2008 National Finalists - Dignity in Care Award

The 2008 Health and Social Care Dignity in Care Award National Finalists were:

In Control Project Team, Northamptonshire Local Authority

The team have been exploring a new way of organising social care, called 'self directed support'. By reorganising their approach to social care they wanted to find out if local people with learning disabilities could take more control over their lives.

A group of people all of whom required new accommodation and support arrangements were offered an Individual Budget. Of the group, 9 were previously or are currently living in residential care, 1 was in NHS long stay accommodation and nine lived with family members.

Leeds Older People's Strategic Partnership

In 2006, Leeds City Council's Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Board began an inquiry into Dignity in Care issues in the city. This coincided with the DH Dignity in Care campaign launch. The aim of the project was to ensure that older people are treated with the highest standards of dignity when using health and social care services in Leeds. This was achieved by:

• Fostering cultural change
• Achieving 'top-to-bottom' organisational action:
• Dignity Audit Tools:
• Using Dignity as an outcome measure.

Bracknell Forest Local Authority Learning Disability Service

The Management Team is enabling 'ordinary lives' and this strong leadership have fostered a more enabling culture throughout the Learning Disabilities service. This in turn has had influence within the wider Council and partner organisations, from elected members to various frontline workers. This has helped to enable the cultural change which is crucial as more people become "champions".