Guide to completing the course

This guide will help you to complete our free elearning course for data protection leads.

Remember, it is designed for those with responsibility for data security and protection in small to medium sized care and support organisations. It is not for all staff. Please read this guide before starting the course. 

This course is open access and free to use. It builds on the existing Data Security and Protection eLearning for staff and provides more in-depth knowledge and understanding relevant to the responsibilities of the Data Security and Protection Lead role in small to medium sized care and support organisations. 

Those with responsibility for data security and protection can be in a range of roles. For example, you may be a Registered Manager, Office Manager, Senior Administrator, Company Owner or the responsibility may be shared across two roles.

The course is not aimed at those in specialist roles, such as a Caldicott Guardian or Data Protection Officer, but at those who have overall responsibility for data security and protection within their organisation.

This elearning will support you to be able to keep data safe and know what basic cyber security steps to take to reduce threats to data security in your organisation. It will also demonstrate that you have met requirement 3.4.1 of the Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT). 

It is recommended that, if you have not done so already, before you start this course you complete the Data Security and Protection elearning for staff. 

Summary

1. Set aside at least 20 minutes to get started and complete the first module.
2. Make sure you have access to the internet. You can complete the course on a mobile phone, tablet, laptop or computer.
3. Visit the elearning landing page to access all the modules. We suggest that you begin with Module 1: Data protection rights and responsibilities. You don’t have to register or log in to use it. 
4. Work your way through the modules. There are four in total and they take about 10-20 minutes each to complete. You might want to spread the course out over a few days.
5. NEW Complete the assessment when you’ve finished all the modules. It will ask you 20 multiple choice questions based on all four modules.
6. If you get at least 80% of the questions right, you can get a certificate.
7. If you score less than 80%, then you can repeat the assessment again.
8. To get your certificate, put in your name. You can then download and save a PDF of your certificate.
9. Share your certificate as evidence of your CPD. You should share it with your manager, HR or training lead, and with the person responsible for completing your provider’s Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT). The certificate helps with DSPT training requirements. You may also want to email it to yourself to make sure you have a copy for your own records.
10. You can rewatch the modules any time so that you retain your knowledge about data security and protection.
11. Within the elearning there is a resources section that provides links to useful and relevant information, websites, tools and templates that will support you in your role and in meeting the requirements of the DSPT. 

Click on the sections below to find out more about the course and how to complete it.

If you’re ready to start the course, visit www.digitalcarehub.co.uk/elearning/leads.

SCORM compliant versions

We have developed SCORM compliant versions of the course so that care providers with a Learning Management System (LMS) can download and use the course in their own systems. If you would like to access this version, please contact us at [email protected] and clearly state that you want a SCORM version of the elearning for leads.

Note: The SCORM files were updated on 13 October 2026. Please ensure you have the most up-to-date versions on your system. If you downloaded the SCORM files prior to 13 October 2026, please contact [email protected] for access to the updated files.