Here are the 2024 IRMS Award Winners!

Each year, the IRMS recognises excellence, innovation, and dedication to the sector of information management with our prestigious Industry Awards. The awards were presented on Monday 13th May 2024 at a Gala Dinner, held during the annual IRMS Conference in Brighton. Below is the winner for each category and a little summary of who they are and why they won.

Professional of the Year: Sophie Moss

We happen to believe that the professionals in the Information and Records Management profession are some of the best in the world. But we can't give everyone an award. Therefore, we look for examples of people who not only excel in their own career but also help others to excel in theirs too. 

Sophie Moss, Deputy Records Manager at the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), is an inspirational leader who this year led the implementation of a large M365 SharePoint project that included migration from a legacy system. Sophie engaged with all teams at the IOPC, winning an internal development award for this significant body of work.

Team of the Year: Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Public Inquiries KIM Support Unit

Where there are fantastic professionals out there, there are some fantastic teams made up of some fantastic professionals too! Each team has people of varying experience and skill sets, all doing things to advance their own organisation and, potentially, support others too. Therefore, each year we look for that team that really is an example of team power.

The Public Inquiries KIM Support Unit in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities was recognised for its work in providing a comprehensive information management service in support of the demands of public inquiries, including Grenfell Tower, COVID-19 and the Manchester Arena.

Supplier of the Year: Act Now Training Ltd

You would expect suppliers of Information and Records Management services to go above and beyond for their clients and customers. However, what about those ones that create something special? Something that means you grow from their services in more ways than you thought you would. You learn more from them than you thought you would. You experience more from them than you thought you would. Those suppliers are truly special. And we think they should be celebrated and encouraged.

Over the last year, Act Now Training Ltd has provided invaluable support to many people and organisations, often going above and beyond the service and standards expected, demonstrating commitment, enthusiasm and professionalism.

Innovation of the Year: the Records Management team at The Pensions Regulator

Information and Records Management, as a practice, faces many challenges. Not only in how it works practically, but also how it can keep up with how the world and ways of working are changing. From innovative technical solutions, through to innovative ways to grab attention and raise awareness of 'soft skills', it all helps 'the cause' and develops the profession.

The innovative approach taken by the Records Management team at the Pensions Regulator is an exceptional piece of work in implementing an information and records management framework, ensuring the effective management and protection of its valuable information assets. 

Alison North New Professionals Award: Joseph Hettrick

The Alison North New Professionals Award recognises those who are new to our profession. You can read Joseph's winning submission, '"All history was a palimpsest": Winston Smith as records manager in Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four', in the July edition of the IRMS Bulletin.

Lifetime Achievement Award: David Smith

To be awarded a lifetime achievement award from the IRMS we are looking for someone who is a credit to the profession or their organisation. Someone who, over the course of their career (no matter how long), has improved their organisation, improved the practice or maybe improved the profession. And if you've done all three then you are a Lifetime superstar.

In a career spanning more than four decades, David Smith has supported, developed and championed both the people and the work of the knowledge and information management profession. He is seen within the Information and Records Management profession as a leader, innovator and respected authoritative part of our profession.

He is a keen supporter of training new professionals and raising standards across the profession. He doesn't just get on with the job of supporting and promoting training, he goes beyond this by actively getting involved in the development of those standards. He has played a key role supporting and working with the IRMS and others to develop or advance schemes like Accreditation, and taken a proactive role in promoting them widely. He has also led the development of a secure channel for the Accreditation of IM professionals working in secure areas that normally would not be able to access accreditation due to security requirements.

He has been recognised a number of times by the Society for his work, achieved one of our highest honours, a Fellowship, and received a ‘special recognition’ award for their work to support the profession during the COVID-19 pandemic. While every profession faced challenges during the pandemic, he went above and beyond to ensure the profession carried on its duties and rallied behind some of the COVID-19 frameworks to ensure that Knowledge and Information Management was not a blocker but instead an enabler across Government.

His contribution to the profession and the Society is immeasurable and has affected a great number of people during his career. On the eve of his retirement, the IRMS celebrated David Smith as a champion of Records and Information Management with its Lifetime Achievement Award.

Special Recognition Award: Paul Gibbons

Periodically the Society makes a special award to those who have made a significant contribution to the profession in the previous year. Paul Gibbons is an industry-renowned FOI practitioner. He has presented at IRMS and NADPO events many times, has written on FOI and is widely seen as an authority on FOI practice and legislation. His website FOIman.com has been an invaluable tool to FOI practitioners. He is retiring as FOIman this year as he has taken a different role and the IRMS has agreed to retain his content going forward, so it can be available for future generations of FOI practitioners. We wanted to reward Paul for his outstanding contributions over the years and give thanks on behalf of the profession with our Special Recognition Award.

Fellowship

Fellowship of the IRMS is the senior degree of individual professional membership. It is awarded to those members of ten or more years' standing who have, in the opinion of their peers, attained appropriate eminence, authority or seniority. Non-members of the Society deemed worthy can be awarded honorary fellowships. We therefore welcomed the below entrants into the IRMS College of Fellows for 2024:

• Tania Palmariellodiviney
• Roger Smelhurst (not pictured)

Full list of IRMS 2024 Award Winners:

• Alison North Award for New Professionals: Joseph Hettrick
• Innovation of the Year Award: The Records Management team at The Pensions Regulator 
• The IRMS Special Recognition Award: Paul Gibbons
• Team of the Year Award: Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Public Inquiries KIM Support Unit
• IRMS Supplier of the Year: Act Now Ltd Training
• Entrants into the IRMS College of Fellows for 2024: Tonia Palmariellodiviney and Roger Smethurst
• Professional of the Year Award: Sophie Moss
• IRMS Lifetime Achievement Award: David Smith 

All our winners join a proud history of previous award winners so we say congratulations to them all!

If you have any queries about the IRMS Awards, please get in touch with the Awards team via awards@irms.org.uk.