Dignity in a tick box?

Maria Davison 14/03/16 Dignity Champions forum

I am a dedicated dignity champion myself and therefore am disgusted that such an important cause is still able to fall victim to the all too familiar 'tick a box and done managers' in some areas.
I have recently witnessed an establishment clearly show their apparent lack of respect for dignity or indeed for common decency. So they want to say they are dignity champions and maybe even get a press release out of it so they wrote a list and started to tick off what was needed.
They introduced a tree and call it dignity.
Print off a resource pack.
Register themselves on the dignity site with a single sentence stating their passion, commitment, aims, etc next to their name.
They then add several staff names to certificates and off they go to the printer again.
Press release written.
Line manager informed that the job is done.
All tasks completed. All boxes ticked.

Task masters they maybe but dignity champions they certainly are not.

I am saddened that these now proud 'dignity championed environment' does not feel it necessary to complete any of the audits to actually action a plan for enhancement. They do not feel it necessary to engage staff in the introduction of their new practice/pledge/commitment. Unfortunately they hold so little regard for the entire initiative that actually they didn't even feel the need to ask the staff they have named and certificated if they wanted to champion dignity at all.

So with staff names now proudly advertised in the main entrance they can safely dismiss any actual work to actually introduce such a culture change. The only benefit of this fake show of care being so well placed in the entrance is that the staff they have named as dignity champions have seen it and so at least now they are aware as apposed to being completely oblivious.

Health and care professionals nationwide work so hard to raise awareness and inspire others to also pledge to ensuring their practices are indeed promoting dignity that this disregard really does grate. Such pride and celebration is held by establishments when they come to advertise their dedication to the dignity campaign that I do not feel that it should be able to be used as a tick box to a press release in such a way as these have done.

It is disrespectful and in my opinion only benefits the marketing department and potentially the companies monetary value at best. With no desire to work towards even a tiny glimpse of any of the aims and objectives of the campaign being even considered this company is surely more proof that we have still got a challenge on if we are to see this country become one of dignified care provision.

It is scary to witness such blatent disregard from those who should be inspiring others through their own care and practices.

I hope the tree gets chopped down because it certainly hasn't got the roots to grow in strength.

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Miss Cartledge 21/03/16

I over heard this being discussed at work recently and think well done that nurse. It is people that have the balls to speak up and say what the rest of the world knows but just quietly disagrees with that give our health and social care service provision any hope for the future.

Maria Davison 21/03/16

Thankyou and I agree with what you say. I only ever say what others think too.

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