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Click below for a round-up of some of the dignity related things that have been happening in Derbyshire recently.
We have various things planned for 2015. The problem we have (but do not mind at all!) is that when we advertise a date for a dignity workshop it books up immediately. We have therefore listed in this newsletter dates already offered and would ask anyone booked in but who cannot now make it to let us know as we will book in someone else.
If you want advice about how to go about the bronze or silver awards then let us know and we will either organise a further workshop or arrange for one of the team to contact you.
In the last newsletter we quoted Dame Joan Bakewell (the current Dignity in Care Ambassador) who encourages everyone to make National Dignity Action Day an occasion to highlight a respectful way of behaving towards the vulnerable people with whom we work and also to spread the dignity message across the wider population so we can all benefit. The next National Dignity Action Day is on 1st February 2015. The fact that this is a Sunday is not a problem as each year people run events in or around the designated day.
For example the Derbyshire Deaf Team will be running coffee mornings for people with sensory loss/deaf at Oakland Village, Swadlincote and Potters Place, Chesterfield. Let’s do lots of things in Derbyshire!. Please let us know what you did via Stephen.phillips@derbyshire.gov.uk
We hope to draw together a collection of accounts and photos (with permissions) to remind us all that there is a full blown Campaign on the move. We already have bronze and silver workshops organised near the day as well as an extra assessment session – described in the previous section of the newsletter). You can also see what others are doing all over the country on the Dignity in Care website.
Please have a go!
 Creative Support Services in Buxton is a
domiciliary care agency in Buxton who are promoting dignity in
various ways. On 1 December they held a
Dignity tea event for their staff and clients.
It was a chance for everyone to get
together and enjoy an afternoon of tea, coffee, cakes and a chat. There was a
raffle with gifts supplied by many local businesses and clients. The event
raised £228 for the Alzheimer’s Society. Anna Bond the registered Manager said
she hoped that this will be the first of many such events and that as well as
raising money for a worthwhile cause it also enabled many clients a chance to
break up their day and a chance to get out and meet new people.
They are also making a
dignity wall at the office, sending clients a leaf for them to write on with
what is important to them to highlight this to the staff team.
Contact Anna Bond 01298 27437
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North East Derbyshire South Fieldwork team were national finalists for the Social Work Team of the Year award at the 2014 Social Worker of the Year Awards. Their successful achievement of the silver dignity award was instrumental in getting them there.
High Peak Fieldwork team are great supporters of the Derbyshire Dignity Campaign. Annette Lomas a Senior Practitioner writes about how it feels to be in the position so many of you now are – making the successful transition from bronze to silver standard.
After the success of last year’s events, Derbyshire Community Health Services are holding three more this year, topics to be confirmed. Health and Social care professionals are invited to one of these free events. Lunch and refreshments are provided and a market place with representatives from a number of leading companies. The events last year offered great learning and networking opportunities and it is well worth getting a date in your diary. We will keep you updated too as more details emerge.
‘A dog is for life not just for Christmas’ so
goes the saying. A dignity award is for 2 years not for life – and it needs
nurturing all the time.
The bronze award is having a positive effect in many ways – we
hear of dignity being a standing item on team meetings and in supervision; local
dignity champion networks; bronze award action plans being very much ‘alive’ or
other ways in which dignity is woven
into team practice.
Renewal of the award in such circumstances is simply a matter of
sending in a current snapshot of how dignity is being systematically promoted
and developed.
We aim to contact achievers of the bronze award 3 months ahead of
the expiry date. If nothing is heard a further reminder is made at 1 month. At expiry
date we then make further contact and if a service has faced ‘sudden or
unexpected’ challenges an extension may be negotiated. The onus is on the award
holder to make the case though.
No-one we contact ever says they do not wish to renew but getting
the renewal on the table can feel a bit like drawing teeth in a small number of
instances.
Once the expiry date has passed an award holder
will be asked to remove the certificate from public view; to remove any
associated publicity and the team name is removed from the website. Re-achieving
he award requires a full new application.
Time spent chasing up renewals takes away time for
bringing more people on board with the Dignity Campaign. We do ask you to give
your local dignity campaign continuing sustenance so that renewal is, well,
just a piece of cake!
 We continue to think about the gold award and our draft keeps changing. When we are confident the time is right we hope to seek approval from senior health and social care management to take ideas to a public meeting to help them work out a final format with us. In the meantime your ideas are welcome to Stephen.phillips@derbyshire.gov.uk
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When registering as a dignity champion on the national website you are asked what dignity means to you. Your response then sits on the website alongside your name.
A few examples of Derbyshire registered champions’ responses underlines why there is such energy for the County dignity campaign.
Some Champions indicate specifically what they want to improve – nutrition or clothing for example. Others take a more wide-ranging stance; looking to promote human rights or oppose discrimination. There is a strong theme of wishing to stand up for vulnerable people and to make a positive difference to the lives of others. The examples on the national website also acknowledge that something may always need challenging anytime or any place or need improving on a daily basis.
The website comments are overwhelmingly positive – the word ‘passionate’ features frequently. There is just the very occasional ‘downer’. One person registering as a dignity champion has given their reasons for registering as ‘n/a’. Another has written ‘we have been told to do it for work’. Dignity is never ‘n/a’ and never something to be ‘told to do’. The promotion of dignity needs to be the foundation of a well led team with every team member using the all influence they have in their job role to be a champion of best practice and intolerant of bad practice.
Follow ‘find out more’ to view some randomly chosen comments from Derbyshire dignity champions.
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