Sanctuary Care is victorious at Nursing Times Awards!

Sanctuary Care’s pioneering Clinical Strategy 2024–2026 has been honoured with a prestigious Nursing Times Award 2025.

Recognising its truly unique and industry-leading approach to clinical excellence in social care, this week the leading not-for-profit care provider received the Care of Older People accolade at the industry leading awards in London.

Described by the judges as “innovative and transformative” and a “vision that is revolutionising nursing in social care”, the strategy sets a new benchmark for clinical care across the sector, placing Sanctuary Care at the forefront of innovation and quality.

Sanctuary Care’s Director of Quality and Chief Nurse, Emily O’Hara said: “We are thrilled to have won this award. I am honoured to have been supported by so many wonderful colleagues across Sanctuary and our external partners to develop and deliver this remarkable strategy, which represents a radical approach, revolutionising social care nursing. We are developing a highly skilled clinical workforce that is fit for the future, continually improving the experiences and outcomes for our residents, whilst challenging and changing outdated perceptions of social care through service transformation.  

“A huge thank you to the judges for the recognition following a highly competitive and robust judging process, validating the exceptional standard of our work. Thank you to Sanctuary Care colleagues across so many teams for the support to deliver this amazing piece of work, our nurses and care colleagues - you are my inspiration. This is just the beginning and provides a foundation to build, adapt and share for the future. Most importantly this is making a remarkable difference in continually improving the experiences and outcomes for the people we are so privileged to care for.”

Spanning 109 homes across England and Scotland, the strategy introduces a suite of initiatives, including:  

• Clinical Practice Development: Enhancing the quality of student nurse placements by increasing practice assessors and placements available to align with the Skills for Care student placement strategy. Developed nursing preceptorship for all newly registered nurses. Enhanced support for internationally educated nurses to meet NMC standards. Increased number of nursing associates and opportunities to become a registered nurse.
• Clinical & Advanced Practice: Introduced essential clinical skills courses for all care and team leaders to enhance knowledge, clinical care and outcomes for residents. Deliver quarterly clinical focus projects to share evidenced-based best practice. Introduced funded degree and masters modules in enhanced and advanced clinical practice and regional Advanced Nurse Practitioner roles, improving residents’ access to highly skilled clinicians, in person and through a dedicated telephone clinical advice line.  
• Care and Nursing Improvement: Introduced effective clinical and restorative clinical supervision to facilitate learning and support for revalidation from new nursing improvement partners. Refreshed clinical governance process, strengthening partnership working across teams. Revision of clinical policies to ensure accessibility, and a strong clinical research evidence base and delivery of clinical forums to share and celebrate improvement projects.  

The judges’ comments described it as “innovative and transformative” and a “vision that is revolutionising nursing in social care and leading to measurable improvements in outcomes for residents”.  

They continued: “Judges were highly impressed by the passion, determination and accomplishments of those behind this work, in a field that is both critical and often under-recognised. It is deeply collaborative, involving partnerships with national organisations, demonstrating an ability to lead through complexity and build consensus. The commitment to nursing, both in terms of staff development and quality of care, is evident and deeply inspiring.”

This award-winning strategy sets a new standard for the sector and reinforces the organisation’s role as a pioneer in social care.

Read more about the types of care we provide at Sanctuary Care.