The recognition shines a spotlight on the dedication of our colleagues across the UK and celebrates the exceptional care we provide for some of the most vulnerable people in society.
As the UK’s largest independent provider of mental health services, we had a landmark year in 2024–25. We opened seven new hospitals, adding 230 beds, creating 1,000 new jobs, and providing care for an additional 1,500 patients every year. These new services are helping to ease NHS pressures, cut waiting times, and give more people access to high-quality care closer to home.
We also made big strides in sustainability. In 2024 we:
- Continued to source 100% of our electricity from renewable sources
- Expanded our Lightfoot fleet programme, cutting 236 metric tons of CO₂
- Increased our recycling rate to 40%, while sending less than 1% of waste to landfill
- Rolled out solar panels to 30 sites, generating over 2.2 gigawatts of clean energy to date
Alongside this, we reduced our reliance on agency staff and improved staff retention, making Cygnet an even stronger and more stable place to work. Our latest staff survey had a 79% response rate across the company and our colleagues told us that team spirit, career opportunities and a positive work culture all contribute to high levels of job satisfaction. Among the many highlights of our staff survey:
- 91% of colleagues said the care of service users is Cygnet’s top priority, demonstrating a continued strong focus on the people we support.
- 85% of employees said they would be happy for a friend or relative to be cared for by Cygnet, a powerful endorsement of the quality of our services.
- 88% said they enjoy working for Cygnet, and 85% said they are proud to work for the organisation.
Most importantly, in 2024 we supported a record 8,318 people to recover, regain independence, and rebuild their lives. Throughout 2024-25, our focus on clinical outcomes saw impressive results, with discharge success rates of 95% in adult health care and 93% in CAMHS, alongside a 17% reduction in the average length of stay. Improvements in daily functioning – up 30% in health care and 9% in social care – also demonstrate the tangible impact our person-centred care has on those in our services.
We worked with 360 commissioning bodies, including 187 NHS organisations and 173 local authorities, and we’re proud that 81% of our services are rated Good or Outstanding by regulators, well above the national average. Cygnet has 17% higher CQC Good or Outstanding ratings than the rest of the mental health independent sector, a testament to the quality of our services.
Our commitment to co-production was a key theme in our nomination, as individuals in our care play a vital role in shaping the support we provide. Cygnet now has 52 EbyEs, who made more than 1,000 visits to our hospitals last year, ensuring service users are consulted at all stages in the planning and delivery of our care, innovations and developments.
They help ensure the opinions of service users are heard and considered across the organisation and that feedback is acted upon to improve our services and patient outcomes. Our unique approach to Experts By Experience (EbyE) and co-production means we can enable those with lived experience to play a big part in everything, from installing our social hubs, designing mental health strategies, new models of care, facilities and the built environment, to creating menus, meaningful activities and quality improvement initiatives across services.
Reflecting on the award shortlisting, Dr Tony Romero, CEO of Cygnet, said:
“This nomination is a testament to the incredible dedication, compassion, and resilience of our brilliant teams across the country.
“The last two years have been landmark years in Cygnet’s history as together we opened new services, welcomed thousands of new patients, and continued to raise standards of care. Above all, we never lost sight of our purpose, to be there for people when they need us most. I am so proud of every colleague who goes the extra mile to make sure the people we support feel safe, valued and respected.
“To be recognised at a national level is a real honour, and it reflects the difference we are making every single day in people’s lives.”
The winners of the National Care Awards will be announced in November at an awards ceremony at Park Plaza, London.