Leadership in Social Services Award

This award recognises a policymaker or leader in social services who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in shaping the governance, strategy, and long-term sustainability of social services. It celebrates an individual with visionary leadership that has driven systemic improvements, workforce development, and innovative reforms to enhance the effectiveness, accessibility, and resilience of social services across Europe. 

Examples of key areas of social services leadership:

• Strategic Workforce Development – Implementing policies that address workforce shortages, training, retention, and well-being to ensure a highly skilled and motivated social services workforce.
• Integrated and Person-Centred Governance – Driving cross-sector reforms that integrate health, social care, housing, education, and employment services to improve coordination and service delivery.
• Rights-Based and Inclusive Policies – Promoting governance reforms that enhance accessibility, inclusivity, and user empowerment, ensuring vulnerable groups receive quality social care.
• Collaborative Governance – Developing adaptive, resilient governance frameworks that promote social services collaboration with other sectors to respond effectively to social crises.
• Thought Leadership - Contributing meaningfully to discourse on social policy through writing, and speaking engagements.

Special consideration is given to applications of individual leaders who have:

• Transformed the social services workforce, ensuring professional development, fair working conditions, and mental wellbeing support.
• Implemented governance reforms that enhance efficiency, reduce bureaucracy, and make social services more adaptable to emerging challenges.
• Led inclusive policymaking processes, engaging service users, frontline professionals, and community organisations in decision-making.
• Fostered collaboration between public, private, and research sectors, ensuring evidence-based policymaking and service innovation.
• Demonstrated measurable impact, improving outcomes for service users, staff, and communities through effective governance reforms.