Give a social care nurse the recognition they deserve at the Nursing Times Awards

Adult social care nursing deserves to be seen, celebrated and recognised at national level. Across care homes, supported living, learning disability and autism services, domiciliary care and other social care services settings, nurses are delivering skilled, compassionate and complex care every day.

As demand for adult social care increases, driven by an ageing population and growing complexity of need, the role of nurses in social care will become even more critical. As government policy moves towards neighbourhood health, prevention and care closer to home, social care nursing should be seen as a strategic asset – central to delivering care in communities, supporting people with complex needs and reducing pressure across the wider system.

Yet social care nursing remains too often undervalued, despite the level of clinical expertise, judgement and leadership the role demands. We need to do more to actively promote social care as a rewarding and skilled career destination for nurses, ensuring the profession is recognised as equal in skill, value and status to nursing roles across the wider health and care system.

This is why recognition matters for the whole sector. Recognition helps to challenge outdated perceptions and demonstrate the reality of the role. It also plays a practical role in supporting recruitment and retention, helping to attract new nurses into the sector and retain the talented professionals already working within it.

The Nursing in Social Care category at the Nursing Times Awards offers a powerful platform to showcase this recognition. Through this nomination, you’re helping to raise the profile of adult social care on the national stage and highlight the incredible impact of your wider teams.

We know there are exceptional nurses and nurse-led teams across our membership whose work deserves wider recognition.

Care England is encouraging all members to nominate outstanding nurses and nurse-led teams for the ‘Nursing in Social Care’ category, ahead of the entry deadline on 1 May 2026.

Entries do not need to be complicated

A national award for a social care nursing team would be a powerful moment for the sector. It would recognise the skill and commitment behind this work and help bring greater attention to the role social care nursing plays across the country.

Act now: the entry deadline is 1 May 2026. Members can enter via the Nursing Time Awards website.

Need support? If you have a strong example but are unsure how to frame it, we are here to help signpost the key points to include and support members to tell their story clearly.

Below is a simple step-by-step guide on how to nominate one of your talented nurses for the awards.

1. Step 1: Visit Nursing Times Awards 2026 – Home Page
2. Step 2: In the drop-down list at the top of the page titled ‘How to Enter’, click ‘Enter Now’
3. Step 3: Choose the award that you wish to nominate your nursing staff member for and click ‘Enter Now’
4. Step 4: Create an account
5. Step 5: Fill out the form. The Nursing Times recommends that you write your evidence and testimony in a separate document and insert it in the form.
6. Step 6: Submit by 1^st May 2026

Winners will be announced on 29 October 2026. Good luck!