dignity and respect

12th May 2010
No matter what health or social care services we use, we would all like to be treated with dignity and respect when we do. Therefore the Manchester LINk has made a commitment to try and improve Dignity in Care for local people. To do this we run a number of different projects.

For example, following initial research and working group meetings interested LINk members decided to do a project around homecare. The group argued that users of homecare agencies were particularly vulnerable and might need the LINk to have their voices heard. Therefore we are asking people who use homecare services to “Tell us YOUR Story” about the service they receive. We are particularly interested in hearing from people that pay for their homecare themselves and will use their feedback to improve services in Manchester. Currently we are using some of the stories to put together a leaflet for all homecare customers. This will clearly cover your rights as customers, what you can expect from your homecare agency and who you can contact if you have a problem or concern.

The LINk has also been collecting feedback about how people are treated on wards H3 and H4 at North Manchester General Hospital. At the moment we are in the process of analysing this feedback and putting together a preliminary report. We will then contact Pennine Acute NHS trust who is running the hospital to see how we can make the service better for everyone.

In addition, the LINk is keen to support local Dignity Champions for example by organising events. These are a great opportunity for champions to get to know each other, share their experiences, and discuss how they can improve Dignity in Care in the organisations they work for. However, we realise that not everyone is able to attend events. Therefore we are inviting everyone who is interested in Dignity & Respect to join our Reference Group. This is a virtual group of like-minded people that I will send relevant updates and information to by email or letter. Members of the group can also forward information through me or ask for support from other members.

Related to this the LINk sponsors an annual Dignity Award for Manchester in recognition of individuals’ and organisations’ outstanding contributions to the Dignity & Respect Campaign and the great service they provide. Tina Brown from Anchor care homes was announced as this year’s winner and presented with the award at a special awards ceremony and festive dinner for all the nominees on 27th April 2010. To read more about the awards please click here: LINk Dignity Awards.

Finally we are also considering a range of other projects for the future and would love you to get involved. So please contact Valeska on 0161 214 3981 or by email to valeska@blackhealthagency.org.uk for more information or to join the Reference Group.

Dignity and Respect Information Sheet