Scottish Public Service Awards 2023

How to enter:

It's free to enter, and the deadline for nominations is 10 October. Nominations are made using our website, and you will need to submit a 300-word nomination with a 100-word summary, with the option to supply a testimonial and supporting items:  

1. Summary of your nomination (100 words)

2. Nomination including measurable benefits and impact (300 words)

3. Opportunity to include a testimonial, (150 words)

4. Upload up to three supporting items (video, images, testimonial)

You can enter the same project for multiple categories provided the nomination is tailored to the category.

Who can enter:

Unless stated under the category, entries are welcomed by those working in or with Scotland’s civic society from our civil service, Scottish Government, Scottish Parliament, local government, health and social care sector, broader public sector and their partners within the Third Sector.

WHAT IF YOUR NOMINATION IS SHORTLISTED?

The shortlist will be announced in the week commencing 6 November. You will receive an invitation for you and a colleague to attend the awards ceremony at the Scottish Parliament on 6 December, 6:00-8.30pm, where the winners will be announced.

BENEFITS OF ENTERING

 

The SPSAs offer an excellent way of sharing innovation and best practice, whilst raising the profile of your project, team or programme.

THE CAMPBELL CHRISTIE PUBLIC SERVICE REFORM AWARD

An award for the team that best embodies the spirit of public service reform, showcasing the exceptional public sector of the future – working across departmental and organisational boundaries, placing the citizen at the centre of service delivery and working to tackle the causes of social ills, rather than solely the symptoms.

WINNER: NHS Sexual Assault Response Coordination Service SARCS Policy Unit, The Scottish Government.

A Chief Medical Officer Taskforce was established in 2017 with a five-year plan to deliver person-centred, trauma-informed healthcare and forensic medical examination services for people who have experienced rape, sexual assault or child sexual abuse in Scotland. The Chief Executive of Rape Crisis Scotland commended our approach to ‘ethical participation’ by ensuring the lived experience voice was at the core. The Taskforce five-year plan has concluded. Key achievements include a dedicated Sexual Assault Response Coordination Service (SARCS) in every health board and new legislation so that adults can self-refer to a SARCS, without first having to report to the police. NHS Sexual Assault Response Coordination Service, SARCS Policy Unit, The Scottish Government

RUNNERS UP: 

Social Security Directorate and Social Security Scotland

Operation Nightguard, Street Assist Edinburgh

 

THE COMMUNICATIONS AWARD

An award that recognises exceptional performance by a team in the delivery of a highly effective communications campaign, targeting either internal or external stakeholders/audiences.

WINNER: How to Save a Life, Scottish Drugs Forum

The How to Save a Life campaign was a mass, multi-media campaign, commissioned by the Scottish Government and delivered by Scottish Drugs Forum which included television and radio adverts, social media, and billboards. 

The campaign aimed to increase awareness of drug-related deaths, the signs and symptoms of an overdose, how to respond to an overdose, increase the supply of take-home naloxone and to increase awareness and generate discussion of drug-related deaths as an important public health issue. 

RUNNERS UP:

Scottish Government/PHS, COVID Vaccination Marketing

"Settling In" Lung Cancer Campaign, Scottish Government

 

THE PROJECT AND PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT AWARD in association with Project Management Institute

An award recognising good practice in project, programme and portfolio management.

WINNER: Covid-19 Vaccination Programme, NHS Scotland and Scottish Government National Team

The covid-19 vaccination programme has been the largest post war logistical and public health endeavour of its time, saving many lives and protecting the citizens of Scotland during the global pandemic. People 5-100+ years have been protected and there has been many phases of vaccination delivery with over 12.6 million vaccinations given. 

The National Programme was centrally led with local delivery across the 14 health board areas of Scotland. The level of complexity in the programme was immense and this required robust programme management to orchestrate, delivery, oversee and ensure that all elements were delivered for people in Scotland

RUNNERS UP

Homes for Ukraine Project, Aberdeenshire Council

Operation Unicorn, Scottish Government on behalf of Team Scotland

 

THE COMMERCIAL PARTNERSHIPS AWARD

Recognising a team or individual that has demonstrated exemplary commercial practice, achieving better outcomes for public bodies through contract negotiations and management, commercial policy development, smart procurement, best practice supplier management, or new models of delivery.

WINNER: Best Start Foods - Building New Retail Partnerships, Social Security Scotland

Social Security Scotland’s Best Start Foods pre-paid card supports low-income families with the cost of buying healthy food, while removing the stigma of using food vouchers. Feedback showed that clients were not using all available money, had difficulty using the card and were, at times, unclear where it could be used.

Social Security Scotland undertook partnerships with major retailers Iceland, Scotmid/Co-op and ASDA to drive awareness, produce more clarity and stimulate take-up. 

By speaking to shoppers direct, the result was an eye-catching campaign which generated media interest, engaged people face-to-face and generated all-important word-of-mouth conversation about Best Start Foods.

RUNNERS UP

SSEN Energy Advice Project, Citizens Advice Scotland

Community Wealth Building Project, Scotland Excel

 

THE LEADERSHIP AWARD

An award open to any individual who has demonstrated outstanding leadership.

WINNER: Hanna Beaton-Hawryluk, Associations of Ukrainians in Great Britain

Hannah Beaton-Hawryluk was appointed Holova (Chairperson) of AUGB Edinburgh on 05 March 2022 and has led the Associations response to the current crisis in Ukraine with professionalism and commitment with a view to honouring the organisation's founders.

