Share your voice: IRMS New Professionals Award

- entries close 31 January 2026

Dear students, apprentices and new professionals,

What are you up to between now and 31 January 2026? How about sharing your thoughts on anything to do with Information, Data or Records?

If you’ve not come across it, the Alison North New Professionals Award was set up by Alison back in 2010 to support emerging talent in our profession. 2025 marked its 15th year and the award continues to recognise and champion new voices.

Over the last fifteen years, entrants have offered everything from light‑hearted reflections to deeper insights into how we do what we do. Every applicant adds value, winner or not, helping the profession see familiar challenges in new ways.

What’s new for 2026:

We’re making submissions more flexible. Previously, you had to write an 1,000 word article.

This year you can still submit a written piece or you can record one instead (audio or video). As long as your entry covers 1,000 words’ worth of content it’ll be accepted and shared with the panel for consideration.

Why bother?

We know you’re busy studying or finding your feet in new roles. But for a little time and creativity, successful entrants will receive:

• A funded place at the IRMS Conference 2026—a brilliant opportunity for content, networking and professional contacts. (IRMS 2026 is scheduled for 17–19 May at the Celtic Manor Resort, Wales.)
• Publication of your winning entry to our 1,000+ members, and sharing across our partner networks and the wider profession.
• Plus additional support to help you settle into—and thrive in—our fabulous profession.

So, ignore the inner imposter that says you’ve nothing to say. Set aside some time over Christmas and the New Year, and share your ideas.

For inspiration, our Patron, Scott Sammons, even interviewed recent winners on his podcast to explore why they applied—and why you should too.

(See https://theiglighthouse.podbean.com/e/special-episode-irms-new-professionals-award-carys-hardy/?token=dd9fdcd3d516c13f4874d8baca1c7b64 )

How to apply:

Deadline: 31 January 2026
Format: Written (1,000 words) or recorded (audio/video) equivalent
Details & submissions: https://irms.org.uk/professional-development/awards/new-professionals-award/

What’s stopping you?

Not a new professional yourself? Please share the application page with people who’d be a great fit and encourage them to apply—every little helps.

Best wishes,

Carys Hardy (She/Her)
Communications & Marketing Officer
Information and Records Management Society Ltd (IRMS)
Email: info AT irms.org.uk 

My source and list archives at: 
https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=RECORDS-MANAGEMENT-UK

On Sociology & Becoming a Patient

'The Subject matter of Sociology
& Becoming a Patient'

A primer for my picking up Hodges' model, or being pressed onboard, was early exposure to history and sociology. There was an understandable emphasis in the (then) school of nursing (registered mental nursing) on the role of society, social history, lunacy and the asylums, law, and attitude towards mental illnesses.

Continuing to sort books (inc. secondhand) and papers, there is:

Maclean, Una. (1974) Nursing in contemporary society. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.

https://wellcomecollection.org/works/qhqc24fv

individual

|

INTERPERSONAL : SCIENCES

humanistic -------------------------------------------  mechanistic

SOCIOLOGY : POLITICAL

|

group-population

'The sociological viewpoint can be taken on many different subjects. Thus, political sociology has to do with people's voting behaviour and their reactions to the processes of government, while the sociology of education takes into account the influence of various social factors upon educational opportunities and achievements. In addition, social psychology, social psychiatry and social medicine are all related to medical sociology. These terms all imply the use of sociological methods and insights in different areas of human behaviour, and the divisions between them are a convenient way of dealing with what is a very wide territory. Such divisions may suggest that events and things in the real world are already separated in themselves, whereas the divisions are actually in the minds of the people who make them. It is easier to regard sociology generally as being the study of people's behaviour in groups, groups of all kinds, large and small, casual or permanent, groups of which people are very conscious as well as those of which they may scarcely be aware. Thus, much of sociology is concerned with the human family, a group whose form and composition varies from one part of the world to another and from one set of people to another but which does have common features and functions wherever it is studied. The family will be referred to repeatedly in this book, since not only does it affect all our lives but it profoundly influences the way in which people react in relation to illness.' pp.8-9.

Maclean pointed to the 'innumerable other human groupings' (p.9) and how these - family, schools, clubs, professional training, friendships, audiences, tourist crowds, customers, villager, hostel dweller; such groupings, some historic, temporary or transient - also differentiate into populations, that inform epidemiological and demographic studies. 

It is remarkable how societies have changed globally, since Maclean's 1974 text.

As if to presage the one-to-one encounters to follow, chapter 2 'Becoming a patient' after a brief history 'sickness' arrives at the work of the American sociologist Talcott Parsons.

I don't have the date but I remember making a note the four combined conditions at work for an individual to adopt the sick role. What stood out was how something we think is individually determined is social and so often a question of permission.

Maclean's text (with my emphasis) on these factors follows; and is then mapped to the domains of Hodges' model:

'In the first place, the illness must be outside the patient's control, in no sense his own fault. Second, the sick role will allow him exemption from his other roles. with their associated obligations and duties. For example, a man can legitimately give up work and leave his usual family 'responsibilities to his wife. But, third, the sick role requires that the patient should positively desire to get well, he should not relish the relinquishment of responsibility and, fourth, he has the obligation to seek competent medical help.' p.25.

individual

|

INTERPERSONAL : SCIENCES

humanistic -------------------------------------------  mechanistic

SOCIOLOGY : POLITICAL

|

group-population

the sick role requires that the patient should positively desire to get well	the illness must be outside the patient's control, in no sense his own fault.
the sick role will allow him exemption from his other roles. with their associated obligations and duties	he has the obligation to seek competent medical help

Again as an exercise you might care to reflect on this and our experiences since the millennium?

What is most remarkable is the need to view this as a 'future lesson' in terms of how societies must, will change to meet the challenges of tomorrow, and the day after that ...

RA of Eng - Healthcare challenges needing engineering expertise

individual

|

INTERPERSONAL : SCIENCES

humanistic ----------------------------------------------- mechanistic

SOCIOLOGY : POLITICAL

|

group - population

The Royal Academy of Engineering is keen to help identify potential solutions and facilitate useful contacts across its national and international engineering networks that could help our governments address problems and assist the public health response. We would like to hear from frontline medics and policymakers who are encountering critical issues, so that we can convene expert teams of engineers to help solve these problems.