Minister leads on improving dignity in care for older people

Care services minister Ivan Lewis will launch a campaign today to provide “government leadership” in improving dignity in care for older people.

The campaign, which builds on a dignity initiative started by Lewis’s predecessor Liam Byrne, includes a set of standards of service to ensure dignity for providers and commissioners.

Lewis will also call on the Commission for Social Care Inspection and the Healthcare Commission  to put a “sharper focus” on dignity in their inspections.

Lewis told Community Care: “This is about government providing leadership and stimulating a national debate about how we care for older people.”

To support the campaign, the Social Care Institute for Excellence launched a best practice guide on dignity in care.

The campaign will be extended to other adult client groups next year.