Bridgend team recognised at national fostering awards
Friday 13 November 2026
Bridgend County Borough Council's Kinship and Permanence Team has received a national award for its work supporting kinship carers and special guardianship families.
The team, part of Foster Wales Bridgend, received the Team Excellence Award at this year's Fostering Excellence Awards.
The award recognises improvements the team has made to its services in recent years, particularly its work with carers to shape the support available to them.
Following feedback from carers, the team has developed support groups in the community and online. It has also started to develop a fostering wellbeing pioneer role to offer further support to carers and families.
In its nomination, the team was praised for helping kinship and permanence carers feel 'more heard and involved in the service', and for building a positive community for carers.
The nomination also highlighted the team's specialist reunification work, supporting children whose plans involve returning home and helping them understand their journey through care.
“I’m delighted that our Kinship and Permanence Team has received this well-deserved recognition. The team has worked closely with carers to understand their experiences and improve the support available to families across Bridgend. This award reflects their commitment to listening to carers and making a positive difference to children and families.”
The annual Fostering Excellence Awards celebrate the contribution of foster carers, families and fostering teams across the UK. This year, eight of the 17 awards went to Welsh winners.
The ceremony took place at Birmingham Repertory Theatre on 12 November and was hosted by comedian, broadcaster and foster carer Kiri Pritchard-McLean.
For more information about becoming a foster carer in Wales, visit fosterwales.gov.wales.
