The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) is delighted to announce the winners of its inaugural Social Care Impact Awards, unveiled today as part of SCIE’s annual Co-production Week, which celebrates the transformative power of co-production and lived experience in shaping better care and support.
The awards were established to recognise outstanding individuals, teams, and organisations across the country who are making a lasting impact through better outcomes for people who draw on care and support. The awards spotlight innovation, high-quality co-produced practice, and effective partnerships between people with lived experience and care professionals in the sector. The awards seek to elevate the profile of those working in care and affirm their critical contribution to the lives of people up and down the country.
Kathryn Marsden OBE (formerly Kathryn Smith), Chief Executive of SCIE, said:
“We are incredibly proud to celebrate the winners of the SCIE Social Care Impact Awards in what has already been a transformative year for co-production and the wider care sector. In social care, where work is often demanding and complex, recognition isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity. These awards are about recognising the incredible work happening in our communities every day – work that is often unseen but deeply felt.
The winners and finalists represent what’s possible when innovation, lived experience, and care come together. Their stories are powerful reminders of why we do what we do at SCIE. Congratulations to everyone involved.”
Nominations were judged by a panel, including experts by experience, sector leaders and practitioners. Entries were evaluated based on demonstrable impact, the meaningful involvement of people who use services, and the ability to inspire or influence wider change.
The response to the awards has been remarkable. Entries showcased a wide range of initiatives, from grassroots community projects to innovative workforce models, all driven by the belief that good care changes lives.
Holly Baine, Programme Development Lead, The Rayne Foundation, who match-funded one of the first prizes, said:
“The Rayne Foundation is delighted to support the Social Care Impact Awards as part of our funding for the social care workforce. The awards celebrate the innovative work being driven by grassroots social care organisations and carers that change lives every day. With additional support from SCIE, we hope they continue to grow and share their best practice.”
Claire Cosgrove, SCIE’s Partnerships and Development Manager and one of the judges, reflected on the journey:
“These awards feel like the start of something special. We’ve heard stories that are deeply moving, incredibly inspiring, and full of practical learning. It’s been a joy to witness how people and organisations across the sector are embedding co-production in real and meaningful ways.”
“The winners will receive tailored support from SCIE, including consultancy, access to training, and opportunities to collaborate with the SCIE team to further share and develop their work. This support aims to help scale their impact and inspire wider sector learning.”
Award winners:
Micro Category (organisations with <£10k income)
First Prize: Tresacare
Second Prize: Chitter Chatter Club
Third Prize: Inclusion GG
Small Category (organisations with <£100k income)
First Prize: Shaping Our Lives
First Prize: ProActive Community
Second Prize: Team2Gether Suffolk
Hear from the winners:
Micro Category
First prize
The Treascare team said:
“We’re incredibly grateful for this support – it allows us to stand by displaced care workers and invest in the wellbeing of those holding up our care system. In a time of crisis, it helps us turn urgency into action. This recognition is a vote of confidence in our mission to care for the people who care for others.”
Second prize
Anne Anderson, Chief Executive Officer of Chitter Chatter Club, said:
“I believe we’ve found one of many ways to help people recover from loneliness and isolation, by planting hope and reaching out worldwide. In just three years, 4,800 people in Dorset have benefited, with 73% reporting better confidence, mental health, safety, and connection to services, all from volunteers simply saying hi, being friendly, graceful and empathetic.
“With SCIE’s support through the Awards, we can raise awareness and inspire others nationwide to replicate models like the Chitter Chatter Club or Brew Crew. This low-cost, high-return approach could ease pressure on doctors, hospital beds, and even prisons.”
Third prize
Mandy-Jayne Lace, Founder of Inclusion.gg, said:
“This support enables our leadership team to receive vital, high-quality training in a key area of governance, while also strengthening the confidence and capability of our volunteers, individuals, and community groups, ensuring we all act with clarity, care, and accountability.”
Small Category
First prize (sponsored by the Rayne Foundation)
Peter Beresford, Chair of Shaping our Lives, said:
“Shaping Our Lives is really pleased and proud to receive this award. Not only does it symbolise our efforts over the years as a user-led organisation to address issues of inclusion and diversity with equality, but it will also help enable us to take forward key work we are committed to, to support more inclusive approaches to the development of Artificial Intelligence. This is one of our priority areas for future work because AI seems to have fallen short in this area. The SCIE award provides a great opportunity to develop our skills and understanding.”
First prize
The ProActive Community team said:
“Winning the SCIE Social Care Impact Award for small organisations is an incredible honour for the Pro-Active Community. As a small user-led charity, it means so much for our work to be recognised nationally. This award shines a light on the power of lived experience to drive real change. The prize of consultancy from SCIE will be instrumental in helping us refine our strategy and measure our impact more effectively. Most importantly, it gives our members — many of whom are autistic people and people with learning disabilities — the recognition and platform they deserve.”
Second prize
The Team2Gether team said:
“Team2Gether is thrilled to be receiving second place in the small organisation category! Led by Caron Cantor, our team got to work in 2016 to create what is now Team2Gether, and we are grateful for this recognition. Winning this award means we can move forward with our mission of reaching as many people within our community as possible. Our goal is to widen areas. The consultancy and training we will receive for winning this wonderful award will give us the springboard to do just that and continue ‘empowering every ability’.”
