Everyone at DanceSyndrome is sending congratulations to our Trustee, Professor Jamie Waterall OBE, who has been recognised as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in this weekend’s King’s Honours List.
This is significant and well-deserved recognition of Jamie’s outstanding contribution to nursing, public health and wider health leadership. His work has had a profound impact on the development of healthier, fairer communities across the UK, and we are incredibly proud of his achievements.
At DanceSyndrome, we know that inclusion should not be seen as an “extra” in any setting, whether that is Arts, corporate or health and social care settings; inclusion is central to good practice, better outcomes and more supportive services in every aspect of society. Jamie is a great fit for us as a Trustee because his work reflects all the values that are at the heart of our work: equity, dignity, co-production and the belief that every person should be able to thrive and be heard through person-centred support.
Jamie has helped us to better understand how our work and impact can be applied to the health and social care sector. Daily, DanceSyndrome sees the difference that inclusive attitudes and approaches make in our own settings. This has enabled us to develop a co-designed and co-delivered training programme that can be used to support organisations in all sectors to learn how they can embed inclusion into their own daily practice.
Our Inclusion in Action training has recently been delivered to more than 180 In-Patient Ward Managers working across Learning Disability, Mental Health, and Autism settings through a partnership with the Foundation of Nursing Studies, and Jamie has supported this. This training helps organisations and their staff to put inclusion into practice, to build confidence, challenge barriers and develop practical approaches to inclusion that can improve experiences for the people they support.
Jamie acknowledges that, at a time when health and care services are under increasing pressure, this kind of learning matters more than ever. He said “Inclusive practice strengthens relationships, improves communication and supports more effective, person-centred care. I am keen to use my own experience to help DanceSyndrome to extend their impact in this area and am incredibly proud of the difference that they are making in nursing and public health.”
Jamie’s OBE demonstrates the importance of combining research, knowledge and expertise with compassion and a commitment to better outcomes for everyone. We are delighted to have him as part of DanceSyndrome’s Board of Trustees and send many congratulations on this huge achievement.
If you would like to know more about DanceSyndrome’s Inclusion in Action training and how we are supporting more inclusive practices, please visit our Inclusion Workshops page.
