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:
Provide an opportunity for
Raise awareness
people to come together and
of the importance
do something extra special
of Dignity in Care
Promote the ‘Dignity Challenge’
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
demonstrate solidarity for Dignity in Care
Why are we marking Dignity Action Day?
Recent media attention, high profile
abuse cases and Government
reports highlight that people are
still not always treated with dignity and
respect both in social care settings and in
hospitals.
What is the Dignity Challenge?
Dignity in Care campaign began in
November
2006
and
was
launched by the Department for
Health in partnership with the Social Care Institute for
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 Challenge sets out a clear
statement of what people should expect from a
high quality service that respects dignity.
What is the Dignity Challenge?
1) Have a zero tolerance of all forms of abuse
2) Support people with the same respect you
would want for yourself or a member of your
family
3) Treat each person as an individual by offering a
personalised service
4) Enable people to maintain the maximum possible level
of independence, choice and control
5) Listen and support people to express
their needs and wants
What is the Dignity Challenge?
6) Respect people’s right to privacy
7) Ensure people feel able to complain
without fear of retribution
8) Engage with family members and carers as care
partners
9) Assist people to maintain confidence and positive
self esteem
10) Act to alleviate people’s loneliness
and isolation
What does dignity mean
to YOU?
Using a person’s
preferred form of
address
Being discreet about
personal or sensitive
issues
Not being
patronising
Support to
participate in
social activities
in the local
community
Not
ignoring or
‘talking
over’
someone
Consistency
of care
Dignity
Allowing people
the time to do
things for
themselves
Listening to and
respecting a
person’s views
and wishes
Maintaining Recognising what a
privacy during person has to offer
personal care
Respecting each person’s
unique life story
Applying the Dignity Challenge
• 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
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/BecomingADignityChampi
on/
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 Parkinson
Dignity Champion
Committed to meeting
the Dignity Challenge!