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Dignity in Care - Position statement

Lancashire has responded to the Dignity in Care campaign, launched in November 2006 via a series of initiatives which from its inception sought to make a real difference in the behaviour of those who provide health and care services to vulnerable adults.

Key highlights to this approach have been:

The above represent the desire to make a positive use of the dignity campaign whilst reflecting a significant and systematic effort to ensure the campaign becomes mainstreamed as a fundamental approach delivered in everyday practice.

Summary

Lancashire County Council assisted by clear and strong leadership has been a lead participant in the dignity in care campaign working to raise awareness and introducing action to improve the way services are delivered to vulnerable people across Lancashire. The Dignity in Care Events have stimulated and maintained interest amongst a growing number of dignity champions promoting good practice on a local and regional level. This has encouraged individual responsibility across the health and social care workforce supported by additional investment in developing independent sector provider awareness and skills related to the provision of personal care that respects a person's dignity.

There has at the same time been a drive to ensure the campaign makes a difference with a range of monitoring initiatives directed at both the delivery of council services and those of its providers. This has identified both good and bad practice with measures now established to reward good and address poor practice. The ongoing contract monitoring work, the development of the Lancashire Workforce Development Partnership E learning package, the plan to re run the dignity audit and the intention to present the IDeA Dignity paper to the Adult Social Care and Health: Overview and Scrutiny Committee being evidence of the desire to ensure standards are met.

Importantly the dignity campaign in Lancashire is now moving forward through a closer relationship with service users and those who represent user groups. This is exemplified by the work to involve members of forums in the visiting of establishments as part of the Lancashire LINk activities and the plan to establish dignity as a themed work stream in Partnership Boards and user forums. A key development will also be the promotion of the dignity and respect campaign as a vital preventative approach in terms of Safeguarding.

This work will now be taken forward as set out in the "Aims of the Dignity Campaign and Forward Plan" for 2010, which includes a challenging and positive agenda in Lancashire for the year ahead.