From 01 May to 30 September dogs are banned from a number of beaches in Bridgend County Borough - Dog beach ban
Three nominees make finals of ‘Social Care Wales’s award - and they need your vote!
Friday 21 March 2025
The finalists for the ‘2025 Accolades’ – prestigious awards run by Social Care Wales have been announced and Bridgend County Borough Council’s Social Services and Wellbeing directorate have three impressive finalists in the running:
Ffion Cole, Principal Officer, Bridgend County Borough Council, nominated for Inspirational Leadership Award, sponsored by Practice Solutions. 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.
Casey Baker, Social Care Worker, Bridgend County Borough Council - Supported Living nominated for WeCare Wales Award - sponsored by WeCare Wales. Casey’s ability to connect with people on a personal level makes her an exceptional social care worker. She’s reliable, attentive and has created a nurturing environment where everyone feels valued and supported.
International Recruitment for Children's Social Workers, Bridgend County Borough Council for ‘Developing and Inspiring the Workforce Award’ - sponsored by BASW Cymru - a project which focuses on recruiting qualified and experienced international social workers to help reduce the teams’ reliance on agency workers, retain staff and improve the experience of the workforce. The project has so far recruited 13 social workers from across South Africa, Zimbabwe, and the USA, which has brought stability to the teams.
11 projects and seven individuals were chosen by a panel of judges as finalists for the 2025 accolades across six categories. The 2025 awards 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 Award – Ffion Cole: Vote here
WeCare Wales Award - Casey Baker: Vote here
Voting is open until 5pm on Monday 31 March 2025! Please support our social services staff and teams and get your votes in today!
“We’re absolutely thrilled to have three nominations from our local authority in the running for these national awards. This is a true testament to the talent, dedication and inspirational actions of our social care teams and individuals, who through their incredible efforts, strive to improve services and experiences for individuals in their care. “On behalf of the council, I’d like to wish them all the very best of luck for the finals and really hope they get the recognition they thoroughly deserve!”
You can read more about our finalists on the awards website: https://socialcare.wales/the-accolades/2025-accolades