A Cardiff woman created such an impression with her work that a post was established especially for her.

Now, just two years into her new role, Emmanuella Nicolaou is line for a prestigious award.

She has been nominated for one of this year’s Wales Care Awards, organised by Care Forum Wales to recognise exceptional work in the social care sector.

The glittering presentation ceremony will be held at Cardiff’s Holland House Hotel on October  18. Sponsored by Ontex Healthcare, it will be hosted by radio and TV presenter Jason Mohammad.

Emmanuella, 34, who lives in Fairwater, has been shortlisted in the category for Promoting Fulfilled Lives, which is sponsored Boots Healthcare.

She is employed as Creative Engagement Co-ordinator by the Cardiff-based React Support Services, which provides residential and supported living services across the region.

She has always had a passion for art in its various forms and studied the subject at South Wales University before going on to gain a Post Graduate Certificate in Education in Cardiff University.

She then became a lecturer at Gower College in Swansea before deciding to take a belated “gap year”, at the end of which she joined React in 2018 as an office administrator.

Outside of work she spent her time designing and creating beautiful pieces of art and attending art events, which she told her colleagues about.

As the organisation grew and evolved, she said how she would like to use her skills and introduce more creative activities with the Individuals in their care, and her first attempt was pumpkin decorating for Halloween 2021.

React’s Service Development Director Emily Morgan, who has nominated Emmanuella for the award, said: “In October, 2022, the Board of Directors felt the impact she had made was significant and was essential to the quality of service we provide at React. Therefore, the  role of Creative Engagement Co-ordinator was created.”

With no template for the role, Emmanuella spent time in each service with the individuals to understand their goals, interests and needs.

Her work created the opportunity for support staff to develop within the organisation such as the introduction of the Service Engagement Representatives in each service.

One of her first organisation-wide projects was a large scale “Happiness is….” mosaic in which people spoke or drew images ranging from reggae music and rainbows to football teams and the Welsh dragon.

Emily cited one example of Emmanuella’s success in one-to-one working with an individual who suffers from high levels of anxiety and struggles meeting new people.

She devised a programme of work which has not only developed their confidence but created a lot of art work including a design which was chosen by the Board for React’s 2023 Christmas card.

Haydn Osborne, React’s Responsible Individual and Managing Director, said the positive feedback on the role she had created had been overwhelming.

“All of our services were rated as ‘excellent’ by Care Inspectorate Wales and I believe the creative changes made, organisation-wide by Emmanuella, have contributed to this greatly,” he said.

Emmanuella said she had been surprised and delighted by the way in which people had responded to her work.

“It’s brilliant to see them engaging and building in confidence,” she said.

Painting also occupies her spare time, her speciality being portraits.

Mario Kreft MBE, the Chair of Care Forum Wales, said the Wales Care Awards, said: “Our aim is to recognise the unstinting and often remarkable dedication of our unsung heroes and heroines on the front line of social 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.”