Conference guide: Llandudno

Director of Improvement and Development at Social Care Wales

Sarah joined Social Care Wales in 2016 and holds executive leadership for workforce development, service improvement, research, data and innovation.

Starting her career as a youth worker, Sarah has worked in a variety of statutory and voluntary organisations, supporting children’s participation and inclusion.

She has held positions in local authority policy development and service improvement and prior to her current role worked as Director for the UK partnership of social care workforce organisations.

Sarah is a Welsh language learner.

President of ADSS Cymru   

Alwyn’s worked in social care for over 16 years, following 11 years in health care.  Alwyn feels fortunate to have worked within older people and disability services, and as Head of Adult Services. He has been Director of Social Services in Anglesey and Wrexham.

Chief Social Care Officer for Wales

Albert Heaney was appointed Chief Social Care Officer for Wales in 2021. The role brings national leadership to social care and will amplify the voices of those who are often not heard.  

 Since qualifying as a social worker in 1988, Albert has held practice and senior leadership roles. this has included President of the Association of Directors of Social Services Cymru (ADSS Cymru) and Corporate Director Social Services, leading on children’s and adult services.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Albert covered as Deputy Director General for Health and Social Services. He currently leads a busy Welsh Government directorate delivering legislation and policy including the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act.  

 As Chief of Social Care Officer for Wales, Albert wants to help shape a sector that is always learning and improving to ensure social care services are delivering for the citizens of Wales.

Rhoda has worked in the voluntary and statutory sectors since the 1970s, helping to develop adult and children’s services, health and social care.

She was awarded Welsh Woman of the Year in 2007 for innovative contributions to effective practice and delivery. She was awarded the OBE in 2008 for services to disadvantaged families through influencing models of best practice throughout the UK.

She now works in independently, supporting health and social care organisations throughout the UK in strategic workforce development. Her recent work includes building skills and capacity within public services to empower individuals, families, and communities.

National Telecare Programme Manager for TEC Cymru

Tec Cymru is the national programme for technology enabled care in Wales, sponsored by Welsh Government.

Aaron has held several roles in the telecare sector in Wales, and now plays a key role working with the 22 council-delivered Welsh telecare services.

Aaron works with services to progress national initiatives and give dedicated support to help move services to digital platforms.

Programme Director of the MA in Social Work at Cardiff University

Abyd is a reader in social work at Cardiff University, and is completing a professional doctorate in social work. He previously worked in social care, management development and as a social worker for over 25 years. Abyd set up the first Family Group Conferencing projects in south Wales across local authorities and chaired child protection conferences.

He is a committee member of BASW Cymru, Race Alliance Wales steering group, a trustee with Tros Gynnal Plant and on the Islam UK Management Board. He has research interest in family group conferencing and in anti-racism. Recently he co-edited Social Work in Wales.

Jonathan is the Transformation Director for Children and Adult Social Care at Welsh Government’s Social Services and Integration Department. Before this, he was Director of Social Services for Pembrokeshire County Council.  

Jonathan was the president of the Association of Directors of Social Services Cymru from April 2021 to December 2022.  

Jonathan has worked in social care for more than 25 years and is passionate about working collaboratively to promote independence and well-being. 

President of ADSS Cymru   

Alwyn’s worked in social care for over 16 years, following 11 years in health care.  Alwyn feels fortunate to have worked within older people and disability services, and as Head of Adult Services. He has been Director of Social Services in Anglesey and Wrexham.

Rhoda has worked in the voluntary and statutory sectors since the 1970s, helping to develop adult and children’s services, health and social care.

She was awarded Welsh Woman of the Year in 2007 for innovative contributions to effective practice and delivery. She was awarded the OBE in 2008 for services to disadvantaged families through influencing models of best practice throughout the UK.

She now works in independently, supporting health and social care organisations throughout the UK in strategic workforce development. Her recent work includes building skills and capacity within public services to empower individuals, families, and communities.

Senior Social Work Practitioner with Powys County Council

Andrew has worked in social care for over 30 years. He started his career supporting adults with learning disabilities living in supported tenancies in south Wales. A qualified and registered social worker since 2013, he has worked in children’s services and community mental health teams.

In his current role, he supports adults with learning disabilities and physical disabilities. His team’s work involves supporting people with drug and alcohol dependency and adults with a secondary mental health diagnosis.  Andrew has been a member of BASW Cymru for 10 years and a committee member for the past six years, where he acts as co-chair.  

Assistant Director for Workforce at Social Care Wales

Jon’s 30-year career in health and social care started in learning disability services in the health and voluntary sectors. He’s since held roles in education, training and human resources, and acted as an advisor to Learning Disability Wales. Jon is currently Chair of Learning Disability Wales.

Mark's been attending New Horizons day service for physical disabilities in Barry for the last eight to 10 years. He's been part of two very successful projects.

 He also leads the client panel at New Horizons Day Service. The panel represents clients’ needs both in the centre and in the wider community.

Laurel Morgan, Therapeutic Service Interim Team Manager at Denbighshire County Council

Laurel manages a team which provides integrated family support and edge of care interventions.

A practicing social worker for 15 years in children’s and mental health services, one of Laurel’s career highlights has been leading on the roll-out of strength-based practice (collaborative communication) in children’s and adult’s services.

