The Stars of Social Care Awards Categories

Recognises an employer delivering exceptional support, staff development, and service quality across residential or community services. Celebrating culture, professional growth, and commitment to person-centred care, it honours organisations whose values enhance both staff experience and outcomes for people receiving care.

Honours a community care worker delivering outstanding support in home care, supported living, or community services. Recognising dedication, reliability, and compassion, it celebrates individuals who improve independence, wellbeing, and quality of life for people receiving care in their own homes or communities.

Honours a nurse demonstrating exceptional clinical expertise and compassionate care in any social care setting. Celebrating advocacy, professionalism, and impact, it recognises those who improve wellbeing, safety, and quality of life for people under their care.

Celebrates a team delivering exceptional care across residential or community services. Recognising collaboration, professionalism, and impact, it honours groups who enhance quality of life, promote safety and wellbeing, and create positive, person-centred environments for those they support.

Recognises a manager leading community services with professionalism, dedication, and impact. Celebrating those who inspire teams, deliver high-quality support, and enhance independence, wellbeing, and inclusion for people receiving care in their communities.

Honours a director whose leadership and vision positively influence social care services. Recognising strategic thinking, innovation, and impact, it celebrates individuals who drive organisational success, champion high-quality care, and ensure services meet evolving needs.

Recognises a trainer who inspires, educates, and empowers social care staff. Celebrating high-quality learning and professional growth, it honours individuals who ensure staff are confident and skilled to provide outstanding support.

Recognises individuals or teams introducing pioneering ideas, technologies, or strategies that transform care. Celebrating creativity, impact, and forward-thinking approaches, it honours those who continually improve independence, inclusion, and wellbeing for people in social care.

Honours a specialist working with children and young people in social care settings. Recognising expertise, compassion, and impact, it celebrates professionals who improve lives, safeguard wellbeing, and create positive, nurturing environments for children and young people in care.

Recognises an individual delivering exceptional care for people living with dementia. Celebrating expertise, empathy, and innovation, it honours those who enhance quality of life, support independence, and provide compassionate, person-centred care tailored to cognitive and emotional needs.

Recognising a supplier that demonstrates exceptional commitment to improving social care. This award celebrates organisations whose products or services positively impact quality, safety, wellbeing, or workforce support, showing clear understanding of the sector’s values and a genuine contribution to better outcomes across care services.

This award recognises a physiotherapist delivering outstanding support within social care or community settings. Celebrating innovation, encouragement, and expertise, it honours professionals who improve mobility, independence, and wellbeing, enabling people to participate more fully in daily life across residential, disability, and community-based services.

Recognises a residential care worker providing high-quality, compassionate support in children’s homes, nursing homes, or other residential settings. Celebrating professionalism, empathy, and dedication, it honours individuals who enhance daily life, promote safety and wellbeing, and positively impact the experiences of residents.

Recognises a newcomer to social care who has quickly demonstrated skill, compassion, and commitment. Celebrating those who embrace challenges, adapt rapidly, and positively influence the people they support, it highlights emerging talent making a meaningful difference early in their career.

Recognises a head office team that provides outstanding support, strategy, and innovation behind the scenes. Celebrating collaboration, professionalism, and impact, it honours teams who drive efficiency, improve services, and enable frontline staff to deliver high-quality care.

Honours a manager demonstrating exceptional leadership in residential settings, including children’s and nursing homes. Recognising vision, team inspiration, and dedication, it celebrates managers who create safe, person-centred environments and empower staff to deliver outstanding support.

Recognising individuals or teams who excel in recruitment, retention, and people management within social care. This award celebrates innovative, compassionate workforce practices that support wellbeing, development, and inclusion, ensuring staff feel valued, supported, and empowered to deliver high-quality care across services.

Celebrates individuals or teams enhancing the lives of those they support through engaging activities and wellbeing initiatives. Recognising creativity, dedication, and positive impact, it honours professionals improving inclusion, engagement, and quality of life.

This award recognises a chef who showcases an enthusiasm and commitment to ensuring good nutrition and hydration through well balanced and tasty meals. A professional who can demonstrate the value of mealtimes for a person’s wellbeing and provides a person-centred approach to catering for a variety of needs.

Recognises support staff whose work enables outstanding care. Celebrating reliability, professionalism, and dedication, it honours those in administration, maintenance, cleaners, receptionists or other ancillary roles whose contributions improve service delivery and outcomes for staff and people supported.

Honours an individual delivering exceptional care and support for people with learning disabilities and autism. Celebrating expertise, patience, and person-centred practice, it recognises professionals who promote inclusion, independence, and positive life experiences.

Celebrates a professional providing outstanding support in mental health care. Recognising clinical expertise, advocacy, and dedication, it honours those who improve wellbeing, resilience, and safety for people experiencing mental health challenges

This award celebrates an occupational therapist working within social care or community services who empowers people to live more independently. Recognising creativity, compassion, and practical impact, it honours professionals who remove barriers, build confidence, and improve everyday life for individuals across disability, older persons, and children’s services.

Celebrates an individual whose exceptional dedication, leadership, and impact have advanced social care across Ireland. Recognising sustained commitment, innovation, and influence, it honours professionals who inspire others, improve services, and make a lasting difference to the lives of people, teams, and communities across the sector.