Health Education England elearning for healthcare (HEE elfh) has worked in partnership with the National Data Guardian for health and social care and the UK Caldicott Guardian Council to develop 2 new sessions within The Role of the Caldicott Guardian elearning programme.

The purpose of the programme is to provide learners with a better understanding of the role of the Caldicott Guardian within the health and care workforce, and to provide those undertaking the Caldicott Guardian role with clarity around their responsibilities and the help available to them within this role.

The 1st new session is aimed at new or existing Caldicott Guardians. It provides a starting point for the newly appointed Caldicott Guardian and is an aide memoire for the more experienced. The learning explains how the role fits into the wider information governance assurance framework and will help Caldicott Guardians arrive at lawful and practical decisions regarding the protection and sharing of patient and service user information. It also looks at what sources of support and resources are available to support them in their role.

The 2nd session is aimed at members of senior leadership teams who may need to appoint, work alongside, or otherwise support a Caldicott Guardian. It explains the importance of the role, including how their work represents the best interests of patients and service users, and how Caldicott Guardians can impact the decision-making processes of the organisation.

The new resources complement 1 existing session which is aimed at the general health and social care workforce and is intended to improve people’s awareness of the importance of Caldicott Guardians and confidentiality in health and care.

For more information and to access the sessions, please visit The Role of the Caldicott Guardian programme page.

Health Education England elearning for healthcare (HEE elfh) has worked in partnership with the National Data Guardian and the UK Caldicott Guardian Council to develop a new elearning programme for Caldicott Guardians, and those with an interest in finding out more about the role Caldicott Guardians play in keeping people’s health and social care data safe, and ensuring it is used appropriately.

The aim of this elearning session “sharing information and protecting confidentiality in health and care” is to raise awareness and inform a broad range of staff from across health and social care of the importance of Caldicott Guardians and confidentiality in their setting, organisation, or sector. The learning is for staff working in the NHS, adult social care, local authorities and private sector partners.

Two additional sessions, one for new or existing Caldicott Guardians and one for senior staff who may need to appoint or support a Caldicott Guardian will be available soon.

In August 2021, the National Data Guardian published guidance about the appointment, role and responsibilities of Caldicott Guardians. It introduced a formal requirement that increases the type and number of organisations who need to appoint a Caldicott Guardian. This elearning is intended to support those implementing the guidance who may need to understand more about the role. Read more about the NDG guidance and who it applies to.

For more information about the Role of the Caldicott Guardian elearning programme, including details on how to access the free resource, visit the HEE elearning for healthcare website.