A former seamstress from Blaenafon who thinks ‘outside the box’ to bring joy to the lives of people struggling with mental health challenges is in line for a top national award.

Mum-of-three Emma Allford, 47, will do anything to put a smile on the faces of the people she supports from introducing a daily afternoon tea trolley to arranging holidays to Blackpool and Butlins.

The activities coordinator has been working at Cwmcelyn in Blaina, Gwent, owned by Shaw Healthcare since 2009, initially as a support worker before promotion. The 24-bed specialist facility provides care for people with complex health needs including those with mental health issues.

The former Ysgol Abersychan School pupil, who started her working life as a seamstress in a dressing gown factory, has now become the toast of the social care industry with a place in the final of one of the sector’s most prestigious awards contests – the Wales Care Awards 2025.

Emma, who has three children aged 28, 29 and 13, and lives with her husband Mark, has been shortlisted for the Care Practitioner in Residential Care Award.

The awards, sponsored overall by Meddyg Care and organised by care industry champions Care Forum Wales, pay tribute to the frontline heroes of social care, with all finalists guaranteed to come away with either a gold, silver or bronze prize in recognition of their achievements.

Emma will discover her fate at a glittering awards ceremony to be held at Holland House Hotel in Cardiff on Friday, October 17.

She said: “I’m still really shocked but over the moon! My family are all proud of me. It doesn’t matter what happens on the night I’m just thrilled to have the recognition.

“When you spend time with people on a daily basis and are able to put a smile on their faces, you can go home at night feeling like you’ve done a good job – that’s what it’s all about.

“Of course, there can be upsetting times when the residents are low and you feel for them, but at the same time you can change people’s lives simply by having a conversation and just taking the time to listen.

“You need good listening skills for this job, and lots of patience and empathy, I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else. This is my future.

“We’re really proud of our status as the largest employee-owned healthcare provider in the UK.”

Upon leaving school, Emma worked as a seamstress in a dressing gown factory before becoming a full-time mum. She returned to full-time work with Shaw Healthcare 16 years ago and quickly discovered her true vocation, completing all her training on the job.

“Everything I do now is centred around ensuring the residents are happy and we are fulfilling what they want,” she said.

“We’ve had residents in the past who wouldn’t go out into the community when they first came to us. We built up their confidence and then gradually began taking them out.

“One gentleman who hadn’t gone out for a long time wanted to visit the local pub and I helped develop his confidence and it was really rewarding to see. You see people starting to come out of their shells and that’s nice.

“We take them on holidays and recently visited Butlins in Minehead where the residents had a great time. Last year, we visited Blackpool and have previously been to Tenby and Weymouth. We try to keep them motivated and independent.”

Leanne Smith, Cwmcelyn’s service manager and Registered Mental Nurse (RMN), who nominated the social care worker for the award, said nothing was too much trouble for Emma when it came to making sure the residents were happy.

“She goes above and beyond, and because she’s so calm she gets the best out of the residents. They absolutely love her,” she said.

“She’s always smiling and yes, she’s only human and there are life stresses, but the residents would never know. She has worked in social care for many years and she’s still making her mark.

“When our residents receive their medication it can give them a hangover effect and make them groggy in the morning so Emma will plan activities and take them out in the afternoon.

“She comes in on her weekends, plans holidays and weekends away with the residents and holds regular meetings with the residents which is her way of hearing their voice and putting their voice into her planning.”

Mario Kreft MBE, the Chair of Care Forum Wales, said: “Care Forum Wales has been working tirelessly for more than 30 years to promote the social care sector.

“We established the Wales Care Awards to show our appreciation to the workforce and the wider sector for the remarkable contribution everybody makes, day in day out.

“The event  underlines the importance of the social care sector. It is the glue that binds our communities together, both socially and economically.

“Our mission is to be the voice of social care in Wales to advocate on the sector’s behalf, holding truth to power in order to secure a fair deal to recognise the dedication of our front line heroes and heroines across our nation.

“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.

“Every single one of our finalists is a winner and will be presented with a gold, silver or bronze award.”