Social care awards hail 'the best of the best'

Colleagues from St Mungo’s, winner of the Accolade for best employer support for apprenticeships, with Helen Wilcox, vice-chair of Skills for Care (left), and the awards host, Coronation Street actor Samia Ghadie (second left). Photograph: Martyn Hicks

Charities and a housing association were among the winners of national awards celebrating innovation and excellence in adult social care.

Nine Skills for Care Accolades, which recognise employers’ achievements in workforce development, were presented at a ceremony in Liverpool on Thursday. The event followed Skills for Care’s annual conference, which looked at how to boost recruitment and retention in the sector.

Sharon Allen, Skills for Care’s chief executive, told the finalists they were “the best of the best” in the sector. She added: “I think adult social care needs to be much better at celebrating the great things we do in our communities, and every one of our Accolades finalists are doing brilliant work to make sure we have a highly-skilled and well-trained adult social care workforce.”

Related: Social care apprentices: 'It's a myth young people don't want to work in the sector'

The winners in full

Best employer support for apprenticeships – St Mungo’s

Most effective approach to leadership and management – WCS Care

Most effective approach to integration and new models of care – Southdown Housing Association

Best endorsed provider of learning and development – Mencap

Best recruitment initiative – Thurrock council and Thurrock Coalition Partnership

Best employer support for registered managers – Sense

Best employer of under 50 staff – Cooper Tarry Partners LLP

Best employer of between 51 and 249 staff – Castle Supported Living Ltd

Best employer of over 250 staff – St Monica Trust

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