On Thursday, 21st November, Lucy, our Director of People, and Jo, our Learning and Development Manager, attended a prestigious ceremony at Goldsmiths’ Hall in London to receive the
Princess Royal Training Award (PRTA) for our Leadership Development programme.
This was an extra proud moment for us as an organisation because it’s the second time we’ve been recognised with this award, having first
received it back in 2021. The PRTA is a mark of excellence, awarded to organisations that demonstrate outstanding commitment to training and development. Receiving this recognition twice highlights the strength and impact of our Leadership Development programme.
While the award celebrates the work we’ve done on leadership development, what made the day even more special was a surprise commendation for our efforts in Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). Out of 52 organisations receiving the award this year, only five were recognised for EDI work, and we were one of them!
This commendation means a lot to us because creating an inclusive and supportive workplace is at the heart of everything we do. From adapting training to be more accessible, to embedding values like gender diversity and unconscious bias into our leadership workshops, it’s all about making sure every team member feels valued and supported. It’s a testament to how deeply we’ve integrated EDI principles into our organisation.
We’ll share more about some of the specific initiatives that helped us achieve this recognition below, but it’s fair to say this award is a huge reflection of the care and commitment our entire team brings to making Unique Senior Care an inclusive and welcoming place to work.
Our EDI Journey
At Unique Senior Care, embedding EDI into every aspect of our organisation is central to who we are. For us, it’s more than just a policy—it’s about creating an environment where everyone feels they belong. Whether it’s our team members or the people we care for, we want everyone to feel valued, supported, and empowered to thrive. This belief underpins how we recruit, train, and deliver care every day.
Promoting Inclusivity in Recruitment and Training
We believe that creating an inclusive and supportive environment starts right from recruitment and training. By embedding EDI principles into these areas, we aim to build a team that truly reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. To make sure everyone is set up for success and gets the best out of their experience with us, we’ve put several key initiatives in place:
- Partnering with colleges and schools to encourage younger people to consider careers in care, helping us build a workforce that reflects the communities we serve.
- Revisiting our EDI strategy during the 2023 policy review to ensure inclusivity is embedded across every part of our organisation.
- Asking candidates about any adaptations they need to enable their learning, making sure everyone has equal opportunities to succeed.
- Expanding our recruitment efforts to include sponsorship for Health and Social Care Worker Visas. This has enabled international talent to join our team, with one sponsored caregiver already progressing to a shift leader role.
- Offering employment opportunities to asylum seekers with permission to work, giving individuals meaningful opportunities and enhancing our inclusivity as an organisation.
Workshops and Adaptations for Accessibility
To ensure every team member can thrive and feel supported in their roles, we’ve developed workshops and adapted our training programmes to meet a wide range of needs:
- Delivered workshops on gender diversity and unconscious bias for managers, using videos created in collaboration with employees sharing their lived experiences.
- Adapted end-of-life and dementia care workshops for online delivery, improving accessibility for live-in carers located further afield.
- Provided one-to-one sessions to employees needing adaptations, such as additional support for anxiety or IT skills gaps.
- Embedded training on gender diversity and unconscious bias into senior leadership workshops, ensuring inclusivity is a focus for all current and future leaders.
Integrating the Skills for Care LGBTQ+ Framework
To further our commitment to inclusivity, we adopted the LGBTQ+ Learning Framework developed by Skills for Care, a leading organisation dedicated to workforce development in adult social care.
Skills for Care supports the adult social care sector by offering guidance and training frameworks to develop a skilled, confident workforce. Their LGBTQ+ Learning Framework equips organisations with tools to promote respect and inclusion for gender and sexual diversity.
By adopting this framework, we’ve been able to integrate its principles into our practices and build a more inclusive culture. Here’s how this framework has shaped our practices:
- Embedded its principles into staff inductions, yearly refresher programmes, and care planning processes to reinforce respect for gender and sexual diversity.
- Updated training scenarios with examples that challenge heteronormative thinking, such as case studies featuring same-sex couples.
- Enhanced our bespoke care planning tool, ‘The Good Life Journey,’ to include broader options for gender identity and sexuality, supporting person-centred care.
- Celebrated key awareness days, cultural festivals, and Pride events to promote a stronger sense of belonging across the organisation.
A Focus on Mental Health and Wellbeing
We believe that mental health and wellbeing are fundamental to creating a supportive and inclusive workplace. Our goal is to ensure that every team member feels equipped to thrive, both professionally and personally. To achieve this, we’ve implemented the following initiatives:
- Trained Mental Health First Aiders within each service to provide ongoing support to employees.
- Signed up to the Mindful Employer Charter, reinforcing our dedication to creating a supportive and inclusive workplace.
Moving Forward
Receiving this recognition from the Princess Royal Training Awards feels like such a proud moment for everyone at Unique Senior Care. It’s a testament to all the hard work everyone has put into our Leadership Development Programme and how we’ve embedded inclusivity into every part of our organisation.
Lucy, our Director of People, said:
“Receiving this award means so much to us as an organisation. It’s not just about celebrating our training achievements but recognising how deeply we care about creating a workplace where everyone feels valued and supported. This success wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible efforts of our entire team, and it’s such an inspiration to keep raising the bar as we move forward.”
This award recognises our Leadership Development Programme while also highlighting the strides we’ve made in embedding Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion throughout the organisation. Together, these achievements showcase how training excellence and inclusivity work hand in hand to create a supportive and empowering environment.
We’re so grateful to every member of our team for the part they’ve played in achieving this success. It’s their commitment and dedication that’s made this possible. Looking ahead, we’re excited to build on this recognition and continue creating opportunities for everyone to grow and succeed — from our team members to the people we care for.
Lucy is an experienced professional with over 20 years of experience in the care sector. Currently appointed as the Director of People at Unique Senior Care, she is responsible for shaping and overseeing Recruitment, Talent Management, Leaning and Development, Retention and Human Resource strategies. Lucy is accountable for aligning People policies with our strategic business objectives and ensuring a positive and inclusive workplace culture.
Lucy has a bachelor’s degree and has held various significant roles, including Talent Acquisition Director at A Wilderness Way, Head of Recruitment at Prestige Nursing & Care, and The Good Care Group. She enjoys impacting the company’s most important resource—its people—and witnessing the positive differences made for clients and colleagues daily.
