HEIW celebrates innovation and compassion at the HPMA Excellence in People Awards 2025

Published 26 November 2025

Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) proudly joined organisations from across the UK at the HPMA Excellence in People Awards 2025, held on Thursday 20 November in Birmingham. Hosted by acclaimed actor, director and playwright Kwame Kwei-Armah OBE, the ceremony spotlighted the very best in people development, leadership, and workforce innovation across health and care.

One of the evening’s standout moments was the presentation of the Health Education and Improvement Wales Award for Developing the Profession and People Professionals, recognising exceptional initiatives that nurture capability, culture, and career development across the NHS workforce. The award was presented by Helen Watkins, Director of Workforce and OD at HEIW, who praised the impressive standard of entries.

“Every year, we see extraordinary commitment to developing people, but this year’s finalists raised the bar even further,” said Helen Watkins. “These programmes demonstrate what’s possible when organisations invest in compassionate leadership, professional growth, and a learning culture. They are making a real and lasting difference for staff and, ultimately, for patients.”

Celebrating the Finalists

The category showcased four outstanding programmes:

• Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board for their Coventry and Warwickshire Health and Social Care Employability Academy – Changing Lives and Changing Culture, supporting local people into health and social care careers and helping shift organisational culture.
• Powys Teaching Health Board for the Clinical Leadership Immersive Programme (CLIP) Tier Two, designed to build confident, compassionate clinical leaders who inspire teams and model positive behaviours.
• Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for their HR Business Partnering team development pathway, aligning development with HPMA and CIPD frameworks to enable staff progression.
• University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust for their People Management Development Programme, equipping managers with policy knowledge, sound judgement, and the peer support needed to manage people with empathy and assurance.

Highly Commended Recognition

HEIW warmly congratulates Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, who received a Highly Commended award for their HR Business Partnering team development pathway. Judges praised the programme’s personalised approach to career development, its integration of staff feedback, and its positive impact on retention and capability-building within the HR profession.

Winner: University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust

The 2025 HEIW Award winner was University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust for their inspiring People Management Development Programme. The judges highlighted the programme’s “embedded behavioural change” and strong alignment to a Restorative, Just and Learning Culture. The co-production approach stood out, helping managers build confidence in navigating complex employment policies while fostering communities of practice where leaders learn from each other.

Helen Watkins reflected on the winning entry: “This programme embodies the values we champion at HEIW, collaboration, compassion, and continuous learning. It equips managers not just with knowledge, but with the behaviours and networks that sustain a truly supportive culture. We’re delighted to recognise such transformative work.”