A “kind hearted” and “dedicated” social worker has seen her top class commitment to children and families rewarded with a gold award.
Lauren Lincez from Heath, Cardiff is the Service Director of Partnerships for Progress (PfP) and also works as the Responsible Individual (RI) at Ty Seren, a Residential Family Centre in Bridgend.
PfP was set-up as a preventative service with a mission of supporting every child to have the best start in life and helping more families stay together when it is assessed as safe and in the best interests of the child.
It was Lauren’s passion and commitment that earned her a place in the final of the major national competition – the 2024 Wales Care Awards, sponsored by Ontex Healthcare.
Lauren, 40 was shortlisted for the Peter Clarke Award for Promoting Excellence in Services for Children and Young People, sponsored by Morgan LaRoche Solicitors and scooped the gold gong.
The glittering presentation ceremony was held on October 18 at the Holland House Hotel in Cardiff and was hosted by radio and TV presenter Jason
Mohammad.
The awards are in association with Care Forum Wales, a not-for-profit organisation set up in 1993 to give independent care providers a single professional voice with which to speak on one of the most important issues of our time – how to provide better quality care for those who need it most.
Lauren’s colleagues say she deserved recognition for “leading by example” as a “great role model with a high work ethic and levels of empathy.
Her role involves providing support and guidance for parents of babies up to the age of two, supervising and observing them in a safe environment and helping them make changes to their behaviour in the best interests of the child.
She also builds positive relationships with families and motivates them to make good progress through workshops to help with parental skills, confidence and
understanding their children’s needs.
Lauren’s dedication has seen her build self-esteem among parents and give them the tools they need to ensure they have the best possible chance of raising their
children.
She has also been instrumental in transforming Ty Seren, which receives referrals from local authorities in Wales, to help parents successfully look after their children.
The centre aims to improve outcomes for the children and reduce the number of those having to remain in care long-term, thereby supporting Welsh Government’s aims.
Development Director, Peter Max who nominated Lauren, said: “I work closely with Lauren and can see first-hand what a positive impact she has had on everyone within the PfP community and the outstanding contribution she has made to the children and families we support.”
He described Lauren as a “kind, thoughtful, driven passionate individual” whose commitment to children, families and staff is “truly outstanding and inspirational.”
After taking home the gold, Lauren said: “I am thrilled to have won and feel very proud of our service and team. The award is accepted on behalf of the entire team at PfP who work incredibly hard each day to support families to the very best of our ability.
“I hope it shines a spotlight on the important work we do to achieve positive outcomes for children and their families and support the Welsh Government objective to safely reduce the need for children in Wales to enter care.”
Mario Kreft MBE, Chair of Care Forum Wales, said the standard of entries was extremely high.
He added: “There are only winners here so it is only fitting that the finalists will receive a gold, silver or bronze Wales Care Award.
“I trust that they will continue to inspire those around them as role models and encourage others to aspire to even greater heights and in the months and years to come.
“This awards ceremony is our opportunity to pay tribute and to celebrate the talent and commitment that is improving the quality of life for thousands and thousands of people throughout Wales.
”We take our hats off to them.”
