On 6th March 2026, the home care sector came together at the National Conference Centre for the Home Care Awards to celebrate the very best in home care delivery, leadership, and technology. As proud sponsors of the Home Care Awards 2026 for the Innovative Technology Expertise category, we were delighted to be part of the day and to play a small role in recognising some truly outstanding work happening across the sector.
Here’s a look back at what made the Home Care Awards 2026 such an inspiring event, and why the quality of innovation we saw on the night gives us real confidence in the direction the sector is heading.
Why We Sponsored the Home Care Awards 2026
Unique IQ has been building technology for the care sector for nearly 20 years. We understand the pressures care providers face every day: managing compliance, supporting carers in the field, keeping families informed, and doing it all with stretched teams and tight margins.
Sponsoring the Innovative Technology Expertise category felt like a natural fit for us. This category celebrates organisations that are using technology in practical, measurable ways to improve care delivery, strengthen oversight, and drive better outcomes. That sits right at the heart of what we build.
For us, sponsoring isn’t just a brand exercise. It’s an opportunity to connect with the providers who are genuinely pushing the sector forward, and to show our commitment to the people working hardest to raise standards.
A Night to Celebrate the Sector’s Best
Our Chief Operating Officer Cheryl Guest and Brand and Content Marketing Manager Emma Cooper attended on the day, and Cheryl had the honour of presenting the Innovative Technology Expertise award on behalf of Unique IQ.
“Sponsoring the Innovative Technology Expertise category at this year’s Home Care Awards was something we felt really proud to do. The standard of entries was truly impressive, and it was wonderful to see so many providers thinking seriously about how technology can support better care outcomes. Innovation in this sector isn’t about technology for its own sake. It’s about finding smarter ways to support carers, protect people, and give providers the confidence to keep delivering at the highest level. The evening was a real reminder of just how much passion and ambition exists across home care, and we left feeling inspired by everything we heard and saw.” Cheryl Guest.
The energy in the room reflected just how much this sector cares, about the people it supports, about quality, and about getting better. It’s always genuinely inspiring to be surrounded by providers who are leading the way.
The Innovative Technology Expertise Winner: Blue Angel Care
We were delighted to present the Innovative Technology Expertise award to Blue Angel Care, a Hampshire-based home care provider whose co-founders Dariusz Motyka and Zul Mamon attended on the night to collect the trophy.
Blue Angel Care were also finalists in the Most Outstanding Independent Home Care Provider category, a strong reflection of the breadth of what they’re achieving. Their recognition in the technology category speaks to a real commitment to using digital tools to enhance safety, communication, and care outcomes for the people they support.
This is exactly the kind of entry this category was designed to recognise: technology deployed thoughtfully, with a clear focus on what it means for the people receiving care.
Innovation in Home Care: Where We Are in 2026
The entries in the Innovative Technology Expertise category reflected a broader shift we are seeing across the sector. More providers are moving away from paper-based processes and basic digital tools towards platforms that offer real-time insight, AI-powered support, and joined-up data across their operations.
At Unique IQ, we’ve seen this first-hand. Our IQ:careaudit tool uses AI to review visit notes and medication records in real time and automatically flag risks before they escalate, giving providers greater confidence in their compliance and quality oversight. Our IQ:careassist tool helps care teams co-author care plans more efficiently, reducing admin time and improving consistency. Both are built natively into the platform, not bolted on as third-party add-ons.
Technology like this doesn’t replace the human element of care. It supports it. It gives care teams more time to focus on what they do best, and it gives managers the confidence that nothing is being missed.
What Events Like This Mean for the Sector
Awards events serve an important purpose beyond the trophies. They give the sector a moment to step back, reflect on progress, and acknowledge the people and organisations doing exceptional work.
Home care is often underrepresented in wider conversations about health and social care innovation. Events like the Home Care Awards 2026 help change that. They showcase the quality of thinking happening across domiciliary care, live-in care, supported living, and specialist services, and they encourage more providers to raise the bar.
We’re proud to be part of that conversation. And we’re proud to support an event that takes the sector seriously.
Congratulations to All 2026 Winners and Finalists
The Home Care Awards 2026 reinforced something we believe strongly: that innovation in care isn’t just about technology. It’s about the culture, the commitment, and the willingness to keep improving, even when that’s hard.
To every finalist and winner on the night, congratulations. The standard of work represented at this event is something the whole sector can be proud of.
We’ll continue to develop tools that support that ambition, and we look forward to seeing what the sector achieves in the year ahead.
If you’d like to find out more about how Unique IQ supports home care providers with AI-powered care management tools, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch with our friendly team or request a demo.