Wednesday February 1 is Dignity Action Day – your opportunity to contribute to improving people’s rights to dignity in care.
Dignity Action Day is a national event which asks health and social care workers, and members of the public, to take action in their place of work or communities, to promote dignity.
Dignity is about more than one day and should be upheld at all times; Dignity Action Day gives people an opportunity to raise awareness, demonstrating how they uphold dignity, and it also gives people receiving care an extra special day.
Flintshire County Council and Wrexham County Borough Council have established a volunteer Dignity Champions Network. Dignity Champions believe that everyone should be treated with dignity and respect, and aims to promote good practice and influence change, to ensure that this is the case. They seek to improve service standards and challenge negative attitudes and actions towards vulnerable people. They want services to be efficient and delivered in a way that maintains the individuals’ respect, privacy, self-esteem, autonomy and rights.
On Dignity Action Day the network will be highlighting and promoting how small actions can have a big impact on a person’s dignity, by holding a series of local events. The network wants to share good practice and demonstrate how easy it is for all of us to take small steps that can make a difference.
Flintshire County Council’s Executive member for Social Services, Councillor Carol Ellis said:
“Dignity Action day is an opportunity to remind us all of the rights of people in care. Their dignity, along with privacy and respect, is their right.”
Wrexham Councillor Joan Lowe, lead for Health and Social Care, said:
“I am very pleased with the work that is happening in Wrexham to improve the awareness of Dignity in Care. All partners have joined together in a very positive way, to promote and improve Dignity in Care for all.”
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board is a key partner in the work of the Dignity Champions Network. On behalf of the Health Board, Jill Galvani, Director of Nursing, Midwifery & Patient Services stated:
“The Health Board is pleased to be working in partnership with Flintshire County Council and Wrexham County Borough Council and offers their full support for this very worthwhile initiative.
“We are committed to ensuring that patients are at the centre of everything we do. One of our key values is to ensure that staff treat our patients with dignity and respect at all times.”
If you are proud of your practice and would like to share your experience, or if you are interested in joining Wrexham and Flintshire’s Dignity Champions Network, please contact [email protected] or [email protected]
