We are delighted to announce that our Chief Executive Officer, Oonagh Smyth, has been awarded a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) For services to Adult Social Care in the King’s New Year Honours List 2026.
Oonagh has been Skills for Care’s CEO since 2020 and, before joining us, held roles at organisations including Mencap, the National Council for Voluntary Organisations and the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.
John Coughlan, Chair of Skills for Care Board of Trustees, said:
“This is fantastic news and on behalf of the Board and the wider organisation I want to congratulate Oonagh on an award which she so richly deserves. First and foremost, I am delighted for her and her family, but I am also pleased for Skills for Care and the wider social care sector as this recognition reflects on all concerned.
“Oonagh leads this organisation with great skill, passion and compassion, and these are qualities which she brings to the world of social care. We are all so pleased.”
Oonagh Smyth said, "I am deeply humbled and profoundly grateful for this recognition.
"I see this honour as being a recognition of the incredible work by the team at Skills for Care and across adult social care. Every day, dedicated people come together with a shared purpose: to make life better for those who draw on care and support. That collective commitment is what drives real change, and I am proud to play a part in supporting that.
"We are entrusted with the immense privilege of helping people live their lives fully, in all of our communities, and this award is a call to action—to ensure that adult social care, and the people we support and the people who work in adult social care, receive the respect, visibility, and resources they deserve.”