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Care Services Minister sees Dignity in Care in Action at Birmingham's Barberry Centre

Push to promote Dignity Award and raise care standards

Care Services Minister Phil Hope will see how the Barberry Centre in Birmingham puts dignity in care into action today when he visits it as part of a nationwide push to raise standards of care.

Phil Hope is in the West Midlands to promote the 'Dignity in Care campaign to ensure that people using care services are treated with dignity and respect at all times. He will visit the Barberry Centre in Birmingham to tour the mental health facilities and meet the staff who put dignity and respect at the very heart of what they do.

As part of his visit, the Minister is also asking for local nominations for 'The People's Award for Dignity in Care'. This new award has been created to enable the public in the West Midlands to recognise and thank those who go out of their way to provide an outstanding and personalised service and to highlight the remarkable work that they do. Nominations close on 6 March.

Anyone employed in the care profession in the West Midlands is eligible, from nurses and social workers, to hospital porters and nursing home employees, providing they have gone the extra mile to ensure dignity and respect in any area of health and social care.

http://www.dignityincare.org.uk

The Dignity in Care campaign aims to inspire and equip people to drive up care standards. Dignity Champions are volunteers who are committed to making a difference to the way people are cared for, and they include frontline staff, MPs and, most famously, Sir Michael Parkinson. The number of Dignity Champions across the country has risen to almost 5,000 - with almost 600 to date in the West Midlands alone. Care Services Minister Phil Hope will meet some of the Dignity Champions working at the Barberry Centre.

Dignity Ambassador Sir Michael Parkinson said:

"Most of us will at some point be in contact with care services - be that in our work, or as a service user, a carer or a relative or friend. I would encourage everyone to help drive up care standards, whether that be by reporting poor care if we see it, or if we witness someone going that extra mile we should take the time to show our appreciation.

"The People's Award for Dignity in Care is a great way to recognise the dedication of health and care staff to treating people with the dignity and respect they deserve."

Minister of State for Care Services, Phil Hope said:

"People in Birmingham and the West Midlands want and have a right to expect services with dignity and respect at their heart. The People's Award for Dignity in Care is a fantastic opportunity for us to celebrate those dedicated people raising standards of care all across the country. I urge anyone who has been in contact with care services to nominate someone who went that extra mile to ensure they were treated with dignity and respect."

The nominations for the award close on 6 March when ten regional finalists will be selected to go through to the final in July where the winner and runners up will meet Sir Michael Parkinson and Phil Hope, Minster for Care Services.

Dignity in Care Campaign

The Dignity in Care Campaign aims to ensure all people using care and health services are treated with respect at all times.

Sir Michael Parkinson was appointed as the first National Dignity Ambassador to help raise the profile of this important agenda.

Dignity Champions come from different walks of life. Anyone can become a Dignity Champion. What they do in their roles as Dignity Champions varies widely but what they all share is a commitment to making a difference, however small, to the way older people experience care.

http://www.dignityincare.org.uk

High quality care services that respect people's dignity should:

1. Have a zero tolerance of all forms of abuse

2. Support people with the same respect you would want for yourself or a member of your family

3. Treat each person as an individual by offering a personalised service

4. Enable people to maintain the maximum possible level of independence, choice and control

5. Listen and support people to express their needs and wants

6. Respect people's right to privacy

7. Ensure people feel able to complain without fear of retribution

8. Engage with family members and carers as care partners

9. Assist people to maintain confidence and a positive self esteem

10. Act to alleviate people's loneliness and isolation

People's Award for Dignity in Care

The criteria are for a person or a team who are focussed on the person, by providing simple, clear and accessible information about services; provide a better service by striving to deliver a service that's personal; and show dignity and respect by supporting people to express their needs and wants.

Regional winners will be picked by a judging panel of local experts from across the health and social care sector.