(Image: Supplied)
A Scottish social care leader has won a national award recognising her work supporting people with learning disabilities and autism.
Sara Murphy, managing director for Scotland at Community Integrated Care, received the Executive Learning Disabilities and Autism Leader Award at the Social Care Leadership Awards.
Sara Murphy, managing director for Scotland at Community Integrated Care wins award. (Image: Supplied)
The judges recognised her leadership of 135 services across Scotland, supporting more than 630 people and over 1,700 colleagues.
Ms Murphy has more than 27 years of experience in social care, having started her career as a support worker before moving into senior roles across the private and third sectors.
Her work has included developing specialist support for people with complex needs and championing person-centred approaches that give people greater choice and control over their lives.
She joined Community Integrated Care as managing director for Scotland in 2023 and has since led improvements in service quality and outcomes across the charity’s Scottish operations.
Under her leadership, more than 80% of its services have been rated Good or above by the Care Inspectorate. A specialist service in Clackmannanshire received an Excellent rating in every area assessed.
Alongside her role at the charity, Ms Murphy is a board member of the Coalition of Care and Support Providers in Scotland.
The Social Care Leadership Awards celebrate excellence in leadership across the sector, with this year’s ceremony taking place on October 13.
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The Social Care Leadership Awards judging panel said: "Sara never loses sight of why social care matters – empowering people with learning disabilities and autism to live the best lives possible."
"Despite the scale of her role, she remains deeply connected to the people, families and teams she works with. For these reasons, the judging panel is delighted to recognise Sara as a deserving winner."
Sara Murphy, managing director for Scotland at Community Integrated Care, said: "I’m incredibly proud to receive this award. I started my career as a Support Worker, so I’ve seen first-hand the difference that great social care can make to someone’s life.
"For me, leadership is about creating the right conditions for people with learning disabilities and autism to have choice, opportunity and control, while making sure the colleagues supporting them feel valued and able to do their very best work."
Karen Sheridan, chief operating officer at Community Integrated Care, said:"Sara combines strong leadership with a genuine understanding of what matters to people with learning disabilities and autism.
"She has brought real ambition to our work, improving the quality of services, championing new approaches and ensuring colleagues feel valued and supported.
"Over the past few years, Sara has helped drive significant improvements across our services in Scotland while also playing an influential role in wider conversations about the future of social care across the UK.
"We're delighted to see her recognised with this well-deserved award."