Dovehaven CARES Awards 2026: Celebrating Our Third Annual Ceremony

The Dovehaven CARES Awards 2026 returned for their third year on 10 July, bringing together more than 110 colleagues and sponsors at the Titanic Hotel in Liverpool to celebrate the incredible people who make Dovehaven one of the leading care home providers in the North West.

The annual awards recognise the compassion, dedication and teamwork demonstrated across our residential, nursing and dementia care homes. They also highlight why Dovehaven continues to be a rewarding place to build a career in care, supporting both residents and colleagues to thrive.

Recognising Outstanding Achievements

This year, we received more than 80 nominations across our Manager of the Year, Employee of the Year and brand-new Team of the Year awards.

Every nominee had previously been recognised as a monthly winner, before being shortlisted for our annual awards. The exceptional standard of nominations also led to the introduction of a new Highly Commended category across our CARES, Employee and Manager awards.

These awards celebrate the people who consistently go above and beyond to provide outstanding care for residents and support their colleagues every day.

Living Our Values: The Dovehaven CARES Framework

Throughout the evening, we celebrated the values that guide everything we do:

• Compassion in Every Way
• Accountability
• Respect Diversity
• Excellence Unleashed
• Strength in Unity

Our people bring these values to life not because they have to, but because they truly care. And that is what makes Dovehaven such a special place to live and work.

Investing in Careers in Care

As well as recognising award winners, we proudly celebrated eight Care Home Assistant Practitioner (CHAPS) graduates.

Their achievement reflects Dovehaven's ongoing investment in learning, professional development and career progression, ensuring colleagues have the skills and confidence to deliver exceptional care throughout our North West care homes.

Whether someone is starting their first role in care or progressing into leadership, supporting career development remains central to our commitment to both colleagues and residents.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

• Headline Sponsor: Lottie
• Compassion in Every Way: Countrywide Healthcare
• Accountability: Trevors Foodservice
• Respect Diversity: Boost
• Excellence Unleashed: apetito
• Strength in Unity: Sona and PainChek
• Games & Engagement: Blink
• Pre‑Event Video Support: Care Launch Team

Congratulations to Our 2026 Winners

Manager of the Year: Rebecca Mackenzie, Dean Wood Manor Sponsored by Lottie

Employee of the Year: Chloe Sturgess, Callands Sponsored by Lottie

Team of the Year: Avonleigh Gardens Sponsored by Lottie

Rachel Bowers, Manager at Avonleigh Gardens says “Winning Team of the Year was a great achievement which made each member of the team feel full of pride and joy. It’s a testament the care and compassion shown each day, from each department going above and beyond. Winning this award shows how well the team colorability work together, ensuring the residents are always our number one priority, and creating a happy environment for all. The whole team are absolutely thrilled with receiving this recognition.”

CARES Values Winners

Compassion in Every Way: Jade Mason, Sam Mason & Genean O’Neill,  Church View (Sponsored by Countrywide Healthcare)

Accountability: Carol Leddy, Manchester House (Sponsored by Trevors Foodservice)

Respect Diversity: Margaret Owens, Brooklands (Sponsored by Boost)

Excellence Unleashed: Laura Eihmane, Birch Abbey (Sponsored by apetito)

Strength in Unity: Chelsea Oakes, Support Services (Sponsored by Sona)

PainChek Awards

Sponsored by PainChek and new for 2026, the PainChek Awards recognise colleagues who champion the use of PainChek technology to support effective pain assessments and enhance resident wellbeing.

Congratulations to Jennifer Adebayo, Dovehaven Lodge & Cayley Dodsworth, Callands

Looking Ahead

The Dovehaven CARES Awards continue to celebrate the people who make a difference every day across our North West care homes. From compassionate frontline carers to inspirational leaders and dedicated support teams, every winner and nominee demonstrates what outstanding care truly looks like.

As we look ahead, we remain committed to investing in our people, recognising excellence and creating rewarding care home careers in the North West. Together, we'll continue delivering exceptional residential, nursing and dementia care for the communities we proudly serve.

‍