Group 1: Care & Resident Experience

1 Wellbeing
2 Nutrition, Food & Dining
3 Specialist Care
4 Nursing Care
5 Resident Safety & Quality of Care

Group 2: People & Community

6 Training & Development
7 Recruitment & Retention
8 Marketing & Communications
9 Community Engagement
10 Resident Engagement & Activities

Group 3: Innovation & Operations

11 Technology & Digital Transformation
12 Innovation in Care
13 Sustainability & Environmental Impact
14 Operational Excellence
15 Partnership & Collaboration

Group 4: Homes & Environments

16 Interior Design & Living Environment
17 New Care Home
18 Care Home Development
19 Indoor & Outdoor Communal Spaces
20 Facilities, Maintenance & Housekeeping

Gold Awards

Category Descriptions & Judging Guidance

The Care Home Awards reward evidence, achievement and impact. Judges will consider the quality of the idea or initiative, how effectively it has been delivered and, most importantly, the difference it has made. Entries should use relevant evidence, results and examples wherever possible.

Group 1: Care & Resident Experience

1. Wellbeing

Recognising outstanding initiatives, programmes or approaches that improve the physical, emotional, social or mental wellbeing of people living in care homes. Entries might involve activity, exercise, creativity, social connection, access to nature, emotional support or other approaches that demonstrably enhance quality of life. This category primarily rewards outcomes. Please note: this is different from the Resident Engagement & Activities category which rewards the quality, creativity and resident-led nature of a programme or experience. 

Judges will look to reward: a clear understanding of residents’ individual needs and wishes; meaningful participation and choice; originality where appropriate; evidence of sustained rather than purely one-off activity; and demonstrable positive outcomes for residents.

2. Nutrition, Food & Dining

Recognising excellence in food, nutrition and the overall dining experience within care homes. Entries may cover menus, catering, hydration, specialist diets, dining environments, resident involvement, food-related activities or innovative approaches to meeting individual nutritional needs. Supplier companies may enter this category and will be recognised with a separate trophy if they win.

Judges will look to reward: appetising and nutritious provision; choice and personalisation; attention to specialist dietary and cultural requirements; resident involvement; an enjoyable dining experience; and evidence that the approach contributes positively to health and wellbeing.

3. Specialist Care

Recognising outstanding provision for residents with particular or complex care needs. This may include dementia, neurological conditions, learning disabilities, acquired brain injury, complex physical needs, palliative and end-of-life care, or other specialist requirements.

Judges will look to reward: specialist expertise translated into excellent everyday care; person-centred practice; appropriately skilled teams; innovation where relevant; involvement of residents and families; and evidence of improved quality of life and outcomes.

4. Nursing Care

Recognising exceptional nursing practice and clinical care delivered within a care home environment, including approaches that enable residents with increasingly complex needs to remain well supported.

Judges will look to reward: clinical excellence combined with compassionate, person-centred care; effective multidisciplinary working; continuity and responsiveness; good clinical governance; development of nursing skills; and demonstrable benefits for residents.

5. Resident Safety & Quality of Care

Recognising approaches that achieve high standards of safety and quality while protecting residents’ dignity, independence and quality of life. Entries may address areas such as falls, medicines, infection prevention, safeguarding, risk management, quality improvement or the development of a positive safety culture.

Judges will look to reward: evidence-led improvement; effective identification and management of risk; learning rather than blame; resident involvement; measurable results; and an approach in which safety supports rather than unnecessarily restricts a fulfilling life.

Group 2: People & Community

6. Training & Development

Recognising outstanding approaches to developing the knowledge, skills, confidence and careers of people working in care homes. Entries may include induction, apprenticeships, leadership development, specialist training, continuing professional development or innovative learning programmes.

External training and development providers can enter this category and win a separate trophy.

Judges will look to reward: clear identification of learning needs; accessibility and engagement; quality of delivery; application of learning in practice; opportunities for progression; and evidence that development has improved staff performance and resident outcomes.

7. Recruitment & Retention

Recognising successful approaches to attracting, recruiting, supporting and retaining talented people within the care home sector.

External specialists in recruitment and motivation can enter this category and win a separate trophy.

Judges will look to reward: a strong understanding of workforce challenges; innovative or particularly effective recruitment; values-based selection; onboarding and early-career support; staff engagement and progression; reduced turnover or improved retention; and evidence of a positive workplace culture.

