A Merthyr woman who shelved her own plans to train as a nurse has added another award to her growing collection.
Sibusisiwe Lovis, who is the founder and driving force behind the Swansea-based domiciliary care agency Live Well Healthcare, was among the winners at the 2025 Wales Care Awards ceremony.
The awards are organised by Care Forum Wales to recognise exceptional work in the care sector, and the ceremony, sponsored by Meddyg Care, was held at Cardiff’s Holland House Hotel.
Sibusisiwe, known as Sibu, received a silver award in the category for Leadership and Management in Small Group or Supported Living, sponsored by Cartref Ni.
She gave up her own plans to become a nurse to bring up two young children and founded Live Well Healthcare in 2017. Since then the agency has supported over 200 individuals across South Wales.
As well as being manager Sibu maintains a “hands-on” approach, taking a keen personal interest in each individual on their books.
Her contribution to the health and social care sector had already been recognised when she was presented with the Ethnic Minority Welsh Women Achievement Association’s Award in Business and named as a Big Ideas Wales Role Model.
She was nominated for the Wales Care Award by Beatrice Savadye, a co-ordinator with Live Well, and supported by colleagues who spoke of her as “not just a leader but an innovator, implementing best practices that prioritise dignity, independence and holistic care”.
Sibu, said Beatrice, had fostered a culture where care was extended well beyond physical needs and had introduced a programme in which service users and staff received thoughtful gifts to mark birthdays, anniversaries and special milestones.
Mario Kreft MBE, Chair of the Care Forum Wales, said the Wales Care Awards once again shone a light on the “unsung heroes and heroines” who make a vital difference to the lives of vulnerable people across the nation.
He said: “For more than 30 years Care Forum Wales has worked tirelessly to champion the social care sector.
“The Wales Care Awards underline 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 occurred 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 Awards and for social care more broadly/
“Dafydd was a passionate believer in the power of the arts to enrich lives and support well-being and mental health,” said Mr Kreft. “He is greatly missed, but his legacy lives on – not only through his contribution to public life as Presiding Officer but also through the positive impact he had on so many communities.”
