Today we published our 2020/21 Annual Report and Impact Report highlighting the key achievements and milestones four years on. The reports outline the importance of our work and the impact it has had on people’s lives, as well communities in the UK and internationally.

The latest Impact Report shows our key achievements over the last year:

• A record number of 1,550,000 people directly supported in 2020/21, plus an additional 16.8 million people being reached by a social media mental health campaign in Pakistan
• Seven major new strategic funding partnerships have been established this year, bringing the total up to 14 strategic partnerships
• In addition, the Foundation has helped 65 charities to deliver programmes this year through its smaller grants
• Since 2017, the Foundation has provided almost £2.5million in grants, with some £700,000 in just the past year

We were established just over four years ago, as the first ever grant-making corporate foundation in the social care sector. The commitment from CareTech plc to support the Foundation is as strong as ever, backed-up with a financial investment of 2.5% of its pre-tax profits. This is further underpinned with in-kind support that the company’s staff provide to the Foundation and its partners.

Our portfolio of strategic partnerships has been bolstered with new additions this year, including:

• Autistica – The Social Care Action Fund

This programme answers the need to catalyse a wave of new research, so we can understand what high-quality social care looks like for autistic adults and how it can be delivered well in the real word.

• OnSide Youth Zones – Bridging the Gap

This is a mental health project that will help fill a critical gap in providing accessible, stigma-free, multi-disciplinary mental health care to young people aged 8-19 or up to 25, with additional needs.

• The Open University – Carers’ Scholarship Fund

This exciting new programme designed by Open University aims to offer 50 full-fee waiver scholarships for carers, within which they will be able to flexibly study towards a higher education qualification.

• The Prince’s Trust

Over the next four years The Prince’s Trust, together with the NHS and Health Education England aims to support thousands of young people into careers with the NHS and wider health and social care sector.

Our grants also provide support for issues affecting local communities and to the families and friends of CareTech plc staff facing challenges. Over the period of this report, the Foundation has awarded Community Grants of  almost £75,000 to 50 initiatives. A few examples of projects supported include:

• Bemix

This project supports people with learning difficulties and/or autism to speak up, make choices and become powerful and influential. Our grant contributed towards the supervision and expenses of trainees providing counselling and training for people with learning difficulties and/or autism.

• Naz Legacy Foundation

The Foundation provided this project with a grant to develop a series of videos exploring the impact of COVID-19 has had on faith communities across England, speaking with different faith leaders, families and communities on how the pandemic has impacted the way they grieve.

Through our Match-Funding Grant, over 51 employees were supported in their fundraising efforts with almost £14,000 in funding. Staff Hardship Grants were also awarded to 87 staff with grants totalling some £55,000.

Committed to supporting the care sector, the Foundation was part of the launching of a new cross-sector initiative – Championing Social Care. Hosted by the Foundation, Championing Social Care is playing a pivotal role in celebrating every aspect of social care and those who represent it for years to come. The growth in reach and impact of the #sparkleforsocialcare social media campaign during COVID-19 and the first-ever Care Home Open Week were important achievements for the initiative.

Last Summer, Care Home Open Week, despite ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, sponsored by Virgin Money and Civitas Investment Management, saw 500 care homes and other settings participating in opening their doors to the public. High-profile visits included Shadow Mental Health Minister, Dr Rosena Allin-Khan MP, meeting the team at the award-winning Oakleaf Group in Hartwell and spending time with residents of the neuro-rehabilitation centre. In another notable visit, Sir Ed Davey MP, leader of the Liberal Democrats, visited Cambian’s Hill House School in Hampshire and was given a demonstration by CareTech PLC’s assistive technology subsidiary, Smartbox.