Spellman Care has officially announced the launch of its brand-new staff recognition initiative, the EMAs (Extra Mile Awards). Replacing the previous Star Awards, which ran successfully for over three years, this exciting new scheme significantly elevates how the group celebrates excellence, ensuring their team recognition remains truly unique and special within the local care sector.
The core driver behind creating this new initiative was to deeply embed the principles of Person-Led Care into the awards themselves. Moving beyond traditional “person-centred” models where care is merely tailored around an individual, Person-Led Care completely flips the script—putting residents firmly in the driving seat of their own lives and daily choices, with staff following their lead. This is an innovative, cutting-edge way of working within the UK care sector, and Spellman Care is proud to be one of the very first care home groups in the country to fully embrace and engage with this forward-thinking philosophy.
To mark the grand unveiling, all four of Spellman Care’s homes hosted simultaneous celebration events. Colleagues gathered to enjoy EMA-themed cakes, learn about the new process, and view an introductory video from each of the judges, who outlined the criteria and explained what they will be looking for in the upcoming entries.
To help everyone get into the right mindset for future nominations, staff were encouraged to interact with a dedicated EMA board by adding a star detailing a specific reason why a colleague had gone the extra mile recently. For taking part, staff members received a raffle ticket with a twist: the winning prize would be entirely bespoke and decided on just for them, further embedding the person led mindset of personalisation.
The launch has already generated a wave of enthusiastic support from residents’ families online. Following the announcement on social media, relatives flooded the comments sections to praise the teams, with remarks including “in my opinion all the staff go that extra mile” and “all the staff at Steeton Court Nursing Home are amazing.” Another heartfelt comment read, “You are all amazing. Most importantly Mum loves you all too,” while many others simply added, “Well done everyone.”
The core philosophy behind the EMAs is to capture and celebrate the specific, deeply personalised moments where staff go above and beyond for residents. The awards aim to shine a spotlight on these unique gestures of outstanding care—whether that is organising a special, tailored day trip for a resident, or taking the time to ensure their absolute favourite flowers are planted in the home’s garden.
Philippa Young, EMA Judge and Group Operations Manager at Spellman Care, said:
“We wanted to create a recognition scheme that truly mirrors our commitment to Person-Led Care. Our teams do incredible work every day, but the EMAs are about celebrating those deeply personal, thoughtful details that show our staff truly know and care for our residents as individuals. By making the prize even bigger and focusing the judging on the depth of that positive impact, we are making sure our staff feel uniquely valued for the extraordinary difference they make.”
The Extra Mile Awards represent a significant shift in how excellence is rewarded, making the scheme bigger and better than before. While the previous initiative crowned a monthly winner for each individual home, the EMAs will now see just one overall winner selected from across the entire Spellman Care group each month. Because the competition will be much tougher, the prize on offer is even bigger for each recipient.
The panel of judges will review each entry, and the award will be given based on which staff member has made the biggest and most meaningful difference to a resident.
Nominations are officially open, and Spellman Care is inviting residents, family members and staff to get involved. Nominations can be submitted physically using the dedicated ballot boxes located in each home’s reception area, or digitally via an online submission form.
The group is looking forward to reviewing the first round of incredible nominations and celebrating the remarkable team members who always go the extra mile.
