Dignity Audit

Use this Dignity Audit Checklist to evaluate patient care, ensuring a person-centered approach, clear communication, and consent to provide compassionate care. This audit can be conducted quarterly. References: The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014: Regulation 10: Dignity and Respect, Regulation 9: Person-Centred Care, Regulation 11: Need for Consent, Regulation 12: Safe Care and Treatment, Regulation 13: Safeguarding Service Users from Abuse and Improper Treatment, Care Quality Commission (CQC) Fundamental Standards: Dignity and Respect: People must be treated with dignity and respect at all times, Person-Centred Care: Care must be tailored to individual needs, Consent: The requirement for obtaining proper consent for care Safety: Ensuring care is provided in a safe environment, Safeguarding: Protection from abuse and harm, Human Rights Act 1998: Article 3: Freedom from Inhuman or Degrading Treatment, Article 8: Right to Respect for Private and Family Life Mental Capacity Act 2005: Ensures individuals who lack capacity are supported in decision-making and that their rights and dignity are maintained. Equality Act 2010: Protects individuals from discrimination, harassment, and victimization in care settings based on protected characteristics such as age, disability, gender, race, religion, or belief. The Care Act 2014: Section 1: Promoting Individual Wellbeing, Section 4: Providing Information and Advice, Section 5: Prevention and Delay of Needs for Care and Support, Section 42-47: Safeguarding Adults, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Guidelines: NICE NG97: Dementia: Assessment, Management, and Support, NICE NG21: Home Care: Delivering Personal Care and Practical Support, NICE NG27: Transition between Inpatient Hospital Settings and Community or Care Home Settings for Adults with Social Care Needs, National Dignity Council: 10 Dignity Do’s: A set of principles that promote dignity in care, ensuring respect, compassion, and person-centred care.

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Dignity Audit

Dignity Audit

General

Empathy And Compassion

Communication

Personalised Care

Food And Drink

Social Interaction

Learning From Experience

Dignity For End Of Life - Organisations

Dignity - Recruiting Health & Social Care Staff For Values

Dignity & Staff Development In Care And Health

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Checklist by GoAudits.com – Please note that this checklist is intended as an example. We do not guarantee compliance with the laws applicable to your territory or industry. You should seek professional advice to determine how this checklist should be adapted to your workplace or jurisdiction.

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Dignity Audit

1. Is your organisation clear about the importance of meeting the dignity of the people who use your services?

2. Are you confident that your staff respect the human rights of the people they care for and treat them as ‘human beings’?

3. Does your organisation use the 10 Dignity Do’s promoted by the National Dignity Council?

4. Do your staff know about and use the 10 Dignity Do’s?

5. Would a visitor to your service be able to see at a glance that your organisation and your staff display the attitudes, behaviours, and actions that demonstrate that dignity is at the heart of all you do?

1. Are you confident that your staff are kind, compassionate, caring, and patient with all of the people who use your service?

2. Do you offer Dignity Training to your staff, including ancillary staff?

3. Is dignity, compassion, and respect integral in all of the training that your staff receive?

1. Are you confident that your staff always use appropriate language and tone of voice when interacting with the people that use your service?

2. Are you confident that your staff do not speak about the people they care for in their presence, as if they weren’t there?

3. Does your organisation have processes in place that enable your staff to properly get to know and understand the people you care for/support?

4. Are you confident that staff explain what they are doing during an activity, task, or procedure in a way that is meaningful for the individual?

5. Are you confident that your staff respect and maintain the confidentiality of the individuals they care for/support at all times?

6. Are the individuals receiving care and support from you encouraged to express their emotions?

7. Are your staff able to deal appropriately with individuals who express their emotions?

8. Are you confident that all the individuals receiving care know how to call for assistance?

9. Are you confident that requests for assistance are dealt with in a timely and compassionate manner by your staff?

1. Are you confident that all staff delivering care and support to an individual know enough about them (their personal histories, likes and dislikes, etc.) to be able to provide proper personalised care?

2. Are you confident that your staff recognise the merits and achievements of the people they care for?

3. Are you confident that the individuals you care for/support feel that they have control over the care/support they receive?

4. Do care plans reflect individual choice as well as need?

5. Are care plans written in ways that empower the individual and enable creative ways of providing care and support?

6. Are you confident that your staff always get permission from the person they are caring for before undertaking an activity, task, or procedure?

7. Are you confident that your staff respect and maintain the privacy of the people they care for/support at all times?

8. Are you confident that your staff consider the physical, cultural, spiritual, intellectual, emotional, and social needs and preferences of the individuals they care for/support on a day-to-day basis?

9. Are you confident that your staff are sensitive to the feelings of the people they always care for/support?

10. Are you confident that your staff deliver personal care in a sensitive and respectful manner?

11. Are you confident that if an individual needs additional clinical support, this is arranged immediately (e.g., doctors, dentist, optician appointments are made)?

