2026 Shortlisted Nominee
Lifetime Achiever Award
Dr James Punch is a highly respected health and social care professional with over 35 years’ experience, progressing from child volunteer to PBS specialist, care leader and trainer. Living with Parkinson’s disease and neurological differences, he remains relentlessly committed to improving lives through innovative, person‑centred practice. James has transformed services through restraint reduction, safeguarding improvements and high‑quality PBS training, while creating extraordinary life‑changing experiences for disabled individuals, from international dream trips to inclusive community programmes. Holding an MA and PhD focused on autism practice and PBS leadership, he is a compassionate mentor, disability advocate and sector role model whose impact is both profound and enduring.