SD Care Named Finalist for Digital & Technology Innovation at the Surrey Care Awards 2026
Digital & Technology Innovation
Surrey Care Awards 2026 Finalist
We are thrilled to announce that SD Care Agency has been named a finalist in the Digital & Technology Innovation category at the Surrey Care Awards 2026. The nomination recognises the systems our team has designed and built to make care safer, more transparent and more responsive for the people we support, their families and our carers.
Digital & Technology Innovation
Most award categories are split by type of service. Digital & Technology Innovation is different. It is one of only two organisational awards where every kind of provider in Surrey competes in the same field: large care home groups, nursing homes, supported living services and home care agencies alike.
Reaching the final means the judges saw our work as among the most forward-thinking uses of technology in Surrey social care this year. For a home care agency, standing alongside much larger organisations in this category is a recognition we are especially proud of.
Meet our finalists
The nomination recognises the two members of our team who have led the design and delivery of our digital systems:
Rijul Gupta
Digital & Technology Innovation
Rijul’s forward-thinking approach and technical expertise have been central to building the digital foundations SD Care runs on today.
Varun Thallapelly
Digital & Technology Innovation
Varun’s technical skill and reliability have played a key role in turning everyday challenges into practical, working systems.
Rijul and Varun with SD Care General Manager Georgiana Raduica
What are the Surrey Care Awards?
The Surrey Care Awards are run by the Surrey Care Association, the independent body that has represented and supported adult social care providers across Surrey since 2005. Each year the awards bring together care homes, nursing homes, home care agencies and supported living services from across the county to recognise the people and organisations setting the standard for care.
Entries are reviewed by an independent judging panel, and only the strongest nominations in each category progress to the final. This year the judges noted both the high standard and the high number of nominations received across every category.
The 2026 awards run under the theme “Compassion in Action”, celebrating the individuals, teams and organisations whose work makes a real difference to people’s lives every day. The 13 categories are split into two groups:
Individuals & Teams
Organisations
The technology behind the nomination
Over the past few years we have moved every part of SD Care onto digital systems, and where off-the-shelf tools could not do what we needed, we built our own. The aim has always been simple: free up time for care, give families real visibility, and catch problems before they become serious.
In-house payroll engine
Our custom payroll system handles variable hours, weekend and bank holiday rates, mileage and sleep-ins, and flags any deviations automatically. Work that once took our office team up to two days now finishes in under ten seconds.
Live Power BI reporting
One real-time dashboard brings together care, HR and finance data so managers can track punctuality, visit completion, training compliance and client satisfaction.
Field Supervision Reports
A structured digital framework for spot checks that captures care quality, communication and care plan adherence, creating a permanent audit trail.
Hiring tracker
Our own applicant tracking system manages every stage of recruitment, from application through DBS checks to induction, with automatic status updates.
Workflow automation
Automations across HR, compliance and onboarding schedule inductions, send DBS renewal reminders and route enquiries to the right regional manager.
GPS-verified visits
Every visit is GPS-stamped with real-time medication records and care notes, so families can see exactly when carers arrive and how their loved one is doing.
Predictive models
We are developing models to spot early signs of deterioration in visit notes, improve carer and client matching, and plan rotas that protect continuity of care.
Alongside our in-house tools, we work with trusted sector platforms including Birdie, Nourish Care, BrightHR, QCS, Egress and Monday.com. Importantly, technology at SD Care supports our people rather than replacing them. Every assessment, care plan and care decision is still made by our qualified team. You can read more on our technology page.
Save the Date
Friday, 6th November 2026
Denbies Wine Estate, Dorking
Drinks reception from 6:30pm, dinner and ceremony hosted by La Voix
Winners will be announced on the night, alongside a special award for the nomination that stands out most to the judges. Whatever the outcome, being named a finalist in this category is a milestone for SD Care and a credit to everyone across our organisation who has embraced new ways of working.
Thank you to the Surrey Care Association for organising the awards, to the judges for their time, and to our carers, office team, clients and families, whose feedback shaped every system we have built.
Wishing Rijul and Varun the very best of luck on the night. See the full list of 2026 finalists.