Personal Ownership of the Dignity Agenda
At the original Dignity in Care Event seven Dignity in Care pledges were considered at length and each member addressed individually what they would pledge to do on behalf of the dignity campaign. This work has been recorded and the quality reflects considerable understanding of the agenda. One of the extensive list of pledges for example records: "enable people to maintain the maximum possible level of independence, choice and control by listening and supporting people to express their needs and wants without creating a dependency – being more aware when carrying out assessments". Since this time a range of initiatives have been put in place to continue to promote the Campaign and it is planned that these individual pledges will be reviewed at the next Dignity Event.
The Dignity in Care Events have since inspired individuals to take forward initiatives in their work settings to address dignity related issues. This is exemplified by the work of two Social Workers in the east of the County who undertook work in a residential care setting into the incidence of depression and the interrelationship with the way people are treated. Subsequently these workers gave a presentation to the Dignity Champions, demonstrating how respecting a persons dignity has a clear beneficial effect upon a persons mental health and wellbeing.
The need to highlight and promote good practice at an individual level has been recognised. "Proving we make a difference - stories" has been developed on our intranet to reflect and recognises many real life situations where staff have delivered good care in the spirit of the dignity campaign.