Lifeways named finalist for Tech Innovation of the Year at 2026 National Care Awards

Lifeways, the UK’s largest provider of support for people with complex needs in the community, has been named a finalist in the Tech Innovation of the Year category at this year’s National Care Awards. 

Recognised for the implementation of its AI Support Plan Quality Checker, a tool that has transformed the way support plans are reviewed by replacing manual and inconsistent processes with a standardised, scalable technological solution, Lifeways has been shortlisted alongside fellow finalists including Quantum Care, Sensio Care and Derwen College. 

Amanda Brooke, Chief Transformation Officer at Lifeways, said: “Everyone at Lifeways is absolutely over the moon to see us named as a finalist in the Tech Innovation of the Year category at the 2026 National Care Awards. 

“Good support starts with a high-quality, person-centred support plan for every person we support. Through our ‘Insights through Data’ programme, we’ve introduced the AI Support Plan Quality Checker to help us strengthen how we review these plans and identify opportunities for improvement. 

“Rather than relying solely on time-consuming manual checks, which can vary from person to person, we’re using a more consistent and reliable approach to identify areas for improvement and support better outcomes for the people we support." 

“This innovation was developed following an intensive digital care platform rollout for all 4,000 people we support,” continued Andy Ferrington, Chief Information Officer at Lifeways.   

“The tool gives our teams greater insight into quality and risk across our 1,100 locations and also demonstrates the growing capability of our technology infrastructure to turn data into practical insight at scale.   

“By combining our digital care platform, data and AI capabilities, we can give colleagues information that is timely, consistent and actionable, while freeing up valuable time for teams to focus on what matters most: delivering high-quality support. This is an important step in building the digital capability we need to use technology responsibly and effectively to improve outcomes for the people we support. 

“We’re thrilled to have this work recognised by this year’s awards, alongside some outstanding fellow finalists.” 

The National Care Awards are the UK’s largest awards celebrating excellence in the care sector, recognising outstanding care providers, teams and individuals. 

Winners will be announced at the National Care Awards on 6 November 2026, hosted at Park Plaza London Westminster Bridge. 

View the full list of finalists on the National Care Awards website.