Handle Information in Health and Social Care Settings

763 Words4 Pages
Unit 4222-209 Handle information in health and social care Settings Outcome 1 Understand the need for secure handling of information in Health and social care settings 1. Identify the legislation that relates to the recording, storage and sharing of information in health and social care The right to confidentiality is guaranteed by the Data Protection Act 1998. The Data protection Act 1998 sets out eight principles which are in essence a code of good practice for processing personal data. The data must be • Fairly and lawfully processed • Processed for limited purposes • Adequate, relevant and not excessive • Accurate • Not kept for longer than necessary • Processed in accordance with the data subject’s rights • Kept secure • Not transferred to countries without adequate protection Your workplace policies and procedures will be based around those principles. The Human Rights Act 1998 details the right to a private life. There is also the code of practice for social care workers, which provides a clear guide for all those who work in social work, setting out the standards of practice and conduct workers and their employers should meet with regards to the handling of information. 2. Explain why it is important to have secure systems for recording and storing information in a health and social care setting. Once something is written down or entered onto a computer it becomes a permanent record. It is for this reason that you must ensure that systems are in place to safeguard the information from being accessed by unauthorised persons. This might mean keeping written information in a locked cupboard or filing cabinet. With electronic data passwords and anti hacking software should be installed to prevent unauthorised access. When working in domiciliary care it is not always possible to keep information under
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