The Self-Care Forum is inviting applications of good practise in self-care, personalised care, and social prescribing that have made a difference to individuals, groups, or organisations.
Eligibility
The awards are open to everyone; individuals, community champions, employers, surgeries, councils, libraries, schools, colleges, businesses and services organisations (public, private, or charitable).
Examples of Self-Care Initiatives
We know there are empowering initiatives taking place in communities up and down the country, here are examples of possible self-care initiatives: social-prescribing and surgery-led activities, pharmacy promotions, healthy living groups, support groups empowering specific communities, self-management courses, mental-wellbeing events etc. Remember self-care is broad and takes in healthy living, mental-wellbeing, health education, nutrition, physical activity, self-treatable conditions etc.
Top 8 entries
The winner will receive a £500 bursary courtesy of our international partner organisation, the International Self-Care Foundation, to spend on a self-care related initiative with smaller amounts going to the highly commended entries. The top 8 entries will be featured on the “self-care best practice” page of the Self-Care Forum website as case studies for others to learn from.
Timings
Deadline for submissions is 31st July. The top 8 entries, including the winner and highly commended will be announced ahead of National Self-Care Week in November, which is organised by the Self-Care Forum.
Judging criteria and tips on drafting your application
- Be mindful of the maximum word count in each section.
- Be mindful of the fact that the award is for implemented initiatives. If you have great idea, let us know about it when you have put it into practice and have evidence to support it.
- Ensure you can complete all sections of the application including the impact and evidence of success.
- It is worthwhile considering the below criteria which is the criteria used as part of the judging process:
Criterion 1:
Was there a clear objective in mind?
Be concise and clear and avoid jargon. The objective might be reflected in the title.
Criterion 2:
How rigorous was the planning and execution of the initiative?
How did you go about getting the right people together (including users, or individuals with lived experience) and develop the plan for the initiative?
Criterion 3:
Did the initiative demonstrate innovation?
Innovation could include a brand new idea or a new approach to delivering an existing idea. It is unlikely to include successful delivery of an element of a contract unless it demonstrates a new self-care orientated approach.
Criterion 4:
How was the initiative impactful and does the evidence or evaluation support this (whether quantitative or qualitative)?
Evidence of impact is required. It does not need to be a full research level approach. It should include e.g. numbers benefiting from the programme, how they benefited and feedback from users. E.g. if you delivered new training sessions, how frequently were they run and how many people attended?
Criterion 5:
Did the initiative show clear lessons learned and is it sustainable?
Please indicate the specific lessons learned. How much did it cost and is the funding recurrent? Did you integrate the programme into ‘business as usual’ and, if so how?
Criterion 6:
Is the initiative easy to replicate by another individual or organisation, can it be scaled up?
How could this be implemented elsewhere? What was required to achieve your success?
The Self-Care Forum is a UK charity with the aim to improve public health by promoting self-care at national policy level. Please follow us on X, Bluesky, Instagram, FB and LinkedIn.
If you would like more information about the Awards or if you have a query please contact selfcare@selfcareforum.org.