Ivan Lewis MP, Minister for Care Services

In recent years, health and social care services have made great strides in reducing waiting lists and improving access to services. We now need to redouble our efforts on the quality of the care experience.

This is what the Dignity in Care Campaign, launched in autumn 2006, aims to do. As the title of the campaign spells out, we want to put dignity firmly at the heart of care. But what does dignity mean? There are many strands to understanding this – the concept of dignity involves respect, privacy, autonomy and self-worth. It means making sure that care, provided in any setting, supports and promotes a person's self-respect.

We started the campaign by listening to what people had to say about their experiences of health and social care. I heard from a wide range of people and it is clear that dignity matters to a lot of them. What was also apparent was that there was still no clear consensus about what people should expect from a service that respects their dignity.

Through the campaign, we want to stimulate a national debate that teases out these issues. We want to help care providers create care systems free from disrespect and where there is an absolute zero tolerance of abuse. Because this is such an important issue, I am planning to extend this campaign to cover all adults, not just older people, starting next summer.

The Dignity Challenge is a key part of this campaign. Providing a clear focus for both the public and for those who provide services, it sets out 10 points that embody what we mean when we are talking about a service that respects dignity and it challenges service providers and commissioners to meet this standard.

To support the Dignity Challenge we have also produced an online Best Practice guide, in partnership with the Social Care Institute of Excellence, for health and social care professionals, service providers and commissioners to follow. This is a fast one-stop-shop for all of those with an interest to find out how to support the campaign and see how it can work in practice.

Another important element in the Dignity in Care Campaign is the establishment of a new network of Dignity Champions.
This will be an army of volunteers working to raise the profile of dignity in care locally. The core of the network will be made up of Older People's Champions who have committed to extending their role to take forward this cause. They have already made an impact locally in rooting out age discrimination and many are looking forward to taking on this new challenge. But, dignity is everybody's business – we need people across all sections of society to take up the challenge so our champions' network will be open to anyone who wants to make a difference.

Champions will be asked to challenge bad practice locally and to encourage and support providers and commissioners to take up the Dignity Challenge.

All champions will receive a pocket guide to the Dignity Challenge with details of how they can access online support.

We have already made clear how determined we are to root out elder abuse wherever it may happen. Alongside this campaign, which aims to drive up standards around older people, we are putting in place additional safeguards to improve the protection of vulnerable adults. The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Bill received Royal Assent recently and specifically sets out steps to tackle abuse and neglect. In addition, we are also planning to survey local authorities about what information they collect on abuse. Through the combination of these measures, we are working hard to create a climate where abuse will no longer be tolerated.

I hope that you can see the importance of the Dignity in Care Campaign to the way in which health and social services will be delivered in future.