1. JAN BURNS INDEPENDENT CHAIR National Dignity Council [NDC]

2. Overview
To give delegates an opportunity to offer their definition of what they believe Dignity means
To provide a brief overview of who the National Dignity Council are and what they do
To explore the effectiveness of the ‘Ten Dignity Challenges’.
Identify their correlation with key documents and initiatives that impact on Social Care.

3. Dignity is………….?

4. Definition of dignity
Dignity consists of many overlapping aspects, involving respect, privacy, autonomy and self-worth
a standard dictionary definition: a state, quality or manner worthy of esteem or respect; and (by extension) self-respect.
Dignity in care, therefore, means the kind of care, in any setting, which supports and promotes, and does not undermine, a person’s self- respect regardless of any difference.
While ‘dignity’ may be difficult to define, what is clear is that people know when they have not been treated with dignity and respect
SCIE- Dignity in care guide

5. Dignity and Human Rights
Human rights are based on a number of core values, including:
Fairness, Respect, Equality, Dignity, & Autonomy
Basic rights we all have simply because we are human, regardless of who we are, where we live or what we do
Human rights belong to everyone and should be at the centre of everything we do
Human rights represent all the things that are important to us as human beings, such as being able to choose how to live our life and being treated with dignity and respect .

6. National Dignity Council Aims
To lead in raising awareness of Dignity and its importance in delivering excellent services.
To lead and inspire people to take action to promote Dignity
To lead and stimulate a National Dignity Campaign.
To support and maintain a growing and intergenerational Dignity Champions network
To provide a repository that acts as a knowledge and information search engine.
To lead in designing, planning and promoting an annual National Dignity Action Day.
To ensure the sustainability of the National Dignity Council.

7. National Dignity Council Members
Association Directors for Adult Social
Services
National Federation of Women’s Institutes
Social Care Association
Society of Later Life Advisors SOLLA
End of Life Care
Kissing it Better
North West Forum
National Care Forum
Registered Nursing Homes Assoc
British Red Cross
Skills for Care/Skills for Health
Amanda Waring
British Society of Geriatricians
National Pensioners Convention
Dignified Revolution
Care Quality Commission
Macmillion Cancer support
Crossroads
HC-One [Health Care]
Royal College of Physicians
Social Care Institute for Excellence
Residents and Relatives Association

8. DID YOU KNOW WE HAVE OVER 39,000 CHAMPIONS SIGNED UP ON THE SCIE WEBSITE?

9. Dignity Champion’s network include:
members of the public
people who use care/health services, their relatives and carers
health and social care managers,
frontline staff, doctors, ambulance staff
dieticians, porters, administrators
care workers in care homes,
MPs, councillors, students, pupils
members of local action groups,
Local Involvement Networks (LINks),
People from voluntary and advocacy organisations,
Anyone – everywhere

10. Caring for our Future: Reforming care and support
The Government published a White Paper on the 11 July 2012 in which it set out plans to transform care and support in two major ways.
to promote people’s wellbeing and independence instead of waiting for people to reach a crisis point.
to transform people’s experience of care and support, putting them in control and ensuring that services respond to what they want.
The White Paper lists five statements which describe what government expects people will say about the new system.

11. Caring for our Future: Reforming care and support 5 statements:
Maintaining independence: I am supported to maintain my independence for as long as possible
Quality: I am happy with the quality of my care and support
Dignity and respect: I know that the person giving me care and support will treat me with dignity and respect.
Taking control: I am in control of my care and support
How care and support works: I understand how care and support works, and what my entitlements and responsibilities are.
This section of the Social Care White Paper says that care and support will be transformed to focus on people’s skills and talents, helping them to develop and maintain connections to friends and family.
Communities will be encouraged and supported to reach out to those at risk of social isolation. And people will be able to access support, including better housing options, which keeps them active and independent.
The White Paper talks about preventative practice to reduce social isolation and help people – including those living in care homes – to connect with their local communities. It discusses the need to build up the evidence base, including examples of best practice in prevention.
This section of the Social Care White Paper talks about empowering people to make decisions about their own care and support through radical improvements to information on the options available to them. Local authorities and care providers will be able to respond more effectively to what people want and the concerns they have. This will drive improvements to the quality of care and support so that people can be confident that it will be of a high standard.
The White Paper covers a broad range on key issues, affecting quality of care. It talks about the key ingredients of good quality care, age discrimination, information about quality and the development of ‘comparison website’, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) role in developing quality standards in social care, dementia care in residential settings, safeguarding, commissioning and market failure.
This section of the Social Care White Paper recognises that people’s experience of care and support depends heavily on the sensitivity and compassion of the care workers who work with them and the way they develop relationships that promote personalised care and support.
It covers many areas of workforce and practice development – from setting out plans for a new code of conduct and minimum training standards for care workers with promoting dignity and respect at the heart of them, to greater support for personal assistants, recruiting more apprentices, supporting the transformation of the social work profession and developing leadership.
This This section of the Social Care White Paper says that people will have control of their own care and support, so they can make decisions about the options available and proposes entitlement to a personal budget and stronger ambitions on direct payments. Care and support will focus on meeting people’s individual needs and helping them to achieve their aspirations. People will not have to fight against the system: health, housing and care services will join up around them.
The section focuses on all aspects of personalisation – including how the NHS, Public Health, Housing and social care can work in more joined-up ways, removing the barriers to deliver better integrated care. It promotes models of coordinated care for older people, improving access to health services for people living in care homes and better end of life care.

