AWARD WINNERS
The iCG 'Who Cares?' Awards were presented as part of our Annual Conference at York Racecourse on 22 October 2026.
A packed room found it quite humbling to hear some of the nominations for those who were won the awards. It was a great moment of celebration for the stunning work those in care deliver to over a million people every single day of the year.
We were delighted to have Director of Adult Social Services, City of York, Sara Story (below) there to present the iCG ‘Who Cares?’ Awards. Through brief, her introductory speech was heartfelt and touching.
“Award ceremony’s like this are extremely important, as they remind me, and remind everyone, of the good that we do in social care and that we draw attention to it - showing the fantastic dedication and commitment of people who work in our sector.”
One winner couldn't attend the ceremony due to her recovering from a fall (on her birthday) that had resulted in two broken knees and a broken ulna! We went to visit her earlier in the week to deliver the award. We filmed it too and showed the video at the ceremony. (Click the image below to watch the video)
And the winners were...
BEST HOUSEKEEPER
Sarah Earp
St Cecilia's Care Group
Nominated in recognition of her outstanding contribution to housekeeping at St Cecilia’s Care Group.
Sarah has given a tremendous amount of time and support to our homes and is an exceptionally hard worker. She consistently goes above and beyond, bringing great attention to detail and real pride to ensuring our homes are clean, smart, hygienic and fresh. Her work helps create welcoming, comfortable surroundings for our residents and a pleasant environment for colleagues and visitors.
Her contribution reaches across the group, supporting colleagues and helping them maintain high standards in every home. Sarah demonstrates excellent leadership skills, leading by example and encouraging others through her dedication and willingness to help.
I am particularly grateful for the support Sarah has given me and for the care she brings to everything she does. She is a valued member of our team and thoroughly deserves recognition for her hard work, leadership and commitment.
BEST CHEF
Laura Fielding
St Cecilia's Care Group
Nominated in recognition of her outstanding dedication, talent and contribution to the wellbeing of our residents.
Laura has been with us for a very long time and is a phenomenal cook and an exceptionally hard worker. She brings care and pride to preparing nutritious, delicious meals, recognising how much good food contributes to residents’ health, enjoyment, and quality of life.
Her contribution extends across all our homes. Laura supports our catering teams and works tirelessly to ensure that residents throughout the group receive consistently good food and service. Her commitment helps make mealtimes something to look forward to.
Alongside her professional skills, Laura is a wonderfully warm, kind, and loyal person. She is a valued colleague whose dedication shines through in everything she does.
Laura thoroughly deserves this recognition for the care she puts into her work and the difference she makes every day to our residents and colleagues.
BEST EMPLOYER
Sarah Rowlands
Guardian Angel Carers
Guardian Angel Carers York is recognised as Best Employer because it has created something that can be difficult to achieve in social care: a workplace where carers genuinely feel valued, supported, listened to and proud of the work they do.
At Guardian Angel Carers York, the belief is simple: if you look after your people, they will look after your clients. This is not just a slogan—it is reflected in the culture, the investment in staff and the experiences shared by both employees and the people receiving care. People come first
Guardian Angel Carers York has built a culture around compassion, professionalism, reliability, friendliness and quality. These values apply not only to clients, but equally to the people who work for the organisation.
The CQC’s 2025 assessment provides particularly strong independent evidence. Staff reported feeling respected, valued and supported, with good morale within the team. Staff also spoke very positively about the provider, managers and their experience of working there. (Care Quality Commission)
That is hugely significant in an industry where staff wellbeing, retention and morale have a direct impact on the quality and consistency of care.
BEST LEADER
Sue Walsh
New Concept Care Nursing
Sue’s leadership story is one of progression, commitment and never forgetting where she started.
During Sue’s time with us at NCCN, she has played an important role in shaping who we are. She has led and supported care allocation, with a strong focus on ensuring that the right employees are matched with the right service users, considering not only availability but skills, competency, personality and individual needs.
She has developed and shaped our training provision and has remained closely involved in recruitment throughout her progression. Sue continues to participate in interviews because she understands how important recruiting people with the right values is to the quality of care we provide. Alongside these operational responsibilities, Sue oversees governance and quality and due to her continued hard work, she has achieved a Good CQC rating.
She has experienced significant changes within the social care sector during her career from increasing regulation and technological development to the growing complexity of care being delivered within people’s own homes and has continually adapted her leadership to meet those changes.
EXEMPLARY CARE DELIVERY
Mary Riley
Meadow Lodge Care Home
Mary has worked in care for the same company for an incredible 38 years, and I am proud to nominate her for her caring nature and the outstanding care she provides every single day.
Mary consistently receives the most thank-you cards and gifts from residents and their families, which shows just how much she is loved and appreciated. She has a wonderful ability to make people feel cared for, valued and special. Mary is also an excellent role model to new members of staff, teaching them her skills and sharing her knowledge, experience and professional approach to care.
Everyone loves and adores Mary. She has a naturally warm, caring personality and is someone who always brings happiness to those around her. Mary is unique in the way she connects with people. She enjoys giving people a cuddle or a hug and has a genuine ability to make others feel comforted and supported.
I have worked in care myself for 31 years, and throughout that time I have never met anyone quite like Mary. She is truly one of a kind. Her kindness, compassion, experience, professionalism and genuine love for people make her an outstanding carer and a very deserving nominee. Mary is not just an exceptional member of staff; she is a truly lovely person who makes a difference to the lives of residents, families and colleagues every single day.
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION
Nicki Dixon
Moorview Care
Nicki has devoted her career to social care for the past 30 years. Starting out on the frontline, she honed her craft before progressing through management roles into her current Director Role. Nicki is passionate about excellent support and a true advocate for hearing people’s voices. She works in partnership with our award winning co-production group, Moorview Matters who have contributed to positive changes not just within Moorview Care but across the wider social care sector. This can range from launching an organisation-wide Hate and Mate Crime campaign to working with the University of Birmingham on how data is used to improve care, shaping the future.
Nicki is the type of leader every organisation wants, she is dedicated, pragmatic and willing to go the extra mile. She is so supportive of her team, always available to provide advice and support, whether this is an informal chat or planned coaching. Nicki has a wealth of knowledge and experience which enabled her to see the bigger picture whilst balancing the day to day needs. How, she holds so much information in her head, frankly no-one knows.
As CEO, Nicki’s advice, knowledge and her strength of character help me navigate the wonderful and frustrating, complex, brilliant world of social care and I would be lost without her.
Winning this award would go some way into recognising all that she does for Moorview Care and the sector as a whole.
Congratulation to all the winners!