Presented by Jonathan Pierce

This conversation based workshop will focus on strengths-based practice in end of life care. It will consider ethical dilemmas in social work practice and focus on having ‘difficult’ conversations about death and dying.

About the presenter

Jonathan, who works in education within Powys Teaching Health Board, qualified as a social worker in 1999 and has worked in mental health and palliative care. His areas of interest include well-being (he is a qualified coach) and palliative work involving direct service provision, supervision, coaching and education. He feels passionately about creating opportunities to develop the confidence, competence and value of conversations about dying, death and grief. 

With a focus on the positive outcomes of IFSS and families working together, this session will include the voices of families, touch on origins of IFSS, overcoming teh challnge of change and the philosophy of truly being with someone whilst balancing statutory duties.

About the presenters

Integrated Family Support Service was created 13 years ago and is a whole approach looking at building the strengths within a family to be able to undertake the challenges of change. 

This workshop will be run by Bec Cicero and Taryn Stephens.

Social work professionals from north Wales will share personal stories and reflections on their social work careers and the significant achievements delivered by social workers. The workshop will also be an opportunity to identify key challenges for the social work profession and how we can work collectively to address them in north Wales.

About the presenters

This workshop will be run by social work professionals from each local authority (Wrexham, Flintshire, Denbighshire, Conwy, Gwynedd, Anglesey).

Presented by Voice and Control

Our self-advocates will lead a discussion on using a strengths-based, positive risk-taking and supported decision-making approach to help people live their best life. You’ll find about areas of effective social work practice, and the importance of self-advocacy and a rights based approach.

About the presenters

A small group of self-advocates who have co-created resources about voice and control and good support. 

The members have worked with, and alongside, social care professionals to co-produce and commission opportunities run by citizens, for citizens . 

Presented by Anthony Douglas CBE and Jonathan Griffiths, Transformation Director for Children and Adult Social Care at Welsh Government

This workshop will go through the framework, its principles and the draft standards. You’ll get a chance to comment and feedback on the work in progress.

About the presenters

Anthony Douglas CBE

Anthony Douglas was Chief Executive of Cafcass Cymru from 2004 to 2019. Under his leadership Cafcass Cymru’s Ofsted rating  went from ‘inadequate’ to ‘outstanding’, and it grew to support 140,000 children a year. in 2019.  

 Anthony has written several books about social care. He was given the ‘outstanding contribution to social work’ award at the Social Worker of the Year Awards in 2018. 

 He now works across the UK and internationally on system leadership and rapid improvement programmes. He is currently  developing and writing the National Practice Framework for the Welsh Government as an essential product within the overall Programme to Transform Children’s Services. 

Jonathan Griffiths

Jonathan Griffiths is the Transformation Director for Children and Adult Social Care at Welsh Government’s Social Services and Integration Department. Before this, he was Director of Social Services for Pembrokeshire County Council.  

Jonathan was the president of the Association of Directors of Social Services Cymru from April 2021 to December 2022.  

Jonathan has worked in social care for more than 25 years and is passionate about working collaboratively to promote independence and well-being. 

This workshop will share experiences and learning from developing trauma-informed approaches for supporting staff well-being in Powys local authority children’s services. In the session, you’ll get to share your own experiences, reflections and practice.

About the presenters

Rob Painter

Before training as a Clinical Psychologist, Rob worked in the NHS and non-statutory sector with vulnerable young people with complex needs including substance misuse, mental health issues and offending behaviour. Rob has also worked with Looked After children with complex needs and challenging behaviours, at-risk of out of county residential placements. 

Rob is based in Children’s Services with a specific role to support practitioners, teams and carers around their work supporting children and families. 

Claire Phillips

Claire’s 24-year career began in children and family teams. She moved into fostering for seven years and for the last thirteen years has been in adoption practice. Claire feels privileged to work in the field of Adoption and practice through a trauma informed lens.

Since being in a managerial role, Claire has been drawn to the area of traumatic stress for both service users and staff and developing strategies which respond compassionately to traumatic stress.

The focus of the session will be on the importance of language identity and how this connects to social work practice. A sensory presentation (pictures and music) will be used to share perspectives and experiences of using the Welsh language and living and practicing social work in Wales.

About the presenters

Gwenan Prysor  

Gwenan is the Director of the MA Social Work at Bangor University.  

 After qualifying as a social worker in the 90s, Gwenan's practice experience has mainly been with children and families, including safeguarding. She became increasingly involved in social work training and joined the university.  

 Gwenan's professional interests are the Welsh language in social work and the impact of early childhood experiences on the well-being of adults. She remains a registered social worker.  

Wendy Roberts

Wendy is a Lecturer in Social Work at Bangor University and a registered social worker with more than16 years’ experience working across Children’s Services in North Wales.  

 Before she joined Bangor University, Wendy worked as a practice mentor within the Effective Child Protection Project in Gwynedd. Wendy also has a keen interest in reflective practice, and self-care and well-being. 

Rhian Grace Lloyd 

Rhian is a Social Work Lecturer on Bangor University's M.A. Social Work course. She has a social work practice background working as a probation officer in North Wales.  

Rhian’s research area of interest is 'exploring the life experiences of individuals giving care to develop knowledge and understanding of the identity of unpaid carers'.