What is the Information Governance (IG) Toolkit?
The IG Toolkit draws together the legal rules and guidance, and presents them as a single suite of information governance requirements supported by central guidance that helps all Health and Social Care organisations to work to the same rules enabling sharing of information.
Why do Care Homes have to complete the Information Governance Toolkit?
All organisations that have access to NHS patient data must use the IG Toolkit to evidence practising good information governance, achieving and maintaining a satisfactory rating of level 2 in all requirements. Care Homes complete the IG Toolkit for one or two purposes:
- To provide IG assurances to the Department of Health or to NHS commissioners of services, this may be linked to contractual obligations;
- To provide IG assurances to HSCIC as part of the terms and conditions of using national systems and services including N3, E-Referrals, and NHS Mail etc.
Register and complete the IG Toolkit for the first time
Step 1 – Nominate an IG Toolkit Organisation Administrator
To access to the IG Toolkit you need to nominate an Organisation Administrator who will be responsible for registration, completing and publishing the annual IG Toolkit assessment.
Step 2 – Register with the IG Toolkit website
Follow the steps in the ‘How to Register on the IG Toolkit’ help guide by clicking here. Care Homes should be registered for the ‘Voluntary Sector’ view of the IG Toolkit, unless they are providing services under an ‘Any Qualified Provider’ contract.
Step 3 – Completing your first IG toolkit.
Detailed guidance on completing an online assessment is available via ‘GPs, Pharmacies, Eye Care Services, Dental Practices, Community Pharmacies/Dispensing Appliance Contractors and Voluntary Sector Organisations’