Martin Prescott Shortlisted for Lifetime Achievement Award
We are incredibly proud to announce that Martin Prescott, Director of Quality, has been shortlisted for the Lifetime Achievement Award in the Social Care Leadership Awards 2026.
The award recognises an inspirational individual who has demonstrated, throughout his career, passion and expertise to improve services for people who draw on social care support. Martin’s shortlisting is a wonderful recognition of his 35-year commitment to social care and the lasting difference he continues to make to the people we support, his colleagues and the wider organisation.
From the beginning of his career as a Care Assistant to his role as Director of Quality, his focus has remained the same: improving services and championing person-centred support.
Martin began his career with Choice Care in 1991, as a Care Assistant at a residential service, where he discovered his passion for supporting people and began a career dedicated to making a positive difference. At a time when shared bedrooms were common, and person-centred support was still developing, Martin championed personalised approaches that focused on what mattered to each person.
Throughout his career, Martin has always looked for ways to improve people’s lives. He helped rebuild family relationships, created bespoke communication tools and supported people to enjoy everyday experiences, including going nightclubbing, recognising that people receiving care should have the same opportunities to enjoy life as anyone else.
As Choice Care grew, so did Martin’s leadership responsibilities. He supported the opening of another residential service, where he became Registered Manager, building a confident team and creating an environment where people felt at home.
In 2006, Martin moved into Operations, where he used his experience from frontline care to transform systems for managers. He developed the widely valued Management Monitoring Tool, simplified care planning and risk assessment processes, and introduced robust audit and health and safety systems across the organisation. His work helped strengthen standards and ensure managers had the tools and support they needed to deliver high-quality care.
Martin later became an Area Director, leading on compliance and governance, before establishing the Quality Team around 10 years ago. Under his leadership, the team has driven continuous improvement and strengthened organisational oversight.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Martin played a particularly important role in translating complex and constantly changing guidance into clear actions for services, helping colleagues navigate an unknown period and protect the people they support.
His influence is reflected in the respect he has earned from colleagues throughout his career. Former and current colleagues have shared messages including, “Many congratulations, how far you have come since White House” and “Congratulations Martin, you had and have my respect all the years I’ve known you.”
We are incredibly proud of Martin and delighted to see his outstanding contribution to social care recognised through this well-deserved shortlisting. We wish him the very best of luck at the Social Care Leadership Awards 2026, being held at Grosvenor Square on October 13th.
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