Live: You can now search for dignity champions

We have now launched the Google map facility that we introduced to you in the August e-bulletin. This will allow you as a Dignity Champion to identify other champions who live or work in the same area or share the same interests. This facility will enable you to contact other champions so you can set up your own networks to share information and practice or to work together on a particular priority or to collectively solve a problem. Those networks could be face to face or even virtual using social networking sites eg. MySpace, Facebook or Twitter. Examples of networks might be champions who are care home managers, champions who all work at the same hospital, or champions who all have an interest in an aspect of care eg. continence, nutrition, dementia care.

We see this as an important development for the campaign. To date, many of you have been working in isolation. We hope that by enabling you to get in touch with each other you will start to be able to take local collective action and to create and sustain your own local networks. We are hoping this will substantially increase the power and voice of the campaign. We are fast approaching 9,000 Dignity Champions across the country - you are all doing what you can independently to make a difference locally - but imagine what effect your combined intelligence, energy and creativity could bring. In groups we can do together what we can not achieve alone!

To get this vital development to the campaign off the ground we need your help. Over the last few months, we have reviewed our list of champions and updated their personal details and dignity interests. This information has been added to the Google Map facility to enable champions to find each other based on this information. Within the search facility, these details are referred to as "tags" or "keywords". To maximise the effectiveness of the Google Map facility, these details must be accurate. When you next go on to the website would you please follow this link & update your dignity champion preferences by logging in.

How to update your details

Please ensure that your details are correct. If you need to change any details please make the changes & press update at the bottom of the page.

Please ensure that you have registered in the appropriate field - either somebody who works in Health & Social Care or a member of the public. Note that because there are only two options here, we would expect anyone who does not work in health and social care to appear as a member of the public.

Please check the county or London borough that applies to you. You can only pick a location from the drop down menu. You must decide which of the available options best describes your location. If you have the wrong entry in this field, you will appear in the wrong place in lists of champions.

Please check your postcode is correct. The Google Map facility uses this field to place you on the map. If this field is typed wrongly, or contains the wrong postcode then you will not appear in the right place on the map. Please note if you provide a postcode outside of United Kingdom, Google Maps & the search facility will not recognise it.

If you wish you may update the 'I am a Dignity Champion because' field. This is a free text field where you can enter a little about yourself, why you support the campaign and the environment in which dignity is important to you and why.

Please click on 'update your tags'. This should be a list of key words that details the care group & care settings you are involved with, and your particular areas of interest related to Dignity in Care. Please check your keywords are accurate. The Google Map facility uses this field to enable champions to identify others. Keywords must be single words separated by a comma like a list. (E.g Bupa, Care, Home, Older, People, Nutrition). Please do not use connecting words. (E.g and, but, way) and do not use hyphens.

If your keywords are out of date or contain spelling errors, it will stop you being identified correctly. For example if you are interested in, the elderly but you include the keyword "elderley", the search facility will not match you with any search using "elderly". This means other champions will not be able to find you. Please check the spelling of all your key words.

If you want to enter a phrase such as 'older people' or 'person centred services', please enter these as separate words with commas in between. For example, older, people, person, centred, services. Plural or possessive words may not be very helpful (for example, "nurses" will not come up on any search for "nurse". "People's" will not come up in a search for "people"). Keywords are best kept simple.

Generally, check there are no spelling mistakes in any part of your details. As you can see from the examples above, the search facility is very literal. This facility is only as good as the information within it. If your entry contains spelling mistakes it will significantly reduce the usefulness of this facility. Please help us make it a success by ensuring your details are perfect.

If you would like to update your name, email address, organisation, job role, region or the environment in which you predominantly work then please follow the link above and select 'Your details' at the top of the screen. Choose 'update your personal information' and change your details.

Please note if you work for a SHA, you are now able to select this as your predominant group. To select SHA as your chosen group you must follow the link above, select 'Your details' at the top of the screen. Choose 'update your personal information' and change your predominant group setting, and select 'update'.

The search facility is to be used only for the benfit of all. You should not use this search facility for corporate or financial gain.

Please take a look at the search facility & use it to contact other champions & make change happen!

If you need any help with this please email dignitychampions@dh.gsi.gov.uk or call 0207 9724007.

Also, don't forget our Discuss & Debate forum is still live on the website so if you want to contact all champions or a large group then you can do so by posting a message for all to see.

Start searching: www.dignityincare.org.uk/DignityChampionsSearch/