This award recognises an employer who has invested in their buildings, services and their employees to offer quality housing for older people. Judges will be looking for an exceptional employer who demonstrates and inspires vision and collaboration. Employers must be able to demonstrate an investment in diversity as a means to deliver effective business objectives whilst standing out that it’s a great place to work.

This award recognises the significant role of the Care and Support Workers in consistently providing a high quality standard, for people in receipt of services. Evidence of dedication, awareness of colleagues and career development through training will be important elements for the judges.

This award recognises a manager who works in a retirement integrated community but who does not have a responsibility for care services. Individuals must be able to demonstrate how space and facilities are developed and used to best meet the needs of their residents. Evidence of excellent partnership working to deliver joined up solutions to tenants is essential.

This award will be presented to the team who are able to best demonstrate a shared vision and agreed goals. The team should have a leader whose role is known and accepted and who takes personal responsibility for their tasks. Teams should have an excellent communication process and each member’s skills should be recognised within the team. Demonstrating a commitment to dignity and privacy for tenants and respect for team members is paramount.

This award recognises the ‘whole home approach’ to food and nutrition issues within the organisation, providing recognition to the catering and care staff and nutrition-related activities e.g. staff training / awareness sessions, linking to activities, water provision and the use of local produce.

This award recognises an exceptional individual who effectively engages with the manager and residents. Judges will be looking for evidence of encouraging residents’ participation in the design and maintenance of their gardens. Candidates must also be able to demonstrate how improvements have been sustained and adopt an approach that connects the garden with the tenant and nature.

This award will recognise an excellent, person centred service, demonstrating dignity and respect through housekeeping. Candidates should be able to provide examples of initiatives and excellence in their work and pride themselves on outstanding client feedback.

This award recognises developments that provide desirable and sustainable places to live improving the lives of those who live there and those within the local community. Well designed development that demonstrates creative approaches from concept to delivery. Organisations must be able to demonstrate how the development achieved a sense of place and cohesion with the surrounding area. Evidence of a desirable place to live is essential.

This award recognises an outstanding care commissioner working with a housing provider to deliver outstanding care solutions. Evidence of a proactive preventative approach collaborating with others to deliver services is essential.

This award recognises an exceptional scheme that interacts with the wider community to have an ‘open door’ approach. Judges will be looking at how the manager ensures that their scheme and the residents remain a key part of, and not isolated, within their community. Evidence of new or innovative approaches to improve integration and engagement amongst those who do not normally engage and are isolated is essential, and initiatives must be designed to create and sustain relationships within the community.

This award recognises an individual who has made a positive contribution either to their community or through their housing work. The judges will be looking for evidence of solving real life housing issues, creating groundbreaking initiatives which have been led or implemented by the individual. Evidence of outstanding commitment and dedication is essential.

The individual needs to work in an Integrated Retirement Community as defined by ARCO’s eligibility criteria:

An Integrated Retirement Community must:

• Be primarily for older people.
• Offer self-contained accommodation that can be occupied with security of tenure.
• Enable residents to take advantage of personal care that is delivered flexibly, usually by staff based on the premises.
• Have staff available at the Integrated Retirement Community 24-hours a day.
• Make domestic services available for residents.
• Make meals available in restaurants or dining areas.
• Offer communal facilities and encourage an active social programme in the community.
• Aim to offer people a home for life and to enable them to ‘age in place’.

This award recognises a team that has made an outstanding contribution through working together and developing existing services and/or introducing new ones. Judges will be looking for teams that can demonstrate why their outstanding approach to care and support delivers exceptional outcomes.

This award recognises an outstanding on-site manager who has responsibility for both the building and the care service delivered on site. Candidates must be CQC registered and evidence of working across the two areas to deliver outstanding results is essential.

This award will be given to a team leader or a first time manager who has shown a clear commitment to improving the delivery of care and support within their team. A person who has shown leadership qualities by reflecting on what could be better and supporting others to bring about change.

This award recognises apprentices who have achieved outstanding success with the organisation. Personal responsibility for their career and professional development is essential as is evidence of passion and drive, which is then translated into making a real difference to the support of residents.

This award recognises an individual who is proactive in developing activities on schemes. Judges will be looking for evidence of engaging and encourage residents to reduce isolation. Candidates must also be able to demonstrate best utilisation of outside resources, including those within the local community to deliver positive outcomes.

This award recognises an individual who can evidence supporting both the building and residents in a manner that makes a difference. Candidates must be able to demonstrate the ability to work across small and larger tasks/projects to support resident and organisational needs. Evidence of flexibility of approach and a clear awareness around health and safety within the role and the impact of prioritising this for residents is essential.

This award recognises exceptional innovative and exemplary training and education programmes that encourage and inspire staff to deliver outstanding results. Judges will be looking for evidence of development programmes that mirror service delivery ensuring that staff have the right skills mix. Evidence of diverse training approaches to meet the difference learning styles of staff is also essential.

This award recognises a design that demonstrates innovation and imagination with the resident’s wellbeing at the centre. A design that is responsive to the needs of its future residents and demonstrates the best utilisation of technology. Judges will also be looking for evidence of best utilisation of green technologies to deliver an effective design solution and a design that meets current and future care and support needs for its tenants, (evidencing sustainability features)

This award recognises organisations who pro-actively involve tenants to deliver positive results. Judges will be looking for examples of where an organisation has gone above and beyond the usual engagement activities. Finalists will be a supported housing service that truly puts their residents at the heart of everything they do, engaging with them in a meaning full way.

Supported by:

This award will be given to a senior member of staff who has shown a clear commitment to improving the delivery of care and support within their organisation. A person who has shown leadership qualities by reflecting on what could be better and supporting others to bring about change.

This award recognises outstanding innovative approach(es) to best meet the needs of residents. Candidates must be able to clearly evidence success in though improvements relating to resident’s wellbeing and/or satisfaction levels. Evidence of a product or innovation that has changed the face of supported housing is essential.

This award will be presented to an individual or team of tenants who have offered exceptional participation within their scheme both to support other tenants and improve outcomes.

This award recognises an inspirational individual who has clearly demonstrated throughout their career, a passion, expertise and the drive to improve services. This is an opportunity to honour a colleague who has dedicated their life to improving outcomes for people who use housing with care and support.