Health Minister Hails Overseas Workers As “Stars of Wales” Amid Deportation Row
A Welsh Government Minister has hailed the “huge contribution” of overseas care workers amid a deportation row.
Health Minister Jeremy Miles joined Care Forum Wales chair Mario Kreft MBE at the Wales Care Awards to celebrate the nation’s unsung heroes of care homes and domiciliary care services.
The glittering event, dubbed the Oscars of social care and backed by headline sponsor Meddyg Care, took place at the Holland House Hotel in Cardiff.
The pair spoke out after a fierce political backlash over Reform UK leader Nigel Farage’s threat to deport legal migrants – a policy Mr Kreft branded “potentially catastrophic”.
According to Mr Kreft, Wales’ care system would be at risk without the dedication of international staff.
He said: ““We believe passionately at Care Forum Wales that the people who legally come to this country to care for our most vulnerable people deserve our utmost respect and our support and we want to make sure we continue that. We shouldn’t have the political nonsense about deporting legal migrants. “
Echoing the sentiment, Mr Miles said Wales was proud to be a welcoming nation.
“There are people working in our care sector who are from Wales, from other parts of the UK and from right around the world,” he said.
“They are absolute stars who make a huge contribution wherever they’re from in the world and they are welcome in Wales.”
The Minister was there to present the prestigious Dignity in Care Awards which were sponsored by the Welsh Government.
The blue riband award was won jointly by Sian Perez, the registered manager of Treforest-based Crwban Care and Support, nurse Sharon Leach from Claremont Court Care Home in Newport, Regional Support Nurse Rachelle Beasley from HC-One Wales, and Samantha Dodd, service manager at Cartref Ni Ltd in St Asaph.
Mr Miles added: “Dignity is something that is precious to all of us and we all want to know, at the time of our lives when we need care and are vulnerable, we want to know that our dignity will be respected and the care and the support we have is delivered in a way that recognises that dignity.
“In my own constituency of Neath I have had the privilege of going to care homes and I’ve met the people who are providing the care that we all depend on and it is genuinely inspiring to see the dedication, the commitment and the passion with which you all do your work.
“I want to say thank you to Care Forum Wales for this fantastic evening and the work you do all year round, providing a voice for the care sector in Wales and the representation you provide. It’s absolutely invaluable. It’s an important voice, it’s an effective voice.”
One of the most emotional moments of the evening came when a couple who sold their bakery to devote their lives to fostering children won the Peter Clarke Award for Promoting Excellence in Services for Children and Young People.
Caroline and Tyrone Jones, from Tredegar, have opened their hearts and home to 25 children since giving up their family business in 2007.
The pair’s extraordinary dedication has transformed countless young lives – including that of a girl who came to them aged 10 unable to read and write and is now a qualified nurse.
The award came during what they described as “one of the best weekends of our lives”, with the ceremony taking place the day before their daughter’s wedding.
Caroline, 60, and Tyrone, 63, have also been approved as Shared Lives carers with the South East Wales Shared Lives Scheme to enable them to care for their foster children into adulthood.
Speaking about their award win, Caroline said: “We are absolutely gob smacked, we really didn’t expect it.
“It was a fantastic evening and we met some wonderful people. It was my daughter’s wedding the following day so our feet didn’t really touch the ground for a few days. It was definitely one of the best weekends of our lives.”
Winner of the Craig Thomas Lifetime Achievement Award was Keri Llewellyn, director of Barry-based All Care (South Wales) Ltd, who is also Care Forum Wales’ lead on domiciliary care.
The prestigious Spirt of Care Award went to retired Carol Dight, a highly respected nurse who worked for HC-One Wales.
Meanwhile, the Sir Bryn Terfel Foundation Wales Care Award for Promoting the Arts in Social Care was given to the “inspirational” founder of the North Wales Music Cooperative, Heather Powell, who is also the organisation’s head of service.
Mr Kreft added: “For more than 30 years, Care Forum Wales has worked tirelessly to champion the social care sector.
“The Wales Care Awards underlines the importance of the sector – it’s the glue that binds our communities together, both socially and economically.
“Our mission has always been to be the voice of social care in Wales to stand up for the workforce and ensure their dedication is properly recognised.”
A special moment in the evening when Mair Elis=Thomas, widow of the late Lord Dafydd Elis Thomas, took to the stage to present one of the awards.
According to Mr Kreft it was a touching gesture that reflected Lord Elis Thomas’s long-standing support for the Wales Care Award and for social care more broadly.
“Dafydd was a passionate believer in the power of the arts to enrich lives and support wellbeing and mental health,” said Mr Kreft.
“He is greatly missed, but his legacy lives on – not only through his contribution to public life as a Presiding Officer, but also through the positive impact he had on so many communities.”
