01/06/2026
We are delighted to confirm that the Black Swan Care Awards are back for 2026.
The awards will take place on Thursday 15th October 2026 at The Top of The Terrace at Norwich City Football Club.
The awards will recognise and celebrate the wonderful work that our staff do for and with our
Nominations for the 15 categories are now open until the closing date of Friday 17th July 2026. Entries can be submitted here.
There are 15 categories open for entry. Full details of each category are listed below. Please complete the nomination form with as much information and examples as possible. Judging of the nominations will be based solely on the information provided.
Below is a full description of each category and indications of what the judges will be looking for from a nomination.
New to Care Award
This award will be presented to a member of staff who is new to the care sector. They will be able to show a good understanding of their role and how they have made a positive impact in the home, enhancing the wellbeing of residents. This award is open to staff in all roles at a home and not limited to those in a Care Worker role.
Maintenance Award
The winner of this award will be an individual who consistently provides an exceptionally high-quality service in their role. They will be able to show how they have made a positive impact at the home by making improvements to the environment, internal areas and outside space at the home. This award is open to staff in all roles from Black Swan and not limited to those in a Maintenance role.
Domestic Award
The winner of this award will be an individual who consistently provides an exceptionally high-quality level of service in supporting a home’s standards of hygiene and environmental health. The nomination will show how the impact of their actions has positively affected the lives of residents, their loved ones and other staff. This award is open to staff in all roles at a home and not limited to those in a Domestic Assistant role.
Catering Award
The winner of this award will be an individual at a home who consistently provides an exceptionally high-quality service in supporting residents’ nutritional and hydration needs. The nomination will show how the impact of their actions has positively affected the lives of residents, their loved ones and other staff. This award is open to staff in all roles at a home and not limited to those in a Catering role.
Activities Award
The winner of this award will be an individual who consistently provides an exceptionally high-quality standard of work in their role as part of the Activities team. They will be able to show creativity, innovation and skill in arranging activities for individuals or groups of people. This award is open to staff in all roles at a home and not limited to those in an Activities Assistant role.
Motivational Leadership Award
The winner of this award will have shown exceptional leadership. They will have demonstrated a calm and focussed style of management, creativity, motivation, support. This award is open to all roles across Black Swan and is not limited to a Registered Home Manager. It could be a senior carer, deputy manager or a manager of a team not affiliated with an individual home.
Residents’ and Relatives’ Choice Award
The winner of this award will be based on feedback provided by the residents and their family members and friends. It will reflect the satisfaction and appreciation of the residents and their relatives towards the quality of care, facilities, and services provided by the home. It could also include comments or thanks received in cards, letters or verbally, or via reviews submitted via carehome.co.uk or Google Reviews. It is open to all roles in our homes or maybe awarded to a home.
Outstanding Dementia Care Support Award
The winner of this award will be an individual working with residents living with a dementia who consistently provides a significant contribution to improving the quality of care for residents. The nomination will show how the impact of their actions has positively affected the lives of residents, their loved ones and other staff. This award is open to staff in all roles at a home.
Excellence in a Care Role Award
The winner of this award will be an individual working with residents who consistently provides a significant contribution to improving the quality of care for residents. The nomination will show how the impact of their actions has positively affected the lives of residents, their loved ones and other staff. This award is open to staff in all roles at a home.
Outstanding Support for Homes at Night Award
The winner of this award will be an individual who supports our homes outside of daytime hours. They will be working with residents, consistently providing a significant contribution to improving their quality of care. The nomination will show how the impact of their actions has positively affected the lives of residents, their loved ones and other staff. This award is open to staff in all roles at a home.
Mentor Award
The winner of this award will be an individual who has shown commitment to personal development. They will have demonstrated how they have embraced training and development, supported new starters and motivated others at the home to embrace opportunities to pursue professional or personal goals. This award is open to staff in all roles at all of our homes, Head Office and remote teams.
Family and Community Engagement Award
The winner of this award will be an individual who has worked closely with residents, their families and the local community. They will be able to show examples of how they have enhanced individual residents’ lives or raised awareness of their home in their local area. The nominations should include explanations of specific activities that have been done, outcomes of these activities, the names of individuals, groups or organisations involved and the impact that this has had on residents at the home. This award is open to staff in any role at all of our homes.
Making Wishes Possible Award
The winner of this award will be a care worker who has gone above and beyond expectations to ensure a resident's wishes have been met and exceeded without being hampered by age, disability or impairment. They will be able to show that their actions have demonstrated that living in a care home has not prevented the resident from achieving their personal ambitions.
Outstanding Support of our Care Homes Award
The winner of this award will be an individual not based in one of our homes – from the Head Office, Regional Maintenance, Peripatetic, Regional Management or Senior Management teams. The nomination will show how the impact of their actions has positively affected homes, how it has benefited a home or made a big difference in helping a home achieve their goals.
Positive Attitude Award
This award will be presented to that special person who’s always smiling and comes to work with a really positive outlook and attitude. They will have an infectious personality that lifts the mood of the residents and staff. The nomination will include examples of how the individual brightens moods and how their positive attitude boosts the atmosphere in the home. This award is open to staff in all roles at all of our homes, Head Office and remote teams.
Don't miss out on making a nomination
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