1. Introduction and purpose of the competition
Digital technology is now part of everyday care. From digital care records and remote monitoring to communication tools, apps, assistive technology and online services, digital tools can help people receive more joined-up, personalised and responsive support. But the most powerful stories are often the human ones: a member of staff using technology with confidence, a person drawing on digital support to stay connected, or a care team finding practical ways to make technology work in real life.
The Digital Care Hub Photography Competition invites people working in, using or supporting adult social care to submit photographs that show digital care in action. The aim is to celebrate good practice, challenge assumptions about technology in care, and build a library of real-world images that help communicate the value of digital transformation across the sector.
2. Competition organiser
The competition is organised by Digital Care Hub CIC. References to “Digital Care Hub”, “we”, “us” and “our” in these terms and conditions mean Digital Care Hub and any staff or representatives acting on its behalf for the purposes of running and promoting the competition.
3. Eligibility
- The competition is open to people and organisations involved in adult social care, including people who draw on care and support and use technology, unpaid family carers, care workers, care teams and care providers.
- Technology suppliers cannot enter the competition directly, but they may make their care provider clients aware of the competition and encourage them to submit entries.
- Entrants must be aged 18 or over.
- Employees, contractors or representatives of Digital Care Hub cannot enter the competition.
- By entering the competition, entrants confirm that they have read, understood and agreed to these terms and conditions.
- People can submit more than one photograph, as long as each photograph meets these terms and has the right permissions and consent in place.
4. How to enter
- Entries must be submitted using the online entry form by 5pm on Friday 4 September 2026.
- Entrants must provide their name, organisation if relevant, contact details, a caption for the photograph, and any consent confirmations requested by Digital Care Hub.
- Entrants must upload the highest quality image they can, along with completed consent forms where required.
- Late, incomplete, corrupted or inaccessible entries may not be accepted.
5. Timetable
Competition closes at 5pm on Friday 4 September 2026. Shortlisted entrants will be contacted after judging. Winning and shortlisted photographs may be displayed at Digital Care Summit London on 23 September 2026 and shared through Digital Care Hub communications. Prizes will be arranged after winners have been confirmed.
6. What photographs should show
Photographs should illustrate digital care in practice. This could include care teams using digital care records, people being supported to use digital tools, technology helping people stay connected, digital inclusion in care settings, assistive technology, remote care, or collaborative working enabled by digital systems. It can also include everyday consumer technology, such as smart speakers, tablets, phones, video calls or apps, where these are being used safely and appropriately to support care, wellbeing, independence or connection.
Images should be respectful, dignified and accurate. They must not misrepresent people, settings or services, show confidential information, include images that involve illegal activity, nudity or product advertising, or include anyone under 18. The competition is not intended to promote a particular brand, product or supplier, so entrants should avoid images that look like marketing material.
- 7. Judging criteria
- Relevance to the theme: how clearly the photograph shows digital care in action and reflects the role of technology or data in adult social care.
- Real-world impact: how well the image shows a practical, meaningful difference for people drawing on care and support, unpaid carers, care workers, teams or services.
- Human story and context: how effectively the photograph and caption together tell a clear and engaging story about care, connection, independence, safety, learning or wellbeing.
- Dignity, respect and consent: whether the image presents people and care settings in a respectful, ethical and inclusive way, with appropriate consent and no confidential or sensitive information visible.
- Authenticity: whether the image feels genuine and rooted in everyday care, rather than staged, tokenistic or promotional.
- Originality and creativity: how fresh, engaging or thought-provoking the image is, including whether it challenges assumptions about digital care.
- Image quality and clarity: whether the photograph is clear, well-composed and suitable for use in Digital Care Hub communications, online channels or exhibition materials.
8. Judges
Judges will include Digital Care Hub colleagues, representatives from Care Management Matters (CMM), and the competition sponsor, to be confirmed. Judges will assess eligible entries against the published judging criteria.
9. Legal basis for the competition
The competition is run as a free photography competition designed to promote and celebrate digital care in practice. No purchase is necessary to enter. Winners will be selected by judging against published criteria rather than by chance. Digital Care Hub does not intend the competition to operate as a lottery, paid prize draw or gambling activity.
By submitting an entry, entrants enter into an agreement with Digital Care Hub under these terms and conditions. This agreement allows Digital Care Hub to administer the competition, assess entries, contact entrants, announce winners, award any prizes, and use submitted images in the ways described in these terms.
10. Copyright and permission to use images
Entrants retain copyright in their photographs. However, by entering the competition, each entrant grants Digital Care Hub a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide licence to use, reproduce, publish, display, crop, resize, edit for formatting, caption and share submitted images for purposes connected with the competition and Digital Care Hub’s wider work to promote digital care in practice.
