Quality Excellence Award 2026
Demonstrating sustained quality, improvement and innovation
This award recognises an outstanding individual on their leadership journey or an organisation that has demonstrated exceptional commitment to sustained quality, continuous improvement and/or meaningful innovation within social care.
It celebrates those who go beyond compliance—embedding a culture of excellence, learning and measurable impact that enhances outcomes for the people they support.
Eligibility
- Open to individuals or organisations within the social care sector
- Must demonstrate sustained quality or improvement over a minimum of 12 months
- Must be part of a service rated Good or Outstanding by CQC
Criteria
Sustained Quality Performance
- Consistently delivers high standards of care over time (typically 12–24 months)
- Strong governance, oversight and quality assurance systems in place
- Maintains or exceeds regulatory standards with clear accountability
Continuous Improvement
- Proactive approach to identifying and addressing areas for improvement
- Clear improvement plans with measurable objectives
- Evidence of learning from incidents, feedback, complaints and reviews
- Engages staff and people supported in improvement activity
Innovation in Practice (where applicable)
- Introduces innovative practices, systems or models of care
- Develops creative, practical solutions to service challenges
- Uses digital tools or new approaches to improve outcomes
- Demonstrates innovation that is sustainable and transferable
Measurable Impact and Outcomes
- Improves wellbeing, independence or satisfaction for people supported
- Positive workforce outcomes (e.g. retention, engagement, skills development)
- Reduces incidents, risks or inefficiencies
Leadership and Culture of Excellence
- Clear leadership commitment to quality and continuous improvement
- Promotes openness, transparency and shared accountability
- Supports professional development and reflective practice
Sustainability and Transferability
Judges will consider:
- How improvements are embedded into everyday practice
- The long-term sustainability of changes
- Potential for replication across other teams or services
- Ongoing review and strengthening of quality
Submission Requirements
- Nominations must not exceed 500 words
- Completed forms should be submitted to Administrator@espic.co.uk
How it Works
Nominations will be reviewed by an independent Awards Panel.
The panel will shortlist three finalists. One winner and two highly commended awards will be announced on the night. In the event of a tie, the Head Judge will have the casting vote.
All nominators will be informed of the outcome.
The Awards Panel is made up of three independent judges.