All over Scotland, people working in frontline services across homelessness and related sectors go all out to make the difference for people they support.  At this year’s homelessness conference, the Heart of Support Awards will again honour and highlight great work being done by people every day in voluntary and public sector roles.  

Across the 2-day event in Perth we will platform a diverse range of colleagues who shine – representing a key workforce who make a difference to people’s lives.  Now in its third year, the frontline awards are a real highlight of the conference. High quality short films about the six recipients were shown in the impressive main auditorium, and there was an award-giving event at the conference dinner.  It was a powerfully emotional and uplifting element of the programme across both days that really got to the heart of what great support looks like. Our delegates loved it.  

This year we are expanding the scope of the awards. We will be celebrating colleagues who work in pioneering, collaborative ways not only in the housing and homelessness sector, but beyond – in social care, justice, mental health and other services.  This recognises that preventing homelessness and supporting people to thrive happens in many different settings – a key theme of this year’s event.  

 

Why nominate?  

This is an opportunity to platform and celebrate anyone you know who goes above and beyond for others – in roles across sectors, including caseworkers, advisors, support workers, housing officers, social workers, coaches, counsellors and more. 

The nominees will have the chance to tell delegates about their work – the successes, the challenges, why they do what they do. This will be captured in a short film coproduced with recipients to be presented at the conference. 

 

About the conference 

This year’s conference is titled ‘Raising the Level: from Hard Edges to Whole Lives’. 

The focus is on transforming support for people facing severe and multiple disadvantage – by moving away from fragmented service delivery that delivers trauma, poor outcomes and poor value for money, to a system that is joined-up across sectors and matches the complexity of people’s real life needs. 

 

Here’s how to nominate  

Tell us in around 150 words how your nominee’s way of working makes the difference. It could be about their persistence, methods, the relationships they build, challenging how things are done, innovating – it doesn’t have to be perfect. 

The conference will take place on the 6 – 7  October 2026 at Perth Concert Hall. Please do make sure that your colleague agrees to being nominated, can meet with us ahead to create a video and is available to be celebrated at the conference in Perth. Last year’s films also featured contributions from nominators and people being supported. 

 

Deadline for nominations! 

For your important entry to be considered, please be sure to send it to us by 29 June, 2026. Just click the button for the short nomination form. 

These awards are dedicated to our cherished friend and colleague, Viki Fox, where we celebrate her impact through today’s outstanding frontline colleagues. Proudly supported by Homeless Network Scotland: with courage and compassion, Viki uplifted Scotland’s homelessness sector to be ‘All in For Change’. Her profound legacy continues to inspire and uplift us. And St Martin in the Fields Charity: as a Trustee for over 5 years, Viki was a passionate advocate for frontline workers and sharing and acting on lived experience.