Department of Health and Social Care
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Sir Michael Parkinson’s dignity champions reach ten thousand
Every care home to get dignity training
Thanks to Sir Michael Parkinson’s call to action more than 10,000 people have now signed up to be Dignity Champions – all of them committed to playing their part in a movement to put dignity at the heart of care.
Dignity Champions, part of the Dignity in Care Campaign, have voluteered to promote good care for the elderly. Their aim is to change the culture of care services and place a greater emphasis on the quality of experience of those services.
An independent review of the campaign published today has found that:
Dignity Champions feel empowered to develop their own initiatives to promote Dignity in Care;the campaign has created leaders and role models, whose actions inspire others; the campaign has provided immense pride and satisfaction to those providing services and care; andthe campaign has pushed dignity higher up the agenda in care.
Dignity Ambassador Sir Michael Parkinson said:
“I have had have the great honour of meeting some of our nation's real unsung heroes, hearing their stories and bringing attention to what they are doing to hopefully inspire many others to follow suit. They are ordinary people doing everyday things. But in their own way having tremendous impact on those around them.”
To support the campaign, new training materials will this month be provided to every care home and homecare provider in the country to ensure everyone in care are treated with dignity and respect at all times.
The training materials provide practical advice and exercises on how to improve dignity in the areas that really matter most to people receiving care. These include communication, privacy, social inclusion, diversity, eating and nutrition, pain control and hygiene.
Care Services minister Phil Hope said:
“Its inspiring that over the past three years we over 10,000 people have signed up to become Dignity Champions to promot more respectful care across the country. They have made a huge contribution to bringing dignity up the agenda in care homes and hospitals across the country.
“We must also ensure care staff at all levels are trained and equipped to deliver dignity in care. That is why we are making training materials available to every care home and every home care provider in the country.”
Case Study
Newcastle Dignity Champions Chris Dugdale and Lead Community Dietitian Rachel Skinner are amongst many who have used the campaign as inspiration to look at various areas of the care they provide and how they could make improvements.
They concentrated on the Meals at Home service, providing training for drivers who delivered the meals, realising that they could provide much more of a service than simply delivering meals and ensuring people received the right nutrition.
David Stevenson, Meals at Home Distribution Driver said:
“We need to make sure they’re well enough in that minute that we have before we leave them – we may be the only person that they see. We’re more of a carer in a way now even though we only spend a brief moment with them.”
Ramsey, Meals at Home user said:
“Sometimes during the day you never speak to another person – the driver coming in always has that cheery word to you and conversation, and you really look forward to him coming.”
The improvements that Chris Dugdale and Rachel Skinner have made also ensured that people receive the right nutrition.
Care Services Manager Chris Dugdale said:
“We have an example of a service user who put on seven kilos with support over a year. But it’s not just about him putting on the weight – because his health improved he could then go out shopping, so it’s about inclusiveness. It’s about being able to take part in the everyday things we all take for granted.”
Notes to Editors
For further details or to sign up to become a dignity champion see www.dignityincare.org.uk
Today also marks the publication of the Guide for Overview and Scrutiny Committees "Walk a mile in my shoes" which is designed to assist Overview and Scrutiny Committees and others in discussing what dignity is, why it matters and how to assess whether an organisation or service treats the people whom it serves with dignity and respect.
Dignity Champions are being encouraged to contact their local councillors to ask them to undertake a local scrutiny review around dignity in care.
High quality care services that respect people’s dignity should:
Have a zero tolerance of all forms of abuseSupport people with the same respect you would want for yourself or a member of your familyTreat each person as an individual by offering a personalised serviceEnable people to maintain the maximum possible level of independence, choice and control Listen and support people to express their needs and wantsRespect people’s right to privacyEnsure people feel able to complain without fear of retributionEngage with family members and carers as care partnersAssist people to maintain confidence and a positive self esteemAct to alleviate people’s loneliness and isolation
Dignity Champions include nurses, care home staff, voluntary sector workers, porters, and managers in health and social care. All of them are committed to making a difference to the way in which older people are treated in care. What they do in their roles as Dignity Champions varies widely but what they all share is a commitment to making a difference, however small, to the way older people experience care.
The Department of Health has collaborated with the homecare and care home sector such as the UK Homecare Association, Ceretas, and the National Homecare Council to provide the training materials.
Contacts:
Department of Health
Phone: 020 7210 5221
NDS.DH@coi.gsi.gov.uk
