciliary care organisation they hadn’t felt the Data Security Protection Toolkit (DSPT) was needed for them and wasn’t where their focus should lie. Nevertheless, in 2024 they published their first DSPT which changed the way they incorporated data in to their working practices.
The agency has been running since 1975 and they had been receiving emails from the council which included information around the toolkit. However, it was overwhelming and Parkgate were unsure with regards to the benefits it could provide and how it work for their organisation.
Why did they decide to publish
Nour Ibrahim, Health & Social Care Integration Officer and Parkgate’s Local Support Organisation (LSO) phoned and explained the benefits of completing the toolkit. He supported the team through completing the DSPT. Nour explained that completing the toolkit would mean they can apply for funding towards getting Digital Social Care Records (DSCR). The team found it a lot easier than they thought and as a result accessed the Assured Supplier List to secure a DSCR.
Olu and Roli who run Parkgate said,
“Having an assured supplier was a relief when we were picking a suitable organisation to work with. Previously we had felt quite overwhelmed and didn’t want to pick a supplier that wasn’t safe.”
The staff at Parkgate have needed reassurance with regards to the change to be more digital, but with the support of Parkgate senior management and their LSO, the agency is becoming more efficient and cyber secure.
What have been the benefits to completing the DSPT for Parkgate
- Completing the DSPT for the first time was very satisfying for Parkgate as they felt reassured it was published meaning they were data and cyber safe. They have since realised the world around them is digital and therefore they need to be also.
- Benefiting from moving on to the DSCR’s means they can now very easily send reports to their local authority, saving them a lot of time.
- Opening their eyes and working practices to be more digital and streamline, improving the service they give to their clients.
Parkgate said about completing the DSPT,
“It has been a wonderful, positive affect on the agency. We wouldn’t have known about the DSCR’s and completing the toolkit gave us pause for thought on doing other things. It made us think more strategically and at the bigger picture. We had been doing things the same for a long time, so thought why did we need to change, but we need to move forward.”
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