8. Marketing & Communications

Recognising outstanding marketing and communication that strengthens a care home, provider or organisation’s reputation, relationships or commercial performance. Entries may encompass brand development, campaigns, PR, digital and social media, internal communications, resident and family communications or integrated programmes.

External specialists in advertising, marketing, PR or social media can enter this category and win a separate trophy.

Judges will look to reward: clear objectives and audience understanding; creativity; quality of execution; appropriate choice of channels; authenticity; measurable results; and communications that accurately reflect the experience and values of the organisation.

9. Community Engagement

Recognising care homes that play an active and valuable role within their wider communities and create meaningful connections between residents and the world around them.

Entries might involve schools, community groups, charities, businesses, cultural organisations, faith groups, volunteers or intergenerational initiatives.

Judges will look to reward: genuine two-way relationships rather than token engagement; sustained community involvement; resident participation and choice; creativity; benefits to residents and the wider community; and evidence that the care home is an active part of local life.

10. Resident Engagement & Activities

Recognising exceptional programmes and approaches that enable residents to pursue interests, enjoy new experiences, maintain relationships and play an active role in life within their home. This category primarily rewards the quality, creativity and resident-led nature of the programme or experience. Please note: this is different from the Wellbeing category which rewards outcomes.

External activity and resource providers can enter this category and win a separate trophy.

Judges will look to reward: resident-led rather than provider-led thinking; choice and personalisation; inclusivity; creativity and variety; opportunities for residents with different abilities and interests; and evidence of genuine enjoyment, participation and enrichment.

Group 3: Innovation & Operations

11. Technology & Digital Transformation

Recognising the effective use of technology to improve care, resident experience, communication, workforce effectiveness or the operation of care homes. Entries may involve individual technologies or broader digital transformation programmes.

Judges will look to reward: a clearly identified need; appropriate rather than technology-for-technology’s-sake implementation; ease of adoption; staff and resident engagement; interoperability or integration where relevant; measurable improvement; and evidence that technology has delivered meaningful benefits.

12. Innovation in Care

Recognising a genuinely new or significantly improved approach to delivering care or enhancing residents’ lives. Innovation may involve a service, process, working practice, partnership or new application of an existing idea — it does not have to be technological.

Judges will look to reward: a clearly defined challenge; originality or intelligent adaptation; effective implementation; evidence of impact; potential for sustainability or wider adoption; and, above all, innovation that produces meaningful benefit rather than novelty for its own sake.

13. Sustainability & Environmental Impact

Recognising meaningful action to reduce environmental impact and create more sustainable operations. Entries might encompass energy, carbon reduction, waste, food, water, procurement, transport, biodiversity, building performance or wider environmental programmes.

Judges will look to reward: clear objectives; measurable environmental improvement; staff and resident engagement; practical implementation; evidence of lasting change; and, where appropriate, financial or operational benefits alongside environmental gains.

14. Operational Excellence

Recognising outstanding improvement in the systems, services and processes that enable a care home, retirement living site or group to operate efficiently, reliably and to a consistently high standard. Entries may cover facilities, housekeeping, maintenance, procurement, logistics, administration or broader operational transformation.

Judges will look to reward: a clearly identified operational challenge; effective implementation; efficiency and reliability; quality improvement; staff involvement; measurable results; and evidence that operational excellence ultimately contributes to a better resident experience.

15. Partnership & Collaboration

Recognising collaborations that have achieved something that the participating organisations could not have achieved as effectively alone. Partnerships might involve care providers, NHS organisations, local authorities, charities, community organisations, universities, suppliers or other specialist partners.

Judges will look to reward: a genuine shared purpose; complementary expertise; effective collaboration rather than a conventional customer/supplier transaction; evidence of joint working; measurable outcomes; and a clear benefit for residents, staff or the wider care home sector.

Group 4: Homes & Environments

16. Interior Design & Living Environment

Recognising outstanding architecture, interior design and the creation or transformation of environments that enhance residents’ comfort, independence, dignity and quality of life.

Entries may encompass complete homes, retirement living developments, individual areas or substantial refurbishment projects. Entries from architects and interior designers are welcomed and will win supply-side award.

Judges will look to reward: resident-centred design; functionality as well as appearance; accessibility; thoughtful use of space, materials, light and colour; response to specialist needs where relevant; durability and practicality; and evidence that design enhances everyday life.

17. New Care Home or Retirement Living Development

Recognising an outstanding new care home or retirement living project that demonstrates excellence in its concept, design, development and delivery and creates an exceptional environment in which to live, work and provide care.

