The awards recognise excellence in internal communications, celebrating organisations that engage colleagues through innovative, impactful and meaningful campaigns.
Cygnet received Silver in the Best Alignment of Internal Communications with External Messaging category for its Hopes and Dreams campaign, with judges describing it as “heartfelt” and “beautifully integrated.”
The organisation also received Bronze in the Best Internal Communications Campaign (Large Business) category for its “It’s No Joke to Choke” initiative. Judges praised the campaign as “highly impactful” for its role in raising awareness of choking risks and prevention across Cygnet’s workforce.
Launched in 2025, the Hopes and Dreams campaign celebrated the achievements of individuals supported across Cygnet Social Care services. Through storytelling, it showcased how person-centred support enables people with learning disabilities, autism and complex needs to realise their ambitions and live fulfilled, independent lives.
The campaign was delivered across a wide range of channels, including the intranet, newsletters and magazines, and supported by our Staff Relations Group leads, as well as external platforms such as social media, the Cygnet website, and mainstream and sector press.
Stories featured in the campaign included individuals achieving life-changing milestones such as travelling independently, going on their first holiday abroad, improving their health and wellbeing, and reconnecting with loved ones. A key highlight was the inaugural Cygnet’s Got Talent competition, which brought together Cygnet Social Care residents from across the country to build confidence, express themselves creatively and celebrate their abilities.
Meanwhile, the “It’s No Joke to Choke” campaign was a 12-month internal communications initiative focused on raising awareness of choking risks and prevention across Cygnet’s 13,000-strong workforce.
Launched in November 2024, the campaign used a mix of animation, webinars, screensavers and bite-size learning resources to translate complex clinical guidance into practical knowledge for colleagues working across more than 170 services. The campaign was created alongside our Speech and Language and Accessible Information Specialists.
The campaign drove significant engagement, achieving more than 92,000 email opens and encouraging thousands of colleagues to access dedicated resources and training. Through a structured, month-by-month approach, it explored a wide range of risk factors, from dysphagia and oral hygiene to medication and seizure activity, helping teams build a deeper and more comprehensive understanding over time.
In total, 128 original resources were developed alongside 69 curated links to external experts, supporting continuous learning and professional development. The campaign also improved consistency in how choking incidents are recognised and reported and strengthening organisational learning to support safer care.
Lucy Scarborough, Executive Director of Communications and Marketing, said: “Gaining recognition for two strong campaigns at these awards is a fantastic achievement and a real testament to the creativity, collaboration and expertise of everyone involved in these campaigns.
“We’re especially pleased that the judges recognised Hopes and Dreams as ‘heartfelt’ and ‘beautifully integrated’, reflecting how successfully it connected our internal and external communications to celebrate the people we support.
“To receive recognition for ‘It’s No Joke to Choke’ as a ‘highly impactful’ campaign is equally rewarding. It demonstrates how effective communications can help improve knowledge, influence behaviours and ultimately contribute to safer care across our organisation.”