Dignity Action Day Meeting the Dignity Challenge

Dignity Action Day

The first Dignity Action Day took place on 25th February 2010. The aim of the day is to:

Raise awareness of the importance of Dignity in Care

Provide an opportunity for people to come together and do something extra special

Remind society that everyone has a role to play in promoting dignity

Remind people that staff have a right to be treated with dignity and respect too

Be part of a national celebration and Be part of a national celebration and demonstrate solidarity for Dignity in Caredemonstrate solidarity for Dignity in Care

Promote the ‘Dignity Challenge’Promote the ‘Dignity Challenge’

still not always treated with dignity and still not always treated with dignity and respect both in social care settings and in respect both in social care settings and in

hospitals.hospitals.

Recent media attention, high profile Recent media attention, high profile abuse cases and Government abuse cases and Government

reports highlight that people arereports highlight that people are

Why are we marking Dignity Action Day?

What is the Dignity Challenge?

Dignity in Care campaign began in November 2006 and was launched by the Department forDepartment forHealthHealth in partnership with the Social Care Institute for Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE).Excellence (SCIE). The aim was to inspire health and social care staff, service users and local people to place dignity and compassion at the heart of care services, and in their communities.

The Dignity ChallengeDignity Challenge sets out a clear statement of what people should expect from a high quality service that respects dignity.

3) Treat each person as an individual by offering a 3) Treat each person as an individual by offering a personalised servicepersonalised service

4) Enable people to maintain the maximum possible level 4) Enable people to maintain the maximum possible level of independence, choice and controlof independence, choice and control

What is the Dignity Challenge?

5) Listen and support people to express 5) Listen and support people to express their needs and wantstheir needs and wants

1) Have a zero tolerance of all forms of abuse1) Have a zero tolerance of all forms of abuse

2) Support people with the same respect you 2) Support people with the same respect you would want for yourself or a member of your would want for yourself or a member of your family family

8) Engage with family members and carers as care 8) Engage with family members and carers as care partnerspartners

9) Assist people to maintain confidence and positive 9) Assist people to maintain confidence and positive self esteemself esteem

What is the Dignity Challenge?

6) Respect people’s right to privacy6) Respect people’s right to privacy

7) Ensure people feel able to complain 7) Ensure people feel able to complain without fear of retributionwithout fear of retribution

10) Act to alleviate people’s loneliness 10) Act to alleviate people’s loneliness and isolationand isolation

What does dignity mean to YOU?

Maintaining privacy during personal care

Being discreet about personal or sensitive

issuesUsing a person’s preferred form of address

Not ignoring or ‘talking over’ someone

Listening to and respecting a

person’s views and wishes

Allowing people the time to do

things for themselves

Not being patronising

Consistency of care

Support to participate in social activities in the local community

Recognising what a person has to offer

Respecting each person’s unique life story

Dignity

• Treating service users with dignity• Treating staff with respect• Being treated with dignity and respect by

professionals such as GPs• Being treated and treating people with

respect in the local community

Applying the Dignity Challenge

What are Creative Support doing to uphold the Dignity Challenge?

- Corporate pledge about meeting the Dignity Challenge- Holding a Dignity Action Month throughout February - Establishing a network of Dignity Champions -Special staff supervisions and team meetings centred around dignity- Dignity Satisfaction Questionnaires. An action plan will be developed based on the results- Special edition newsletter- Developing a direct observation template to ensure staff are upholding dignity in their day-to-day practice and a new section on Dignity in the Support Worker Handbook (to be rolled out from Feb 2012)

What can I do to get involved?If you feel we are not upholding our corporate

pledge at all times, you must tell us!

As part of Creative Support’s designated Dignity Action Month we are encouraging staff, service

users, family members, friends and other stakeholders to sign up to become ‘Dignity

Champions’ and ‘Public Champions’.

The role of a Dignity Champion • Stand up and challenge disrespectful behaviour rather than just tolerate it• Act as good role models by treating other people with respect, particularly those who are less able to stand up for themselves • Speak up about Dignity to improve the way that services are organised and delivered• Influence and inform colleagues (staff Dignity Champions) • Listen to and understand the views and experiences of individuals

How to sign up

Sign up on the website: http://www.dignityincare.org.uk/BecomingADignityChampion/

Complete one of our forms and we will sign you up via the website and you will also be entered into a prize draw with a chance to win a £20 Marks and Spencer voucher. You must tell us ‘I am a Dignity Champion because…’

"Dignity in Care must be everybody's business. I hope people will step up to this challenge and do whatever is in their power to make a difference"

Michael ParkinsonDignity Champion

Committed to meeting the Dignity Challenge!