Eighteen services or organisations in Manchester have been presented with Dignity Awards for helping to improve the lives of people in residential care homes or supported accommodation.
The Dignity Awards, presented by Manchester City Council, were given to 12 care homes for older people and six learning disability supported living homes.
The accolade is given to homes which have undergone rigorous assessments to show that they deliver high quality services that treat people with respect.
Manchester's dignity campaign uses a daisy as its emblem, to brand schemes so that they are easily recognised by people looking for quality care.
Manchester has also been working in partnership with The National Gold Standard Framework team - a quality assurance training programme to develop a nationally recognised level of care for staff who support people at the end of their lives. The pilot has now been successfully completed by 60 carers who received their accreditation certificates at the recent award ceremony.
Councillor Glynn Evans, Executive Member for Adults Health at Manchester City Council, said: "It is wonderful that once again, we can present more schemes with dignity awards. We must remember the importance of treating people, who are often some of the most vulnerable in our society, with the respect and dignity that they deserve at all times."
Also at the ceremony was Raphael Sang, aged 38 from Whalley Range. Raphael is one of the lay assessors, who visit Manchester's care services or organisations to give an independent view from a member of the public. Raphael's mother needed intermediary care in the past and this is what prompted him to apply for the voluntary post, which involves making visits in his own time. The following case study describes his experience of being a lay assessor:
"I decided to become a lay assessor because of my experience with my Mum and other relatives. I know how important good treatment is for the individual and how that care then impacts on the whole family. I think it's really important that relatives can see some sort of benchmark - like the Dignity Awards - because it's a measure of quality and we all want the best for our loved ones.
"My role has involved making visits to care providers who have agreed to participate in the scheme and I and other assessors go in and talk to staff and people receiving care. We then give our feedback as members of the public. In total, each lay assessor will make a range of visits to four separate organisations, in their own time. Everyone is motivated by the same goal of wanting to make the care provision the very best it can be.
"I think the definition of quality care is a service that puts the needs of the individual first - everyone is unique - and that should be reflected in how they are treated.
"When I saw 18 of the services and organisations across Manchester receive Dignity Awards it really made me feel like I'd been part of achieving something. I was very glad for them and it was poignant to see some of the service users at the awards too. After all, we are all here to care and look after each other the best way we can."
The Manchester homes that received the Dignity Award are:
Acacia Lodge, 90a Broadway, New Moston
Alness Lodge, 50 Alness Road, Whalley Range
Ashley House, 155 Barlow Moor Road, West Didsbury
Carrickfinn, 29 St Werburgh's Rd, Chorlton
Chorlton Place, 290 Wilbraham Rd, Chorlton
Dom Polski, 18 Carlton Road, Whalley Range
Farrant House, 44 Farrant Road, Longsight
Gorton Park, 121 Taylor Street, Gorton
St Joseph's, 52 Plymouth Grove West, Longsight
The Limes, 816 Wilmslow Road, Didsbury
Wellfield House, 38-44 Athol Road, Whalley Range
Yew Tree Manor, Yew Tree Lane, Northern Moor
3 x Standwalk supported living homes - Burnage
1 x Outreach supported living home - Cheetham
2 x Learning Disability Supported living homes - Moston and Longsight