Denbighshire is celebrating after three members of its social care staff have been honoured at a national award ceremony.
The Social Care Accolades recognise, celebrate and share notable work of groups, teams and organisations in social care and childcare, as well as individual care workers from across the public, private, voluntary and co-operative sectors in Wales.
Denbighshire County Council’s service manager Alaw Pierce won the Caring in Welsh award which celebrated her role in making a positive difference to people’s lives by providing high-quality care through the medium of Welsh.
In addition, another two members of staff were celebrated for their achievements in going above and beyond to make a difference in providing care.
Sheila Mullins, care assistant at Dolwen Care Home in Denbigh and Catherine Roberts, Assistant Manager at Cysgod y Gaer care home in Corwen, were both shortlisted in their respective categories and given certificates to mark their work.
Alaw was nominated on behalf of Denbighshire’s operational management team for her work in championing people’s rights to use Welsh and for being a role model for staff.
Throughout her career, she has supported the use of Welsh in the workplace and has encouraged a culture where staff can comfortably use Welsh at work.
Alaw has successfully recruited Welsh speaking staff into key roles and has promoted the rights of older people to receive ‘best interest’ assessments in Welsh.
She said: “It was a bit of a shock to win but it was an honour to be nominated and receive the award.
“I feel that it is essential to support and enable staff at all levels to provide services to individuals through the medium of Welsh whether through the provision of personal care, undertaking assessments, writing care plans, meetings and so on.”
Catherine Roberts, Assistant Manager at Cysgod y Gaer, was also nominated in the Caring in Welsh category for regularly going above and beyond the call of duty in her role, for being a dedicated carer and for leading the team with exceptional examples of good practice.
Sheila Mullins, a care assistant at Dolwen, was shortlisted in the We Care Wales award category to celebrate individual care workers in Wales who have a positive impact on people’s lives.
She was nominated for her dedication to the residents of the home where she has worked for more than 20 years.
During Christmas 2021, Sheila sacrificed time with her own family to care for a number of residents who were critically ill with Covid-19.
She spent time with the residents, holding their hands and doing her best to make sure they did not spend time alone.
Nicola Stubbins, the Council’s Corporate Director for Communities, said: “We are proud of the commitment and dedication shown by all our social care teams right across the county. They deliver services day in day out with care, compassion and empathy.
“I’m delighted Alaw, Catherine and Sheila have been recognised for their hard work and dedication in caring for our residents. On behalf of the Council and the residents we would like to congratulate them and thank them for their professionalism and hard work.”
The award winners were announced at a ceremony in Cardiff.
