New London Regional Dignity Lead

Annie Callanan has joined the Social Care and Partnerships Team at the London Government Office as lead for Dignity in Care and Transformation. Annie is working with Jean Daintith, Executive Director of Housing Health and Adult Social Care at the London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea to promote and progress dignity in care on behalf of the Directors of Adult Social Care, London Region (ADASS).

Annie is aware that there are now over 1200 Dignity Champions in London with 16,000 nationally working at all levels in all sectors of care services. The conference held in London in Nov 2009 raised the profile of the important work being carried out in the region. The conference found that Dignity Champions were keen to develop a local organisation in each Borough to coordinate activity and share good practic, they did not want a Pan London Group or large coordinating body. They also wanted a Greater London focus on their work so they could share progress and challenges across services and boroughs and increased support for identifying priorities and addressing them locally.

Annie is keen to build on that work. She will work with a reference group from health and social care agencies to help senior managers to establish a template for use as a management tool so they can feel confident that dignity is preserved and promoted in all services they hold responsibility for, whether commissioned or directly provided.

The work of dignity champions will link with strategic management to make sure success is demonstrated and the need for improvement idendified while sharing learning and good practice.

Annie would like to hear from Dignity Champions who are interested in becoming part of the work to develop the template