Care Oscars

A dedicated behaviour support practitioner decided to learn Welsh
after seeing the smile on a client’s face every time he heard the
language.

That kind of insight into the needs of vulnerable people with
learning difficulties and mental health problems has now put Gayle
Thomas in line for a prestigious award.

She has been shortlisted in the category for Excellence in Learning
Disability Services in this year’s Wales Care Awards organised by
Care Forum Wales to recognise and reward good practice in the care
sector.

The awards ceremony will be held at City Hall, Cardiff, on November
19, and will be hosted by singer and Radio Wales presenter Wynne
Evans, popularly known as Gio Compario from the Go Compare TV adverts.

For the past two years Gayle, from Llangennech, near Llanelli, has
worked for Consensus as a member of the Positive Behaviour
Intervention Team covering the company’s residential and supported
living homes in Wales and the South West.

Her work involves assessing new residents, some of whom have complex,
challenging behaviour, and drawing up support plans tailored to their
needs.

It is a role she relishes and one in which she is able to draw on her
14 years’ experience in working with people with learning
difficulties and mental health problems. In that time she has worked
in the local authority and private sectors.

“When I saw this job advertised it looked absolutely fascinating,
and the Consensus values and ethos are exactly in line with my own,
which is to look upon everyone as an individual and as a full person.
The support provided is person-centred,” she said.

“It’s a fantastic job and I feel privileged to be able to play a
part in the lives of those we support, some of whom are inspirational
in the way they have faced things and overcome difficulties.”

One of the rewards of the job, said Gayle, was in giving a voice to
those who had previously had no-one to speak up for them.

She enjoys coming up with solutions to the problems being experienced
by the supported individuals, which is where her determination to
learn Welsh came in.

One of the supported individuals was Welsh and Gayle noticed that he
was more relaxed and smiled whenever he heard Welsh spoken, so she
decided to pick up some conversational Welsh which would help others.

“I drive around a lot in my work so I listen to Radio Cymru and
tapes in the car,” she said.

Gayle was nominated for the award by Simon Kezic-Williams, head of
strategy and operations for Consensus in Wales, who praised her direct
work with people she supported and as a mentor for colleagues.

“Gayle is a real team player both in her own PBI team and also in
the wider team of Consensus,” he said. “She is positive and
supportive in times of stress and crisis and able to build a rapport
with new teams.”

In her spare time Gayle is something of a film buff, enjoying
releases such as esoteric Japanese films, and also attends concerts in
Cardiff, Bristol and other venues.

Mario Kreft MBE, the Chair of Care Forum Wales, said the Wales Care
Awards had gone from strength to strength.

He said: “The event is now firmly established as one of the
highlights in the Welsh social care calendar.

“The aim is to recognise the unstinting and often remarkable
dedication of our unsung heroes and heroines across Wales.

“The care sector is full of wonderful people because it’s not
just a job it’s a vocation – these are the people who really do
have the X Factor.

“If you don’t recognise the people who do the caring you will
never provide the standards that people need and never recognise the
value of the people who need the care in society.

“We need to do all we can to raise the profile of the care sector
workforce – they deserve to be lauded and applauded.

“It is a pleasure to honour the contribution of all the
finalists. Each and every one of them should be very proud of their
achievement.”