Jane Davies Award Winner 2025
Director of Engagement and Change Clare Morrison, Jane Davies Award 2025 winner Ayisha Azam and Shaun Maher, Strategic Advisor for Person Centred Care and Improvement, Healthcare Quality and Improvement Division, Scottish Government.
This year’s winner of our Jane Davies Award has been revealed.
The award is presented through ‘What matters to you?’, part of our Community Engagement and Transformational Change directorate. Jane, who worked in Community Engagement, was a founding member of the What matters to You? network in Scotland. She passed away on 28 August 2022. The award is given each year in her memory.
This year’s winner is Ayisha Azam, Senior Improvement Advisor at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. Ayisha leads the Glasgow Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) Family Wellbeing Hub, a citywide resource based in Maryhill. The Hub supports parents and carers of children and young people facing challenges such as mental health issues, neurodiversity, school avoidance and bullying.
Ayisha, who was nominated by nominated by her managers, Health Improvement Lead, Barbara Adzajlic, beat off competition from 70 other nominees to win the award.
She received the award after what began as a peer support group evolved into a comprehensive, person-centred model. Ayisha created a safe, non-judgemental space for families to share experiences. By listening closely, she developed tailored support pathways and built strong partnerships with statutory and third sector services.
“It’s lovely to receive this award. For me, the highest level of achievement was being nominated by my manager, so to win it is just incredible. It’s a real honour to do this job, work with parents carers and families to get them the right support from different services.”
Senior Improvement Advisor at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and this year’s Jane Davies Award winner
Barbara said:
“Ayisha’s work has bridged a critical gap for statutory services like CAMHS and the Glasgow Youth Health Service. Although these services aim to support the wider family, system pressures make this difficult. Thanks to Ayisha’s pathways, they are integrating family support into their practice, allocating time to explore family needs and making early referrals to the Hub.”
Ayisha said:
“It’s lovely to receive this award. For me, the highest level of achievement was being nominated by my manager, so to win it is just incredible. It’s a real honour to do this job, work with parents carers and families to get them the right support from different services.”
Director of Engagement and Change, Clare Morrison, added:
“Very many congratulations to Ayisha for all of her work. She is making a huge difference to the lives of so many people, and it’s fantastic to see that. She’s a very worthy winner of the 2025 Jane Davies Award.”
There were two runners-up this year.
Motherwell Health Centre District Nursing teamwere recognised for their outstanding person-centred approach to an individual’s end-of-life care. Their support honoured the full identity of the individual, not just as a patient, but as, for example, a father, grandfather, footballer, gardener, and music lover. A family member described the experience as one of “care, compassion and laughter in our darkest days,” crediting the team with helping preserve joy, dignity and connection at the end of life.
Also acknowledged was Elaine Beswick, Senior Care Co-ordinator, Complex Care West, Dumfries and Galloway HSCP. She supported an individual with severe learning disabilities as they faced the loss of their mother. Elaine tailored bereavement support using pictorial social stories, an approach rarely used approach with adults, to enable meaningful understanding and choice at every stage. Despite logistical and emotional challenges, Elaine ensured continuity in what mattered most to the individual, their voluntary work at a local horse sanctuary. Her line manager described Elaine as a tireless advocate, prioritising the individual’s voice amid resourcing pressures and family tensions.