As pressures continue to climb, praise for care workers is needed more than ever. Claire Cosgrove of the Social Care Institute for Excellence explains the motivation behind setting up the charity’s first-ever Social Care Impact Awards.
The social care sector is navigating a period of profound challenge and change. Persistent workforce shortages, tightening finances, and rising demand are creating unsustainable pressure. To give context, the latest figures show there were around 131,000 vacant posts in the sector during 2023/24.
While these factors can be described as nothing short of concerning, it seems we’re forgetting to praise staff who are present and are working tirelessly to deliver the highest quality of care they can.
Recognising social care
Too often referred to as a ‘Cinderella service’, social care remains undervalued despite being a bedrock of our communities. While healthcare enjoys strong political and public recognition, social care is too often relegated to the margins of national conversation. This lack of visibility has contributed to chronic underinvestment and workforce shortages that continue to strain the system today.
Yet, behind every headline about pressures or policy gaps are countless examples of brilliance; this persistent neglect stands in stark contrast to the sector’s impact. High-quality social care transforms lives, enabling people to live with greater independence, dignity and purpose. Social care done well reduces pressure on the NHS, strengthens community ties, and helps people thrive.
When we shine a light on excellence, we challenge outdated perceptions that portray social care as low-skilled or a peripheral service to the NHS. The reality is that care work requires huge amounts of skill, emotional intelligence, adaptability, and professional judgement. It demands complex decision-making and deep relational skills, often delivered in unpredictable, pressurised environments.
To ensure that social care is truly seen and respected for the vital profession it is, we must continue to celebrate these strengths and reward those who embody them. By shifting the narrative and championing excellence through platforms like the Social Care Impact Awards, we move from crisis to opportunity; we inspire future talent, elevate the profession, and build a culture of respect that the sector both needs and deserves.
The Social Care Impact Awards
That’s why the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) has launched its first-ever Social Care Impact Awards. These awards are rooted in our charitable purpose: to support the people and organisations who improve lives through care and support. By celebrating those whose contributions are too often overlooked, we are giving back to the sector that gives so much.
Every day, small organisations across the country are delivering transformative work, often with limited resources, little fanfare, and even less recognition. These are the organisations that embody the values SCIE champions: innovation, inclusion, co-production, and person-centred support. The Social Care Impact Awards are our way of acknowledging that work, shining a light on those who lead by example, and helping to build the conditions for sustained excellence.
The awards are also a practical form of support. In addition to recognition, winners will receive a range of developmental prizes, from tailored consultancy days to spaces on SCIE’s training programmes, designed to strengthen their capacity and extend their impact. In doing so, we hope to create a ripple effect, where shared learning and visible success stories inspire continued progress across the wider sector.
We are incredibly proud of the Social Care Impact Awards and believe they will build new partnerships, encourage the sharing of insights, and have a profound positive impact on those celebrated for their exceptional contributions.
A practical initiative to support sector excellence
Open to organisations with an annual income of up to £100,000, the Social Care Impact Awards reflect SCIE’s commitment to recognising those fostering excellence, innovation, and equity across the social care sector. There are dozens of prizes available, ranging from seventeen days of SCIE consultancy and training support to spaces on SCIE training courses, that we hope will strengthen the capacity of these organisations to drive progress in the sector. We have made every effort to keep the free application process as simple as possible: it invites organisations to submit 300 words, a two minute video, or a two minute voice note explaining why they should be considered for a Social Care Impact Award. The deadline for entries is 9am, Wednesday 28 May 2025.
As part of our commitment to honouring the achievements recognised by the Social Care Impact Awards, first and second prize recipients will be invited to attend a special in-person awards event in London on 2 July 2025. This event will take place during Co-Production Week 2025, an annual, SCIE-led celebration of the contribution people with lived experience make to creating better social care; showcasing the benefits of co-production, sharing good practice and the difference sharing power and creating equal partnerships makes in developing better ways of doing things in social care.
The future
In a sector too often defined by headlines of crisis, the Social Care Impact Awards are a celebration of what the sector contributes and the impact it has. By recognising those organisations who make a profound difference, often in the most challenging of circumstances, we aim to honour the true value of social care and those who deliver it. But more than that, we hope to inspire a wider shift in how the sector is seen and supported.
We are deeply grateful for the enthusiastic support the Social Care Impact Awards have received across the sector. The strong response reflects a shared commitment to recognising excellence in social care. Our partners, stakeholders, and communities have been instrumental in helping us publicise the awards and, therefore, reach the small organisations making a big difference.
Together, we can help ensure that the sector is better equipped to meet the challenges ahead and deliver the care and support people deserve.
This article was written by Claire Cosgrove, Partnerships and Development Manager at SCIE.
Photo by tommao wang
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