After all the difficult challenges faced by the care sector during the past two years, there is a welcome return next month for the prestigious Accolades awards.
The Accolades have recognised, celebrated, and shared excellent practice in social care and early years in Wales since 2005. And, although a virtual awards event was held in late 2020, this will be the first time for an in-person ceremony to be staged since 2018.
We thought long and hard at Social Care Wales before deciding to reintroduce the awards while the care sector was still battling hard with the effects of Covid. But the response has been incredible. It certainly shows that, despite everything, those working in the sector are still keen to celebrate and share their success stories.
With the help of representatives from other organisations from the care sector, we have been able to judge entries across seven categories. Five are for projects and two are for individuals, including a category for those who care for others through the medium of Welsh.
As a result, we now have 14 projects and 10 care workers who have reached the final and they will all find out if they have won at an awards ceremony in Cardiff on 21 April.
The finalists include an innovative project to help get care leavers into work, a project that supports the young LGBTQ+ community and a deputy care home manager who learned Welsh to support people with dementia and complex needs.
We are delighted to have such a strong group of finalists that showcase the amazing work being done in social care and early years across Wales.
The sector is still facing challenges to meet the needs of people who rely on the sector to help them thrive. As a result, it’s so important we take the time to recognise and celebrate the excellent care and support being provided every day in every community in Wales.
The project finalists are:
- Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council’s social services department
- Flintshire County Council
- Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council
- Village Support Services, Pontllanfraith
- Conwy County Borough Council’s social services department
- Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council’s children’s services
- St Aubin Nurseries Ltd in Roath, Cardiff
- GISDA, Caernarfon
- The North Wales Together Learning Disability Transformation Programme
- Pembrokeshire County Council’s social care and housing department
- Hospice of the Valleys in Blaenau Gwent
- Pembrokeshire Association of Voluntary Services
- Vale of Glamorgan Council.
- Seren Support Services in Neath Port Talbot and Powys
Caring in Welsh award
Alaw Pearce, Service Manager, Denbighshire County Council
Angharad White, Adult Care Home Manager, Rhondda Cynon Taf
Catherine Roberts, Assistant Manager at Cysgod y Gaer care home, Denbighshire
Keneuoe Morgan, Deputy Manager at Hafod Mawddach Residential Home, Barmouth, Gwynedd
Rachael Roberts, Dementia Actif Officer at Dementia Actif, Gwynedd.
WeCare Wales award
Becci Bennett, Manager of Clwb y Ddraig, Caerphilly
Gwen Vaughan, Chair of Oak Hill Austism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) childcare, Newport
Keri Llewellyn, Manager of All Care (South Wales) Ltd, Vale of Glamorgan
Llinos Druce, Social Worker, Conwy County Borough Council
Sheila Mullins, Care Assistant at Dolwen Care Home, Denbigh
Find out more about the Accolades finalists