2025 Accolades

The Accolades are awards that recognise, celebrate and share notable work in social care and childcare, play and early years in Wales.

The awards recognise the work of groups, teams and organisations, as well as workers from across the public, private, voluntary and co-operative sectors in Wales.

We’re now welcoming applications for the 2025 Accolades from groups, teams and organisations, as well as nominations for the awards for workers.

The closing date for entries and nominations is 5pm on Friday, 1 November 2024.

The 2025 Accolades have six categories:

• four for teams, groups and organisations
• two for workers.

Building bright futures for children and families

This category celebrates organisations, settings or projects working with children, young people and families to help them achieve what matters to them. We welcome entries from across childcare, play, early years and social care that provide high standards of care and help children and young people shine.

Entries could come from residential social care settings, community-based or statutory services. For example, those supporting young people who’ve recently left care, residential homes, fostering or adoption services. Or it could be an early years, play or childcare setting that gives the children it supports an excellent start in life.

Developing and inspiring the workforce

This category celebrates organisations, settings or projects that use effective, creative and innovative approaches to developing the workforce to meet current and future demands and expectations.

Entries could come from statutory, private or voluntary services that support adults or children. We’re also looking for any approaches that cover learning, development and/or qualifications.

Working in partnership

We’re looking for projects or organisations that work in partnership to improve well-being outcomes for people accessing care and support. Some examples could be:

• researchers working with care providers and local authorities to help get research into practice
• local authorities working with health care, third sector and/or community groups to support place-based care
• social care teams or organisations working with schools and colleges to attract, recruit and retain a skilled workforce
• groups working together to co-produce new and different ways of working.

These are just examples. We’re interested in any collaborations that are focused on making a positive difference to people’s lives.

Working to the principles of strengths-based practice

The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act expects us to focus on people’s well-being and put them at the centre of their care and support planning.

Strengths-based practice is a way for us to do that. It helps us to:

• support people to do the things that matter most to them, in their own way so they’re able to live life the way they want to
• plan realistic, achievable care and support because we understand the resources available and challenges to the person we’re supporting
• understand what the person really needs because we’re really listening to them
• make sure the person we’re supporting has voice, choice and control in decisions and plans for their own care and support, which results in longer term positive change
• understand the structural inequalities that affect the people we support, so we can challenge those barriers and support people compassionately
• use materials and services more efficiently, because we only use what’s needed to meet the outcome
• support families to manage risks.

To do this, workers, teams and systems need to adapt to reflect and respond to the needs of people who need support, as well as understand the need for professional curiosity and compassion.

If you're a social care, social work or multidisciplinary team who's working at promoting this approach, realigning your systems and processes or helping others to build their skills and confidence to work in this way – we want to hear from you!

Inspirational leadership award

Impactful and compassionate leadership is crucial for delivering high-quality care and support. We seek individuals across social care and early years who:

• attend to the needs of their colleagues and those they serve
• understand the challenges and perspectives of others
• empathise with their team and the people they support
• help solve problems to achieve better outcomes.

Nominate those who inspire and lead with compassion!

WeCare Wales award

We’re looking for people to nominate outstanding workers involved in social care or childcare, play and early years, who’ve made a hugely positive difference to people’s lives.

The workers can be from any role in the public, private or voluntary sectors, including volunteers. They can also be apprentices or people studying for qualifications while they work.

The 2025 Accolades awards ceremony will be held on 1 May 2025. We’ll update this page with more information about it nearer the time.

If you have a question or can’t find what you’re looking for, get in touch with us.