Our Board members

Chair of the Board, Mick Giannasi retired from the police service in April 2011, after a distinguished career spanning 31 years. He was awarded the Queen's Police Medal for his contribution to policing in 2011. Following his retirement from the Police Service in 2011, Mick was appointed by Welsh Government to act as a Commissioner for the Isles of Anglesey County Council. From September 2013 until April 2018, Mick was the Chair of Board of the Welsh Ambulance Service (NHS) Trust. He was made a Commander of the British Empire in 2018 in recognition of his contribution to the National Health Service in Wales.

Aaron is the TEC Cymru Telecare Programme’s National Programme Manager. Before this, Aaron worked for Cardiff Council's telecare service, where he facilitated the provision of adult social alarms to citizens, helping them prolong their independence at home.

Aaron previously chaired the Assistive Technology Learning Improvement Network for Wales and is currently a member of the Quality Improvement Board for the Telecare Services Association.

As a fervent advocate for technology-enabled care, Aaron proudly champions its potential to enhance safety for people who need additional support, so they can keep their autonomy in their living environment.

Abigail has worked for over twenty years in senior leadership roles in the NHS, local government and the Welsh Government. This includes four years as the statutory director of social services in Bridgend and six years as the Chief Executive of the Vale of Glamorgan Local Health Board. Abigail has held numerous roles that have involved accelerating the integration of services across health and social care, and has a masters degree in Integrated Care.

Abyd is a Reader in Social Work at Cardiff University, where he’s worked for 20 years. Before this, Abyd worked in children’s social care and in mental health, and in social work in intake and assessment and family centres. He coordinated training in childcare and child protection, management development, and was an independent social worker for more than 25 years.

Abyd set up the first family group conferencing projects in south Wales and chaired child protection conferences across local authorities before moving to teach qualifying social work at Cardiff University.

Abyd is a BASW Cymru committee member, a trustee with Tros Gynnal Plant and is on the Race Alliance Wales steering group. Most recently, he sat on the Government Expert Panel looking at the National Care Service and is part of the Anti-racist Wales working group.

Abyd has research interests in family group conferencing and anti-racism, and recently co-edited Social Work in Wales, which was published in June 2023. Abyd is an ‘east African Ismaili’ Muslim, a runner and a fan of photography, football and world music.

Carl has spent most of his working life in the Voluntary Sector in Wales.

A native of Wigan, he has worked and lived in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Gwynedd and Powys for over 40 years. He worked for the Church in Wales for 25 years and has held positions of senior management and leadership since 1999. He is a fluent Welsh speaker.

From 2008 to 2022 Carl was Chief Executive of Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations (PAVO). He is currently chair of Powys Teaching Health Board and a board member of Social Care Wales.

He holds degrees in French and Theology, a Master of Philosophy degree for research into the sociology of language in bilingual Wales; and carried out doctoral research into Regional Partnership Boards.

Einir qualified as a social worker 24 years ago. Since then, she’s worked in different roles across children and adults’ services, including in leadership and management.

She has been a registered manager and a Responsible Individual, and has experience of developing, setting up and managing regulated services. Einir has also been involved in shaping regional and national adoption services.

Einir is currently a manager in Conwy’s lifespan Integrated Disability Service, supporting the provision of care and support to adults with disabilities and their families.

In her various leadership roles, Einir has had the opportunity to develop new services and re-design existing services to meet the needs of people in their communities.

She recently worked on the development of Conwy’s new residential respite service and on an innovative ‘lifespan’ service for cared for children who have disabilities.

Einir is an adoptive parent, which has given her an insight into receiving care and support. She's also a fluent Welsh speaker.

Emma is a qualified independent social worker who works within the fields of fostering and adoption. She also supports adult survivors of child sexual abuse and tutoring young people within a voluntary sector agency. In addition to her professional experience, Emma has personal experiences of being a social care service user.