Entries from architects and interior designers are welcomed and will win supply-side award.

Judges will look to reward: the clarity and ambition of the original brief; understanding of future care needs; architecture and design; resident and staff experience; sustainability and operational considerations; innovation where appropriate; and evidence that the completed home successfully delivers against its objectives.

18. Care Home or Retirement Living Development

Recognising outstanding achievement in the development, investment and evolution of care home or retirement living businesses and portfolios.

Importantly, this category should extend well beyond new construction. Eligible entries may include acquisitions and disposals, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), investment programmes, portfolio expansion or rationalisation, redevelopment, repurposing, major refurbishment, turnaround projects, refinancing linked to development, or other strategic transactions and initiatives that strengthen or transform care home provision.

Judges will look to reward: clear strategic rationale; quality of execution; commercial and operational understanding; effective management of complexity and risk; evidence of value creation; sensitivity to residents and staff where existing homes are involved; and demonstrable improvement to the quality, sustainability or future prospects of the care provision concerned.

19. Indoor & Outdoor Communal Spaces

Recognising exceptional shared spaces that enrich residents’ daily lives and encourage activity, interaction, independence and enjoyment. Entries may cover gardens, courtyards, lounges, dining areas, activity spaces, cafés, cinemas, sensory environments or other communal areas.

Judges will look to reward: understanding of how residents use the space; accessibility and inclusivity; imaginative design; functionality; resident involvement; successful integration with the wider home; and demonstrable improvement in experience or engagement. Designers and landscaping specialists are welcome to enter and will win a supply-side award.

20. Facilities, Maintenance & Housekeeping

Recognising excellence in the essential services that keep care homes or retirement living developments safe, comfortable, attractive, efficient and welcoming places in which to live and work.

Entries may cover facilities management, maintenance, housekeeping, cleaning, laundry, estates management or programmes that substantially improve these functions. Supplier companies are also invited to enter this category and win a separate award.

Judges will look to reward: consistently high standards; effective systems and processes; responsiveness; staff professionalism; innovation or efficiency improvement where relevant; resident consideration and involvement; measurable results; and evidence that excellent behind-the-scenes services make a visible difference to everyday life.

Gold Awards

The Gold descriptions are more demanding. These are not simply another four categories: they represent the highest level of organisational achievement in the care sector.

21 Gold — Supplier of the Year

Recognising an outstanding supplier whose products, services, expertise and support have made a demonstrable contribution to care home customers and the wider care home sector.

The category should be open to suppliers of every type and scale. The question is not whether one kind of product or service is inherently more important than another, but how exceptionally well the entrant serves its care home customers and what difference it makes. Independent customer evidence or testimonials will be extremely useful in supporting your case.

Judges will look to reward: understanding of the care home sector and its customers; quality and reliability of products or services; customer service and support; innovation and responsiveness; strong and lasting customer relationships; demonstrable results or impact; and credible evidence from care home clients.

22 Gold — Outstanding Care Provider in a Group

Recognising an individual care home or retirement living development operating within a larger group that demonstrates exceptional performance across the breadth of its activities and provides an outstanding place in which to live and work.

Judges will look to reward: sustained excellence in care and resident experience; leadership; culture and workforce; engagement with residents and families; innovation and continuous improvement; strong evidence of outcomes; and achievement that distinguishes this provider even within a successful group.

23 Gold — Outstanding Independent Care Provider

Recognising an outstanding independently owned and operated care home or retirement living development that demonstrates exceptional achievement across care, resident experience, people, leadership and operations.

Judges will look to reward: sustained excellence; strong leadership and culture; highly individualised care; resident and family engagement; workforce development; innovation and responsiveness; sound operation of the business; and compelling evidence of what makes the home exceptional. The judges will recognise the particular characteristics and opportunities of independent ownership.

24 Gold — Outstanding Care Home Group

Recognising exceptional performance by a care home or retirement living group across its organisation and portfolio.

The judges have the discretion to make separate Awards according to scale of operation: Smaller Group — up to 25 sites; Mid-size Group — 26–75 sites; and Larger Group — over 75 sites.

Judges will look to reward: consistently high standards across the portfolio; strong leadership and organisational culture; quality of care and resident experience; workforce strategy; governance; innovation and improvement; sustainable organisational performance; and evidence that excellence is embedded across the group rather than confined to individual high-performing homes.