Empowerment of Service User led Approaches
Lancashire has invested considerable resources across Lancashire in the development of a variety of Forums and Partnership Boards to bring together agencies and service users to improve the way services are designed and delivered. Some of this work was recognised with the award of Beacon status to Lancashire County Council for the "positive engagement of older people to support and promote greater independence and well-being in later life". View Beacon website.
This approach is promoted through the Valuing People agenda and a range of Partnership Boards for those with Learning Disabilities and the Partnership Boards for the Physically Disabled who have recently taken on a greater level of independence.
These forums and Partnership Boards have a keen interest in the Dignity Campaign as fundamental to their approach. One of the Dignity in Care Events for example received two presentations from the South Ribble Older Peoples Partnership Board. In many ways the Boards present challenging thoughts and hold agencies and the providers of services to account for the dignity agenda as can be seen from their presentation:
The Physical Disability Partnership Board for North Lancashire has similarly asked for the Counties Procurement/Contracts service to attend a meeting to discuss issues/procedures regarding domiciliary care agencies following the Panorama documentary that showed bad practice nationally regarding home care.
Recently the role of Older Peoples Forums has been enhanced through continued funding for two years with a view to making them both self-sustaining and empowered to take on clearer roles to promote agendas including the Dignity Campaign. An example of this in practice is the plan to develop connections to the Lancashire LINk service so that members of forums can embark on training to equip them to undertake the visiting of care homes in conjunction with Lancashire LINk which will provide them with the power to "enter and view". Two forum members have so far been trained and approved to act in this way.
This is pioneering work that seeks to make real and effective use of those who take part in such engagement roles providing another opportunity to promote the principle of the dignity campaign in practice as spearheaded by those who are closer to the receipt of services. If successful this approach may also prove suitable for the visiting of hospital premises.
Much of the work related to engagement is now driven from Adult and Community Services Commissioners. They have plans in place to support Partnership Boards and associated forums to have 'safeguarding and dignity in care' as a themed work stream in their future work. They also intend to raise awareness through formal community engagement functions related to the work of Local Strategic Partnerships and Lancashire Locals. In this way this pioneering work can be developed and mainstreamed in tandem with service user groups as an integral part of Lancashire's Dignity Campaign