Grace Quantock is a board member across social care and health. She sits on the boards of Social Care Wales, Digital Health and Care Wales and Wye Valley NHS Trust. She is a researcher and counsellor in private practice with an MA in psychotherapy and digital delivery. Grace has undertaken two research fellowships into digital service delivery and undertaken research with BBC and Cardiff University on trauma-informed data delivery. She contributed to the Holmes Review into inclusion in public life in 2019 and is the recipient of a Fairwood Future Young Leader of Wales award.

Helen Mary Jones has 40 years’ experience of work in public service, including as a Member of the Senedd, where she chaired the Children and Young People’s Committee and the Culture Committee. She Chaired Cross-Party Groups on Children and Young People, Looked After Children, and Human Rights. She served as Shadow Minister for Health and Social Services and Shadow Minister for the Economy.

Outside politics she has held significant roles, including chief executive of a national youth work charity and Deputy Director of the Equal Opportunities Commission. She was appointed to the Ministerial Intervention Board sent into Pembrokeshire County Council following a series of safeguarding failings. She has presented on public policy at Harvard, Huston, and Austin Universities. In September 2021 she was elected to the Board of Children in Wales, the umbrella body for children’s organisations. She current works as a policy and public affairs consultant.

Joanne is a pharmacist who has lived in north Wales for the last 20 years. As a community pharmacist she has taken a leading role in supporting the health and wellbeing of the population locally. She has been actively involved with the tertiary sector and particularly carers’ organisations and is a Dementia Friend champion.

Kieran has almost 15 years’ leadership experience in a range of charities providing care and support in Wales and across the UK. He is currently Chief Executive of Mind Cwm Taf Morgannwg.

Before that he provided policy development support to Welsh Government Ministers, led marketing and commercial activities in the sports sector and supported a wide range of companies with public relations and public affairs.

Mark was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at the age of 11 months, which gradually spread throughout his body. By the age of eight, he needed full-time care, which was provided by his family, and at the age of 10, he was confined to an electric wheelchair. After his father passed away in 2008, Mark began receiving full-time care from an outside agency.

Since 2011, Mark has attended New Horizons day centre, the only day centre in Wales for the physically disabled. At New Horizons, Mark has had a prominent role in three successful projects, and he currently sits on a newly-formed client panel, which is responsible for representing the needs and wishes of clients in meetings with the day centre management and the local authority.

In 2023, Mark was part of the ‘Experts by experience’ panel at our Celebrating social work conferences. He’s looking forward to, and hopes to, bring a different perspective to our Board and influence positive change for the benefit of the wider national community.

Sarah, who’s ethnic origin is from Pakistan, has lived in Conwy for 20 years. Sarah has Bachelor’s degree in Medical Science, and a Master’s degree focused in Public Health from the University of Manchester, and she has recently completed a Higher National Diploma in Health Leadership and Management.

Sarah is the Responsible Individual and registered manager of a nursing home in Conwy, and has direct experience providing and managing regulated services, making sure each person lives a life that’s important to them.

Sarah takes a leading role in supporting the well-being of the elderly community in Conwy and is passionate about improving partnerships, commissioning best practice and providing a high standard of person-centred care. Her non-work interests include travel, fitness and construction.

Simon has had a long career in the public sector, most recently as Director of Social Services for Monmouthshire. In addition to front line roles as a teacher and social worker, he’s spent many years working to build integrated social care and health services which put the individual at the centre. He’s a member of the National Independent Safeguarding Board and sees the protection of children and adults at risk as central to the improvement and regulatory work of the Social Care Wales Board.

Trystan Pritchard has experience across the public and third sectors in Wales. Currently Chief Executive of St David’s Hospice in Llandudno, he has previously held senior roles in the NHS and Local Government. His areas of expertise include public engagement and strategic management.

Trystan spent several years as Head of Communications for a Health Board with responsibility for strategic communications, stakeholder engagement and online services. A qualified journalist, Trystan has served as Chairman of the Citizen’s Advice Wales Committee. A fluent Welsh speaker, his interests include mountaineering, Welsh rugby and spending time with his young family.