Data standards for social care records due to be approved

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Information sharing between social services and the NHS in England should become easier under a new care record 'guarantee' for users due to be approved next week, it has been claimed.
The Social Care Record Guarantee will establish standards for what should be included within children's and adults' social care records, and how they should be used and shared by local authorities inEngland. It is designed to complement and mirror the existing NHS Care Record Guarantee, which performs the same role in health.
The National Information Governance Board (NIGB) for Health and Social Care, the new data management watchdog for the two sectors, is expected to approve the standards at its 24 September meeting. The guarantee will then need to be adopted by each English top-tier council.
Assurance for users and professionals
NIGB chair Harry Cayton - formerly the Department of Health's patient tsar - told last week's meeting of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services executive council that the twin guarantees would provide an assurance for professionals and service users about sharing data.