Caring Quartet Shine at Social Care Oscars

A talented quartet from Pendine Park were honoured at the prestigious Wales Care Awards.

The glittering awards night at City Hall, Cardiff, which celebrates best practice for the care sector in Wales, is run by Care Forum Wales and sponsored by Barclays Bank.

The compere for the evening was the popular TV newsreader, Lucy Owen.

The winners from Pendine Park were Matthew Palamarczuk, Claire Venables, Judi Roberts and

Inspirational admin assistant Matt, who has cerebral palsy is "on cloud nine" after collecting gold.

He was honoured in the Promoting of Fulfilled Lives category, sponsored by Boots Care Services.

Despite his condition, which keeps him wheelchair bound because of his restricted movements and speech, Matthew, 29, from Gresford, has become an integral part of the team at Pendine Park.

Matthew, who has a 2:1 degree in estate management from Glyndwr University, said: "I'm still on cloud nine. I was shocked when I found out that I'd won gold. I've never won an award before and that made it special. I never thought that I would win anything like this. To be nominated was enough for me.

Claire Venables, 29, a Senior Care Practitioner at Highfield won the gold award in the Residential Care Practitioner category sponsored by the Older People's Commissioner for Wales.

Highfield care home, which is part of an award-winning care organisation Pendine Park was the first in Wales to achieve official accreditation from the Gold Standards Framework.

Claire, from Llay, had the brainwave of distilling the Gold Standards Framework into an easy to understand booklet for staff at the care home.

She said: "I'm still quite shocked that I won a Wales Care Award to be honest. It's brilliant - I feel very honoured and am quite humbled. I was just proud to be there.

"Everyone was nervous but it was mixed with excitement. The hall where it was held was beautiful, covered in marble and very ornate. It was glamorous and everyone was dressed up. It was just like the Oscars, and it's great to see all the wonderful things that people do in the social care sector in Wales being recognised. I don't think they have anything quite like it in England.

Meanwhile, Judi Roberts, who is in charge of the Cae Bryn home won the Leading Practice in Learning Disability and Mental Health Services award sponsored by Barchester Healthcare.

Judi, 43, a mother of two young sons, from Llay, near Wrexham, said: "I was quite shocked when I won, because you just don't expect it. I would have been happy to with gold, silver or bronze. I didn't think I was going to get gold. I've only been working for the company for less than a year. It's nice to get the recognition.

"The ceremony was very glamorous and well run. It was very sociable and you got to meet people from all over Wales.

It was also a big night for Tracey Cuthill, 46, the registered manager of Penybryn care home, who said she was "overwhelmed" by the occasion.

She won Silver in the Leadership and Management in Residential Care Services category sponsored by Christi   Co.

Tracey said: "I'd never been before and the atmosphere was really exciting - I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was a bit overwhelmed and the hall where it was held was quite breathtaking.

"It was a real honour to be at the awards and It was lovely just to be nominated.

"When I got back into work the staff had got me a beautiful bouquet of flowers to congratulate me. There was a card with it that they'd all signed. I was really touched.

"We work really hard as a team and this is recognition of their hard work. I just steer the ship, the staff are the ones who drive it forward, so this is for all of us."

Pendine Park proprietor Mario Kreft MBE said: "I am so very proud of all four of them and I am delighted that their hard work, skill and dedication has been recognised at the Wales Care Awards. Their awards are richly deserved."