Ahead of Self-Care Week, the Self-Care Forum has announced Powys Teaching Health Board’s Powys Living Well Service as the winner of its 2026 Self-Care Award, recognising a bold redesign of care pathways that is empowering people to take greater control of their health and wellbeing.
Each year, Self-Care Award entries impress the judging panel, and this year’s winner stood out for its vision and willingness to transform condition-specific services into a single holistic care pathway.
Through collaboration between allied health professionals, community partners and local agencies, Powys Teaching Health Board has developed a flexible, person-centred model that fits people’s lives rather than expecting people to fit the system. Built around a Prepare-Engage-Maintain pathway and the Six Pillars of Wellbeing – Move, Sleep, Eat, Choose, Be and Connect – the service supports people living with persistent pain, chronic fatigue, Long Covid and obesity.
The service was co-designed using feedback from both patients and staff, helping identify barriers to engagement and creating a model that works better for those receiving support and those delivering it.
Helen Donovan, Chair of the Self-Care Forum, said:
“Powys Living Well Service is a worthy winner. This service shows how personalised care, delivered through group sessions, one-to-one support and digital resources, can empower people to better manage their own health.”
Dr Pete Smith, President of the Self-Care Forum, added:
“For years we have talked about the need for joined-up care, and this is an excellent example of that in practise. By bringing professionals and services together around the needs of individuals, Powys has created an approach that can be replicated in communities across the UK.”
Timmothy Smith, Business Manager for the Powys Living Well Service, said:
“We are delighted to receive this award. It recognises the dedication of our staff, partners and the people who helped co-design the service. By supporting people to take greater control of their health and wellbeing, we’ve seen reduced waiting times, lower DNA rates and more people actively involved in decisions about their care, enabling them to live the lives they want to live.”
Dr John Chisholm, Self-Care Forum trustee said:
“The service’s collaborative, whole-person approach and strong focus on sustainable self-care were impressive; it is also a model that demonstrates how personalised, preventative care can improve outcomes while making better use of healthcare resources.”
Highly Commended Entries
Three additional entries were highly commended by the judges.
The Parental Wellbeing Programme: Empowering Parents Through Health and Wellbeing Coaching was commended for addressing a critical gap in family assessment services. Through strengths-based coaching, parents developed the confidence, resilience and self-care skills needed to navigate highly stressful circumstances. With 85% of participants reporting improved wellbeing, the programme demonstrated impact, providing a scalable model for supporting vulnerable families.
Health Coaching Can Improve the Impact of Late Effects of a Brain Tumour at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust was recognised for helping people move beyond simply coping with the long-term consequences of a brain tumour diagnosis. Participants reported increased energy, reduced fatigue and anxiety, improved wellbeing and confidence, and stronger relationships. Several people reduced their reliance on medication, returned to work or made significant positive changes to their lives because of the coaching support.
We Connect Community Hub: Polish Support Initiative CIC impressed judges with its community-wide programme, which helped break down barriers preventing people from taking control of their health and wellbeing. Using a multilingual approach, it provided support to a diverse community of English, Polish, Lithuanian and Russian speakers. By fostering social connections and strengthening community support, the project made a meaningful difference to people’s health, wellbeing and overall quality of life.
David Skinner, chair of International Self-Care Foundation commented on the high calibre of entries overall and what this means for self-care going forward:
“The outstanding quality of this year’s entries reflects a growing recognition that self-care must sit at the heart of modern health and care delivery. Whether supporting people living with long-term conditions, families and diverse communities facing significant challenges, or those adapting to life after serious illness, these initiatives show what is possible when services focus on building confidence, capability and resilience. They provide a blueprint for how self-care can help meet the challenges facing healthcare in the years ahead.”
The Awards form part of the Self-Care Forum’s activities leading up to Self-Care Week, the annual awareness week that highlights the importance of self-care in improving health, wellbeing and quality of life.
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For media enquiries:
Libby Whittaker, Manager libby.whittaker@selfcareforum.org
Notes to editors:
- National Self-Care Week runs from 16–22 November 2026.
- The theme is “Mind & Body.”
- The Self-Care Awards recognise outstanding initiatives that empower individuals and communities to take better care of their health and wellbeing. For more information about the Top 8 entries visit our 2026 case study page. https://www.selfcareforum.org/case-studies-2026/
- The Self-Care Forum is a UK charity dedicated to embedding self-care into everybody’s everyday life.
- The International Self-Care Foundation produced the 7 pillars of self-care. https://isfglobal.org/
- For more information, visit www.selfcareforum.org or contact libby.whittaker@selfcareforum.org.
- If you would like to donate to the Self-Care Forum please contact libby.whittaker@selfcareforum.org