RUNNERS UP

Paul Little, City of Glasgow College, Leading Scotland's International Maritime Hub during COP-26

Steve Hopton, Fife Council, Fife Justice Social Work Service

 

THE DIGITAL PUBLIC SERVICES AWARD in association with Leidos

This award recognises the use of technology to deliver improvements in public services to the citizen.

WINNER: Right Decision Service for Scotland’s Health and Social Care, Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre

In response to unprecedented demand on health and care services, the new national Right Decision Service provides technology tools that enable people to make safe decisions quickly ‘on the go’, based on validated evidence. These decision support tools work through day-to-day technology – web and mobile apps and are embedded in electronic care systems. 

This new service has already had major impact. It delivers over 150 decision support tools, for eight national programmes, nine territorial boards, three health and social care partnerships, and three charities. 

Benefits include efficient triage in urgent care, reducing medicines-related harm, and citizen self-management of long-term conditions.

RUNNERS UP:

Check In Scotland - Covid-19 Response & Recovery, Scottish Government

Taking the stress out of applying for Free School Meals and Clothing Grants, Renfrewshire Council

 

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AWARD

This award recognises the work of public bodies in ensuring that the communities they serve are fully engaged in developing and delivering public services in their area.

WINNER: Edinburgh Ukraine Support, The City of Edinburgh Council

City of Edinburgh Council recognised the importance of having the Ukrainian community at the heart of the city's response from the early days of the project. Working with the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain (AUGB) Edinburgh Branch, the project has embedded a multi hub support network to ensure the Ukrainian community are well supported with their welfare, cultural and informational needs. The City of Edinburgh Council has supported c. 7,500 Ukrainians arriving through Edinburgh Airport.

RUNNERS UP:

Alcohol & Substance Education, I Am Me/Police Scotland/Renfrewshire Council

Dundee Community Food Network, Dundee City Council

 

CHAMPIONING DIVERSITY & INCLUSION AWARD

An award for an individual, team, group or network that demonstrably promote the values of equality, diversity and inclusion by initiating and leading action to remove barriers of discrimination and prejudice and improve the working experience and engagement levels of all employees across all strands of diversity.

WINNER: Emerging Leaders Programme, Edinburgh College

Edinburgh College, Scottish Association of Minority Ethnic Educators (SAMEE) and the Scottish Parliament collaborated in order to develop the Emerging Leaders programme for Black, Asian and minority ethnic employees within the Scottish Parliament in order to allow them to achieve their full potential. 

This innovative leadership and management training programme was developed in response to the Parliament reporting an ethnicity pay gap as part of its diversity monitoring. This is partly to do with the majority of Black, Asian and minority ethnic employees being at lower grades and a lack of role models in senior positions.

RUNNERS UP:

Collette Gallagher, Scottish Children's Reporters Disabilities Group

Edinburgh College Anti-Racist Unity Group (ARUG), Edinburgh College

 

VOLUNTARY SECTOR PARTNERSHIP AWARD in association with SCVO

This award will recognise public and third-sector organisations working in partnership to deliver better outcomes in public services. These partnerships provide the day-to-day public services that support and care for people and communities throughout Scotland. And they are often lifelines for vulnerable citizens who could otherwise go unnoticed.

WINNER: Improving Experiences of Living with Serious Illness, Caring, Dying and Grieving, Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care

SPPC brings together over 100 partners from across Scotland, within the statutory, third sectors and independent sectors - NHS Boards, hospices, HSCPs, charities, professional associations, social care, community groups. Partners bring money, expertise and a passion to improve experiences during the most difficult phases of life. Over 30 years, quietly and with a low profile, SPPC has enabled collaboration which has led to service improvement, innovation, education, policy development, problem solving and education, within a domain that people often find hard to think about. We also work directly with the public, enabling community-led action, public education and information resources.

RUNNERS UP:

Keep Safe Scotland, I Am Me Scotland & Police Scotland

Dundee's Safe Zone Bus, Arwen Elder, Dundee City Council and Tayside Council on Alcohol

 

SUSTAINABILITY AWARD in association with Veolia

 This award will recognise how working together, the transition to a green and more sustainable economy benefits all.

WINNER: Local Authority Fresh and Organic Food Network, Mark Hunter, East Ayrshire Council

East Ayrshire Council have continued to procure fresh and organic food through a local framework working with local producers and suppliers since 2004. This framework has been reviewed and renewed since 2004 and now the Local Authority Catering Services work with 7 local suppliers. This is seen as supporting community wealth building, the circular economy and creating jobs for local people. It also support Food for Life/Soil Association accreditation were we value the food on a plate within our school meals, the welfare standards for our animals and food education within our schools and community.

RUNNERS UP:

Helping farmers and landowners understand how they can improve nature on their land - The CivTech Programme, Scottish Government with NatureScot and Sabbio

Global Scale-Up Programme, Alexander Holt, CivTech Alliance, Scottish Government

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

The Lifetime Achievement award recognises the achievements of someone who holds the good of public service to their very core.

WINNER: Prof. Alexis Jay OBE

“I feel hugely honoured to be given this award. Since I first became a social worker in Glasgow in 1975, everything I have learned and experienced in my working life has been from within the fine Scottish tradition of public service - in local government, in the third sector and in the Scottish Government. But nobody does this work alone, and it has also been a privilege and a pleasure to work with so many committed and skilled people over so years.” - Prof. Alexis Jay OBE