DSPT: Resilience Starts Long Before a Crisis
A few weeks ago, I was reading an article from Sky News about Exercise Grapple, a large-scale resilience exercise designed to test how local authorities, emergency services, businesses and communities would respond if the UK faced cyber attacks, infrastructure disruption and other major incidents. What stood out wasn't just the scale of the exercise, but one simple message that emerged from it: resilience isn't the responsibility of one organisation. It depends on everyone working together.
That got me thinking about adult social care.
When we talk about resilience in care homes, we often think about staffing pressures, winter planning, infection prevention or emergency planning. Yet one of the biggest threats facing organisations today often sits quietly in the background: cyber security.
It's easy to assume that cyber criminals only target large corporations or government bodies. The reality is that care providers hold some of the most sensitive information there is. Resident records, medication information, staff data, financial records and operational systems are all valuable targets.
And when systems go down, it's about far more than computers.
It's about carers being able to access the information they need. It's about maintaining safe and effective care. It's about ensuring families can stay connected and confident that their loved ones are being supported.
The teams involved in Exercise Grapple found that the UK's existing resilience structures are strong, but that greater coordination and awareness are needed to deal with modern threats. In many ways, that's exactly where the adult social care sector finds itself today.
The good news is that strengthening cyber resilience doesn't have to be complicated.
The NHS Data Security and Protection Toolkit, better known as the DSPT, is often viewed as another annual task on an already busy to-do list. But when you look beyond the submission deadline, it's actually a practical framework that helps organisations develop safer ways of working, protect sensitive data and prepare for potential cyber incidents.
Completing the DSPT isn't simply about ticking boxes.
It's about asking important questions:
- Are our systems secure?
- Are our staff confident in spotting cyber threats?
- Do we know what to do if something goes wrong?
- Are we protecting the personal information entrusted to us?
These are questions every care provider should feel confident answering.
At the Devon Care Homes Collaborative, we understand that finding the time and expertise to complete the DSPT can be challenging. Care providers are focused on delivering excellent care every day, and information governance can sometimes feel overwhelming.
That's exactly why we offer our free DSPT support service.
Our role isn't to add more work. It's to make the process easier, provide practical guidance and help providers build confidence in their cyber security and data protection arrangements.
Whether you're completing your DSPT for the first time, looking to improve your submission, or simply wanting reassurance that you're doing the right things, we're here to help.
Because resilience isn't built during a crisis.
It's built beforehand, through the small steps organisations take every day to prepare, improve and strengthen their foundations.
The lesson from Exercise Grapple is that resilience works best when organisations support one another and share expertise. The same is true within adult social care. By working together, sharing knowledge and making use of available support, we can help ensure that Devon's care homes remain secure, compliant and prepared for whatever challenges the future may bring.
If you'd like support with your DSPT submission or would simply like a conversation about improving your organisation's cyber resilience, we are here to help, completely free of charge.
After all, protecting data isn't just about compliance.
It's about protecting the people we care for. ❤️
carla.selway@devoncarehomes.org
For the full Sky news article please visit: [news.sky.com]
Posted by Michaela on September 22nd 2026
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