An award-winning care worker is hoping that her success will help to highlight the excellent work being done by others in her field.

Chrissy Darby was speaking after the presentation evening for the 2025 Wales Care Awards, held at the Holland House Hotel in Cardiff.

The awards are organised by Care Forum Wales to recognise exceptional work in the care sector and Chrissy is Community Liaison Manager for the Home Instead home care company which provides home care for people in the Cardiff, Penarth and Barry area.

At the ceremony, the main sponsor for which was Meddyg Care,  she was presented with a gold award in the category for excellent in innovation within the independent sector, sponsored by Boots Care Service.

It is the first time for the category to be included in the awards and Chrissy, 61, who lives in Sully, was considered by the judges to be a very worthy recipient.

For many years she worked in the field of substance abuse in Sussex before moving to South Wales for family reasons.

She has been Community Liaison Manager for six years and was nominated for the award by the company’s owner and director Philip Batchelor, who praised her ability to raise awareness of the services Home Instead could offer, ensuring in the majority of cases that older and vulnerable people stay happy, healthy and connected.

The job entails working in close liaison with local authorities, the NHS and third sector organisations – and that is where Chrissy’s innovations come into play.

One of her successful ideas was to introduce a “Wheel of Life” talk, with an easy-to-understand diagram for groups and individuals to self-assess and show the various forms of support available.

Chrissy, who said she was lucky to be working with so many like-minded people in the community, was “delighted and surprised” to have won the gold award, but had one reservation.

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.”