This permission includes use on Digital Care Hub’s website, social media channels, newsletters, email communications, presentations, reports, event materials, learning resources, media promotion for the event, and other promotional or educational channels. Digital Care Hub will aim to credit the photographer where practical but cannot guarantee that a credit will be possible in every format.
Digital Care Hub will not sell submitted photographs to third parties. If a third party asks to use an image independently, Digital Care Hub will either decline the request or seek further permission from the entrant where appropriate.
11. Entrant confirmations and consent
By submitting a photograph, each entrant confirms that:
- the photograph is their own original work, or they have the photographer’s permission to submit it;
- they have the right to grant Digital Care Hub the licence described in these terms;
- the photograph does not infringe copyright, privacy rights, data protection rights, confidentiality obligations or any other rights of another person or organisation;
- any identifiable people shown in the photograph have given appropriate consent for the image to be submitted and used by Digital Care Hub in the ways described in these terms;
- the photograph was taken lawfully and ethically, with appropriate permission from any care provider, workplace, setting, property owner or relevant organisation;
- the photograph does not contain confidential, misleading, defamatory, offensive, discriminatory, unsafe or inappropriate content.
12. Consent for identifiable people
If a photograph shows any identifiable person, the entrant must obtain that person’s informed consent before submitting the image. Consent should cover both entry into the competition and Digital Care Hub’s possible use of the image across its channels. Consent should be freely given, specific, informed and recorded.
Digital Care Hub takes consent seriously. Do not submit a photograph if anyone who can be recognised has not agreed to the image being entered and used in the ways described. If you are unsure, contact [email protected] before submitting your entry.
People shown in photographs should understand what the image will be used for, where it may appear, that it may be shared online, and that online publication can make images difficult to fully remove once shared. Entrants must submit the completed Digital Care Hub image consent form where required and should keep a copy for their own records.
Do not submit a photograph if anyone who can be recognised lacks capacity to give informed consent, or if their capacity to consent is unclear. Digital Care Hub may reject images where it is not satisfied that consent and safeguarding considerations have been properly addressed.
Photographs of children or young people under 18 should not be submitted.
13. GDPR and data protection
Digital Care Hub will use personal information collected through the competition in line with UK data protection law, including the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018. This may include entrants’ names, contact details, organisation details, photographs, captions, consent information and anything else provided as part of the entry.
Digital Care Hub will use this information to administer the competition, assess entries, contact entrants, verify permissions, announce winners, publish selected images, promote the competition, and support Digital Care Hub’s communications about digital care in practice.
14. Withdrawal of consent and removal requests
If an entrant or a person shown in a photograph asks for an image to be removed, Digital Care Hub will consider the request promptly and take reasonable steps to remove the image from channels under its control where appropriate. Digital Care Hub may not be able to remove images that have already been printed, downloaded, shared by third parties, cached, archived or circulated beyond its control.
15. Judging and prizes
Entries will be judged against the criteria set out in this document.
Prizes will include a half-day professional photo shoot, six 10×8 prints and a print of the winning entry for the first prize winner, £150 in photography-related vouchers and a print of the entry for the second prize winner, and £75 in photography-related vouchers and a print of the entry for the third prize winner. Winning and shortlisted photographs may also be printed and displayed as part of the exhibition at Digital Care Summit London.
Prizes are non-transferable and no cash alternative will be offered unless Digital Care Hub decides otherwise.
16. Right to reject or remove entries
Digital Care Hub may reject, remove or disqualify any entry if it believes the entry breaches these terms and conditions, raises safeguarding or consent concerns, includes confidential or sensitive information, infringes rights, is inappropriate, or could damage the dignity, privacy or wellbeing of any person shown.
17. Liability
Entrants are responsible for ensuring that their entries comply with these terms and conditions. Entrants agree to reimburse Digital Care Hub for any reasonable losses, claims, costs or expenses arising from a breach of these terms, including failure to obtain appropriate permissions or consent.
Digital Care Hub will not be responsible for entries that are lost, delayed, corrupted, misdirected or not received for reasons outside its reasonable control. Nothing in these terms limits or excludes liability where it would be unlawful to do so.
18. Changes to the competition
Digital Care Hub may amend, suspend, extend or cancel the competition if necessary due to circumstances outside its reasonable control, operational requirements, legal concerns, safeguarding concerns or insufficient eligible entries.
19. Governing law
These terms and conditions are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes will be subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
20. Data privacy and winners’ information
We must either publish or make available information that indicates that a valid award took place. Ordinarily this may include limited information about major prize winners. If you object to your information being published or made available on request, or wish to reduce the amount of information to be published or made available, please email [email protected]. In such circumstances, we may still need to provide information and the winning entry to the Advertising Standards Authority if challenged.
By entering the competition, you agree that the photographer’s name and caption, as submitted in your form, can be used alongside the photograph.
Your privacy is important to us. We will process your personal data to manage your participation in the competition. Please read our Privacy Policy for more information.