12. Are you confident that if/when an individual displays ‘unusual’ behaviour that may be labelled challenging, your staff seek to discover the meaning behind the behaviour (e.g., pain, anxiety, boredom) and take appropriate action?

13. If an individual displays ‘unusual’ behaviour that may be labelled challenging, does your organisation put a behaviour management plan in place that staff understand and implement?

1. Are you confident that your staff understand the importance of good nutrition and hydration on the health and wellbeing of the individuals they care for and appreciate their role in helping them eat and drink well?

2. Are you confident that the food preferences of individuals are always catered for (e.g., things they like to eat, timings, portion size, cooking style including ethnic and religious factors)?

3. Are individuals always offered drinks of their choice, frequently and in sufficient quantities to maintain optimum hydration levels?

4. Are you confident that your staff leave drinks within reach of the people they support?

5. Are you confident that your staff encourage all individuals to eat and drink?

6. Are you confident that individuals who need support to eat and drink are given appropriate time?

7. Are you confident that your staff actively encourage individuals to do what they can for themselves, at their own pace?

1. Are you confident that family and friends are encouraged to get involved in the care/support of their loved ones?

2. If you are a residential organisation, are you confident that individuals in your care wear their own clothes?

3. If you are a residential organisation, are individuals supported to maintain their links with family, friends, and the local community?

4. If you are a residential organisation or an organisation that brings people together, are individuals supported to make friends with other people?

5. If you are a residential organisation or an organisation that brings people together, are individuals offered opportunities to participate in social activities with others?

6. Are your staff actively encouraged to seek out opportunities to sit and spend time with the individuals receiving care/support?

7. Are individuals encouraged to enhance their personal level of physical activity?

8. Are individuals encouraged to participate in activities that they find meaningful and worthwhile?

9. Are you confident that your organisation understands and meets the cultural needs of individuals receiving care/support?

10. Does your organisation refer to multi-cultural or religious sources for help to understand an individual’s needs?

11. Is your organisation able to continue to provide care and support to an individual if their condition deteriorates?

1. Are you confident that your staff understand when and how to speak out if they see or hear something that they don’t feel comfortable with?

2. Are you confident that your staff understand what safeguarding involves and know how to raise concerns?

3. Does your organisation explain its safeguarding procedures to the individuals you care for and their family/friends?

4. Does your organisation have clear whistleblowing procedures in place, that staff and individuals and their family/friends are aware of?

5. Are individuals receiving care/support made aware of their rights?

6. Does your organisation actively welcome feedback on the quality of the service you provide?

7. Does your organisation have systems in place that enable individuals and their family and friends to provide feedback easily and anonymously (if that’s their preferred option)?

8. Does your organisation fully explain your complaints procedure to individuals using your service and their family/friends?

9. Does your organisation learn from the feedback and complaints it receives?

1. Does your organisation support individuals to consider what they want to happen as they approach the end of their life, even when it is not immediately anticipated?

2. Does your organisation support individuals to have as much control as possible over decisions, care, and treatment at the end of their life?

3. Is your organisation and the staff supporting an individual at the end of their life aware of any documents advising of their wishes?

4. Does your organisation support the people that you care for to die in the place that they want to (e.g., at home, in their care home, or in a hospice)?

5. Do your staff have the training and skills to respond appropriately to individuals who wish to discuss issues around their death?

6. Does your organisation know of and record the wishes of individuals in respect of their final stages of life (e.g., who they want with them, if they would like music, curtains open/closed, etc.)?

7. Are your staff fully aware of individual’s cultural, spiritual, and religious preferences when providing end-of-life care?

8. Does your organisation ensure they support individuals who are dying to be as pain-free as possible? (This may involve calling on other health professionals to administer pain relief.)

9. Are your staff able to help individuals plan and say goodbye to loved ones if asked to do this?

10. Are your staff able to provide support to family and friends at the end of a loved one's life?

1. Do you provide opportunities for individuals who use your service (or their family/friends) to get involved in aspects of the recruitment process?

2. Deciding what qualities a worker needs?

3. Contributing to/agreeing job descriptions and job adverts?

4. Participating in interviews and deciding who should be offered the role?

5. Do your job adverts specifically ask for people who are kind, caring, compassionate, and patient?

6. Does your application pack demonstrate that your organisation values its staff and treats them in a dignified and respectful way?

7. Do your job descriptions highlight the behaviours and attitudes the successful applicant needs?

8. Do your interview questions ask candidates to provide examples of how they have behaved in the past, as this is a good indicator of how they will behave in the future?

9. Does your organisation model the behaviours you expect from new staff by treating applicants in a dignified manner (e.g., responding to all queries and applications in a timely and friendly way)?

10. If your organisation does not have the resources to meet the above expectations, is that clearly stated in your literature?

11. Do new staff undertake an induction of sufficient depth and detail that on completion they feel confident to carry out their role, ensuring dignity is respected at all times?

12. Do new staff have the opportunity to shadow colleagues who demonstrate the values, attitudes, and behaviours required for the delivery of dignified care and support?