Find out about the finalists of the Inspirational Leadership award and vote for the winner.
This award is sponsored by Practice Solutions.
The 2025 Accolades will be held at the Mercure Cardiff Holland House Hotel on Thursday 1 May.
This year, the winners of two categories will be decided by public vote. These are:
- Inspirational Leadership
- WeCare Wales.
Three workers from across the social care and childcare, play and early years sectors were chosen as finalists for the Inspirational Leadership award.
Voting is open until 5pm, 31 March.
Avril Bracey, Head of Service for Adult Social Care at Carmarthenshire County Council.
Nominated by Corinne Everett-Guy, Senior Manager Social Work Teams at Carmarthenshire County Council.
Avril began her career in social care 45 years ago as a trainee social worker in children’s services. During her career, Corinne says Avril “has proved herself to be a strong leader and ambassador for adult social care” and she “consistently pushes boundaries to create positive and lasting change.”
Avril’s supported “innovative approaches” in fadult social care and was instrumental in developing the Twilight Sanctuary, an out-of-hours well-being service for those at risk of a mental health crisis.
Avril’s “kindness, selflessness, integrity and willingness to go above and beyond” means she shows “consistent respect and dignity towards everyone she meets”.
Corinne says Avril is “a beacon of inspiration, setting a benchmark for excellence in social care leadership. Her ability to inspire and motivate her service has led to a culture of continuous improvement and high standards.”
One director describes Avril as “an inspirational leader in social care. In her time as Head of Service for Adults in Carmarthenshire, she has transformed adult social care changing hundreds of vulnerable adults’ lives.” They add “Avril personifies values-based leadership.”
Avril has championed unpaid carers and developed initiatives to improve practice, too. She also went above and beyond to support her team during the Covid-19 pandemic, with one senior manager saying: “From 7am until 11pm, Avril worked tirelessly to ensure our team was prepared for the pandemic. Her foresight and meticulous planning guaranteed that all staff had sufficient PPE and support.”
Ffion Cole, Principal Officer, Bridgend County Borough Council
Nominated by Alex Williams, Group Manager – Locality Hubs.
Ffion has worked for Bridgend County Borough Council for 11 years and is the Team Manager of the North Team Locality Hub.
Ffion’s leadership style is recognised across the local authority. Newly qualified or inexperienced social workers are often placed in her ‘social work academy’ for their first six months of work. Here, they’re supported and nurtured by Ffion’s expert team.
Ffion also offers formal mentoring and informal support to managers wanting to learn how to develop the culture and leadership style of Ffion and her team.
As part of her role, Ffion leads on supporting internationally recruited social workers.
Previously, more than 50 per cent of staff were agency workers , but the number of agency staff has greatly reduced in just 18 months and more than 50 per cent of social workers in the locality hubs are now international.
One international social worker said: “Ffion made sure that the induction process was as smooth as possible, explained everything and helped me settle well both at home and within the team.”
Ffion has helped build a consistent and stable workforce, benefitting the children and families in the area, as workers can build lasting relationships with the people they support. Ffion also keeps the voices of children and families at the heart of her team’s practice.
Senior Social Worker Hannah Jones says: “[Ffion] deserves this so much. She takes everything in her stride and is always willing to help. Since being in the team, I’ve learnt so much without feeling pressured but always supported."
Keri Warren, Head of Children and Young People's Services at Neath Port Talbot Council
Nominated by Nune Aleksanyan, Ruth Griffiths, Chris Frey Davies, Maria Selby and Victoria Smith, all principal officers in Children and Young People's Services at Neath Port Talbot Council.
Keri has been a dedicated part of the senior management team at Neath Port Talbot Council since 2012, when she joined as a Principal Officer before becoming Head of Children and Young People’s Services in 2018.
The principal officers say Keri has been “nothing short of extraordinary” in the way she’s led Neath Port Talbot’s children’s services. Using a “kind natured approach”, Keri prioritises staff well-being, as the team works towards “achieving positive outcomes for families”. Keri reminds the team of the importance of good social work practice by creating a healthy and safe learning environment, encouraging open discussions and having a collective response to risk management.
Keri has made sure the right systems and processes are in place to make sure staff feel safe when they’re dealing with difficult situations in the community.
Feedback from the service’s staff highlights Keri's approachable and supportive nature. One staff member says: “Keri is supportive and encourages a work-life balance so we can deal with life outside of work without feeling guilty.” One senior manager says: “[Keri] sets a high standard by example and is always looking at ways to give workers opportunities to develop and grow as practitioners. The voice of the child and family is of the utmost importance to her.”
Keri’s focus on staff well-being, professional development, and a child-centred approach has created a “supportive environment that fosters innovation and collaboration”.