Finalists announced for first Bradford Cares Excellence Awards
September 25, 2026Thirty individuals and teams working in adult social care across the Bradford district have been shortlisted for the inaugural Bradford Cares Excellence Awards, which will take place in November.
The awards, organised by the Bradford Care Association and Bradford Cares, aim to recognise individuals, teams and organisations working within the district’s adult social care sector.
A total of 156 nominations were submitted by social care professionals, people using care services and members of the public. A judging panel has selected 30 finalists across ten award categories, with the winners due to be announced at a ceremony at the Cedar Court Hotel in Bradford on Thursday the 5th of November 2026.
Louise Bestwick, Chief Executive of the Bradford Care Association, said:
“We’re really excited to be staging the first ever Bradford Cares Excellence Awards to highlight and celebrate the amazing people working in adult social care in Bradford,”
“Everyone’s looking forward to the awards ceremony, which will be a memorable occasion for everyone involved, from our nominees and winners to our sponsors and special guests.”
The awards will recognise a range of roles within the care sector, including frontline care workers, registered managers, support staff and teams delivering activities and new approaches to care.
Sam Dawson, Bradford Cares Quality Lead, was part of the judging panel responsible for selecting the finalists.
“It was a real privilege to be part of the judging panel. Reading through the nominations genuinely gave me that warm, fuzzy feeling – they were such a lovely reminder of the brilliant work, care and commitment happening every day across the Bradford district.”
“Selecting the finalists was incredibly difficult, as there were so many fantastic examples of people going above and beyond and making a real difference to people’s lives. A huge congratulations to everyone who was nominated. You should all be incredibly proud of the difference you make!”
Bradford Cares Excellence Awards 2026 finalists
The 30 finalists have been announced across the following ten categories:
Frontline Leader of the Year – Community Based Support
- Kumbirayi Shenje – Home Care Perfection
- Rachel Pountney – Creative Support
- Sharon Garbutt – Sentinel Homecare Limited
Outstanding Contribution to Care Award
- Dr Robert Holt – The Glen Nursing Home
- Lisa Bearder – Well Springs Nursing Home
- Victoria Wareham – Northern Healthcare
Care Worker of the Year – Community Based Support
- Elitsa Stoyanova – Right at Home Ilkley, Keighley & Skipton
- Matthew Moses – Care2Care
- Saheed Shah – Supported Lives Services
Frontline Leader of the Year – Care Home
- Courtney Kozlow – Strong Life Care
- Dr Robert Holt – The Glen Nursing Home
- Tolulope Peter Awotoye – The Bridge Care
Registered Manager of the Year – Care Home
- Asma Daji – The Bridge Care
- Mujtaba Zahid – Ivolve Care and Support Cranbourne House
- Sue Walsh – Well Springs Nursing Home
Registered Manager of the Year – Community Based Support
- Salma Begum – Assist Homecare Ltd
- Samina Sheikh – AS Care Ltd
- Samuel Harrop – Right at Home, Ilkley, Keighley & Skipton
Service Support Worker of the Year
- Georgina Welch – Abbeyfield The Dales Fern House
- Melissa Holmes – Home Care Perfection
- Sara McMahon – Abbeyfield The Dales Fern House
Innovation in Care Award
- Be Caring Bradford
- Care 24-7 Ltd
- The Glen Nursing Home
Wellbeing & Activities Initiative of the Year
- Airedale Seniors Collective Project Team – Springbank Care Home / Steeton Court Nursing Home (Spellman Care)
- Cooper House Activities Team – Cooper House (Strong Life Care)
- Team Behind the ‘Adopt a Grandfriend’ Scheme – Steeton Court Nursing Home (Spellman Care)
Care Worker of the Year – Care Home
- Emily Roberts – Summit Care Group
- Joy Umaku – The Malvern Group Limited
- Viola Dube – The Bridge Care
Awards ceremony to take place in November
The ceremony will begin at 6pm on Thursday the 5th of November 2026 at the Cedar Court Hotel in Bradford.
Organisers say the evening will include a welcome drinks reception, a three-course meal, the presentation of the awards, live entertainment and a disco.
The event is supported by headline sponsors Delphi Care Solutions and the University of Bradford, alongside award sponsors TL Dallas & Co, Aston Brooke Solicitors, JTM Service, Hempsons and Citation Professional Solutions.
The Bradford Care Association, established in 2014, is a non-profit organisation working to support care providers, improve standards and represent the adult social care sector across the Bradford district.
Further information about the awards and finalists is available at bradfordcares.co.uk/awards-night.
Tickets for the ceremony can be purchased through the Bradford Cares Excellence Awards booking page.
Featured Image: Louise Bestwick, Chief Executive of the Bradford Care Association, pictured with the association’s chair Konrad Czajka.
