Award Winning
We are award winning
We are proud to have received acknowledgement and accolades from our peers over the years, for winning or being shortlisted in many regional and national awards.
Clinical Dentistry Awards 2024
Community Dental Services CIC (CDS)’s Oral Health Improvement Team have been recognised in another national award, winning the Local Oral Health Initiative in the 2024 Clinical Dentistry Awards.
The award-winning initiative is a programme in Essex schools where young peer-to-peer oral health champions are recruited and trained to encourage oral health among their young peers. The bespoke training programme promotes good oral health in primary schools and gives pupils direct responsibility for managing their own health. Using a new and innovative peer-led approach, pupils in years 3-6 are trained by CDS’s OHI team to be Oral Health Champions. The young Champions deliver training sessions within the classroom or during assembly, offer support and empower their peers to improve and take ownership of their own oral health.
Data gathered has shown 100% of children participating understand the benefits of brushing twice a day and the key oral health message of ‘spit don’t rinse’.
Congratulations to our teams!
2026 The Dental Awards – Winners
2026 Norfolk & Suffolk Health and Care Awards - Highly Commended
2026 Dental Nurse of the Year - Highly Commended
Past Awards
Norfolk & Suffolk Health and Care Awards
2026 – Treatment to Prevention – Highly Commended
Social Enterprise UK Awards
2017 – Health & Social Care Social Enterprise of the Year – Winner
2018 – Employee Owned Social Enterprise of the Year – Winner
2021 – Health & Social Care Social Enterprise of the Year – Winner
2021 – Social Enterprise of the Year – Finalist
2023 – Social Enterprise of the Year – Finalist
2024 – Public Services Social Enterprise of the Year – Finalist
2026 – UK Social Enterprise of the Year – Finalist (pending)
2026 – Public Services Social Enterprise of the Year – Finalist (pending)
Anglia Ruskin University, Vice Chancellor’s Outstanding Alumni Awards
2024 – Alumni Public Service Award – Helen Paisley – Winner
Employee Ownership Association
2017 – Employee Owned Business of the Year – Winner
2018 – Employee Owned Mutual of the Year – Winner
2021 – EOA Stories Winner: Delivery Good Governance and Engagement – Winner
2023 – Employee Owned Business of the Year – Finalist
Essex Business Awards
2019 – Best Customer Service – Winner
Bedfordshire Business Awards
2017 – Community Business of the Year – Winner
The Dental Awards
2019 – Team of the Year (CDS Essex) – Winner
2022 – Dental Team of the Year (Prisons) – Finalist
2023 – Dentist of the Year – Jane Rodrigues – Shortlisted
2023 – Dental Therapist of the Year – Jyoti Sumel – Winner
2024 – Best Outreach or Charity Initiative – Severe Multiple Disadvantage Project – Finalist
2024 – Team of the Year – Prisons Team – Shortlisted
2024 – National Smile Month Award – Oral Health Improvement Team – Winner
2025 – National Smile Month Award – Oral Health Improvement Team – Highly Commended
2025 – Front of House / Receptionist – Claire Smith – Winner
2025 – Team of the Year – Nottinghamshire GA team – Shortlisted
2025 – Practice Manager of the Year – Nicola Bushell – Winner
2025 – Dentist of the Year – Laura Frost – Shortlisted
2026 – Dental Nurse of the Year – Elizabeth Brumby – Highly Commended
2026 – Best National Smile Month Initiative – Oral Health Improvement Team – Winner
Dental Industry Awards
2022 – Dental Industry Employee of the Year – Monica Matanda, Dental Therapist (CDS Nottinghamshire) – Winner
2022 – Team of the Year, Greater than 25 employees – CDS Lincolnshire – Winner
2024 – Dental Industry Employee of the Year – Nicola Blake, Strategic Mobile Lead – Winner
2024 – Team of the Year, Fewer than 25 employees – Prisons Team – Winner
2025 – Dental Industry Employee of the Year – Jane Walker, Operations Manager (Nottinghamshire) – Highly Commended
Dentistry Awards
2022 – Team of the Year (CDS Bedfordshire) – Finalist
2025 – Team of the Year (CDS Nottinghamshire Special Care Hospital GA Team) – Finalist
Society of British Dental Nurses, Dental Nursing Excellence Awards
2024 – Inspirational Dental Nurse – Laura Saunders – Winner
Clinical Dentistry Awards
2019 – Best Oral Health Team – Highly Commended
2020 – Best Community Initiative – Winner
2020 – Champion of Prevention – Winner
2020 – Best Oral Health Team – Winner
2020 – Best Children’s Care – Highly Commended
2021 – Best Community Initiative – Finalist
2022 – Best Local Oral Health Initiative – Finalist
2023 – Recently-Qualified Therapist – Aylen Dervish – Winner
2023 – Philips Shine-On – Jyoti Sumel – Winner
2024 – Local Oral Health Initiative – Winner
Dentist Times Power List
2026 – CEO of the Year – 21-99 Practices – Helen Paisley – Finalist (pending)
2026 – Clinical Director of the Year – Adrian Thorp – Finalist (pending)