12. Making it Real:
The aim of Making it Real is for people to have more choice and control so they can live full and independent lives.
Organisations that want to make a real difference to disabled and older people's lives can sign up to publicly demonstrate their commitment through the Think Local Act Personal website
Making it Real sets out what people who use services and carers expect to see and experience if support services are truly personalised.
There are a set of "progress markers" - written by real people and families - that can help an organisation to check how they are going towards transforming adult social care.
The marker of progress are 26 "I" statements - which describe what people expect and want when it comes to care and support - and are themed around six key areas including:

13. Making it Real - “What I want”
Information and advice – having the information I need, when I need it.
Active and supportive communities – keeping friends, family and place.
Flexible integrated care and support – my support my own way.
Workforce – my support staff.
Risk enablement – feeling in control and safe.
Personal budget and self-funding – my money

14. Ten Dignity Challenges.

15. The Ten Point Dignity Challenge
E = Enable people to maintain the maximum possible level of independence, choice and control
Q = Question any potential abuse and have a zero tolerance of all forms of abuse  
U =Understand and respect individual’s rights to privacy
A = Act to alleviate people's loneliness and isolation  
L = Liase and engage with family members and carers and treat them as care partners
L = Let people know they have a right to complain without fear of retribution
I = Individualised services that are person centred and meet the needs of the individual
V = Validate and respect individuals needs and choices.
E = Enable individuals to maintain confidence and positive self-esteem
S = Support people with the same respect you would want for yourself or a member of your family

16. HAVE A ZERO TOLERANCE OF ALL FORMS OF ABUSE
Care and support is provided in a safe environment, free from abuse.
Abuse can take many forms social, physical, psychological, emotional, financial, sexual, neglect and ageism
Institutional abuse – routines, regimes, environment,
risk averse, chemical cosh,

17. SUPPORT PEOPLE WITH THE SAME RESPECT YOU WOULD WANT FOR YOURSELF OR A MEMBER OF YOUR FAMILY!
People should be cared for in a polite and courteous manner, ensuring time is taken to get to know the person.
Seeing the person not the condition -We are all patient’s e.g. Doctor’s, Dentist, a stay in hospital.
It was terribly stressful - I felt worse than a baby…. a package that was just left there, They would come in and do this and that, and go again, and then come back. I just wanted to curl up and die. I was diminished. – I wasn’t me any more….a pudding, not quite a human being. My life was taken over.
Equality and Human Rights Commission – Experiences of Home Care Delivery

18. TREAT EACH PERSON AS AN INDIVIDUAL BY OFFERING A PERSONALISED SERVICE.
Services are not standardised but are person and relationship focused
Treating everyone as an individual accepting and celebrating their diverse needs.
Social physical, intellectual, cultural, emotional spiritual, SPICES.

19. LISTEN AND SUPPORT PEOPLE TO EXPRESS THEIR NEEDS AND WANTS
When people express strong feelings let them know you have understood how they are feeling by using reflective listening.
Be able to listen to feelings without thinking you need to do anything about them.  
Allow them to express their feelings without feeling the need to give advice.  Giving advice can be a way of not hearing how people are feeling
Provide information in a way that enables a person to reach agreement in care planning and exercise their rights to care and treatment.
Adequate support provided for those with communication difficulties or cognitive impairment

20. ENABLE PEOPLE TO MAINTAIN THE MAXIMUM POSSIBLE LEVEL OF INDEPENDENCE, CHOICE AND CONTROL
Patients are involved in decisions about their personal care.
People are provided with sufficient, accurate information to make informed decisions
Avoid making assumptions about what people want or what is good for them.

21. RESPECT PEOPLE’S RIGHT TO PRIVACY
Areas of sensitivity which relate to modesty, gender, culture or religion .
Patients are not made to feel embarrassed when receiving care and support.
Rules of confidentiality are established and observed at all times
Nothing about me without me

22. ENSURE PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO COMPLAIN WITHOUT FEAR OF RETRIBUTION
People have access to information and advice they need.
Concerns and complaints are respected and answered in a timely manner.
Complain v feedback
Be part of a learning organisation

23. ENGAGE WITH FAMILY MEMBERS AND CARERS
Relatives and carers are kept fully informed and receive timely information.
Relatives and carers are listened to and encouraged to contribute to the benefit of the person receiving the service.

24. ASSIST PEOPLE TO MAINTAIN CONFIDENCE AND A POSITIVE SELF-ESTEEM
The care and support provided encourages patients to participate as far as they feel able.
Care aims to develop the self-confidence of the person receiving the service.
Person centred care means finding a way for every day to have meaning for each individual and exploring ways to keep a person interested and engaged.
Loss – work with the parts of people that still functions – take the time to listen

25. ACT TO ALLEVIATE PEOPLES LONELINESS AND ISOLATION
Offer enjoyable activities that are compatible with individual interests, needs, and abilities.
Offer your time.
Actively listen to people – validation is key
Photo by Quinn Dombrowsky, available under a Creative Commons attribution license.

26. A Dignity Champion:
Stand up and challenge disrespectful behaviour rather than just tolerate it.
Act as a good role model 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
Listen to and understand the views and experiences of citizens
See the person.

28. go to: www.dignityincare.org.uk
Sign up by phone: or
go to: