Judging will take place in early June 2026.

For each award category there will be a panel of judges. Each judging panel will include:

1. members with relevant lived and learned experience

2. representatives of at least three different local health and care partners

3. stakeholders from both Norfolk and Suffolk

4. a facilitator from the awards team.

For each category, all members of the judging panel will receive a copy of every eligible nomination received for that category. Panel members are asked to read and review every application received.

All members of the judging panel will meet to collectively review nominations. Judging panels may meet either in person or online. Each judging panel will be facilitated by a member of the awards team to ensure a consistent approach.

For every nomination, each judging panel will agree on a consensus score of between 0 and 10 against each of the following criteria:

· Why they are being nominated – what they did, how they did it, why this is relevant to the award

· How they are exceptional – going ‘above and beyond,’ transforming health and care

· What impact they have made – evidence of the difference made to people’s lives

Each judging panel will determine one Winner and two runners-up. They also have discretion to award Highly Commended and Commended certificates.

· Winners will demonstrate exceptional achievements that have made a transformative impact on the health and wellbeing of local populations or the workforce. They have taken a person-centred, inclusive, and collaborative approach to their work, shown creativity and imagination, and valued everyone involved as equal partners. They can demonstrate how they have actively involved local people and communities and applied best practice.

· Runners Up will demonstrate achievements that have made a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of local populations or the workforce. They have taken a person-centred, inclusive, and collaborative approach, shown creativity and imagination, and valued everyone involved as equal partners. They may demonstrate how they have actively involved local people and communities and applied best practice.

· Highly Commended nominees will demonstrate achievements that have had a meaningful impact on the health and wellbeing of local populations or the workforce. They have taken a person-centred, inclusive, and collaborative approach, shown creativity and imagination, and valued everyone involved. They may demonstrate how they have listened to local people and communities and applied what works.

· Commended nominees will demonstrate achievements that have had a positive impact on to the health and wellbeing of local populations or the workforce. They have taken an inclusive and collaborative approach, shown creativity and imagination, and valued everyone involved. They can demonstrate how they have listened to local people and communities and applied what works.