A caring couple who have opened up their home to offer support to vulnerable people are in line for a top award.

Catherine and Matthew Hern from Sebastopol in Pontypool are part of the South East Wales Shared Lives Scheme.

The scheme offers individuals the opportunity to be supported in carer’s homes and communities.

In a Shared Lives arrangement an adult who has care or support needs is matched with a compatible carer.

Catherine, known as Kiki, and Matthew work to ensure the people they support realise that “anything is possible” if they put their mind to it.

The dedication shown by Kiki and Matthew to the scheme over several years has seen them nominated for a prize in this year’s Wales Care Awards.

They have been nominated in the Excellence in Learning Disability & Mental Health Award category, sponsored by My Choice Health Care.

The couple were nominated for an award by Gemma McNamara, Shared Lives co-ordinator.

Gemma said: “Catherine and Matthew have been Shared Lives carers with the scheme since panel approval in January 2017.

“Catherine and Matthew have provided long term, respite and sessional arrangements within their own home during that time, whilst also running their own home with three children, two dogs, lots of guinea pigs and fish, and also volunteering with their local Ju Jitsu club. Matthew also works four days a week.

“Since being approved in 2017, Catherine and Matthew have supported six long-term placements, two respite placements, and one sessional arrangement. Catherine and Matthew have two bedrooms within the main house that can be accessed by individuals, and also have a self-contained flat attached to the property, which offers those more independent the opportunity to maintain a level of independence, greatly develop in this area, and also access the support they need whilst having that extra bit of privacy and independence.”

Kiki said being nominated for an award was a massive compliment, and she was hopeful it would help promote the Shared Lives programme.

She said she loved the concept of the Shared Lives scheme as soon as she heard about it.

She said: “Shared Lives is wonderful, it is such a wonderful concept. It has its challenges but the good far outweighs the bad. The scheme really appealed to us and it brings us a lot of satisfaction and joy, it’s lovely.”

Kiki said it was important that anyone with care or support needs had those needs met.

And she added that she felt things were improving on how communities viewed people with support needs.

She said: “Take autism for example. Because of increased awareness and more diagnosis things around autism are much better. Everybody probably knows somebody in their family or among their friends who has a diagnosis, so the awareness is great, people are moving forward.

“The Shared Lives scheme brings challenges, of course it does, but it’s just what we do.

“Me and my husband are very laid back, you’ve got to take things in your stride, and we’re good at making a joke about everything, that also helps.”

In nominating Kiki and Matthew for a Wales Care Award, Gemma paid tribute to the work they do.

She said: “Catherine and Matthew have supported people with mental health issues, learning disability, autism, challenging behaviours, and a long-term placement has only ever ended where an individual has moved on to more independent living which has been the main aim of the placement being achieved, or where there have been concerns that have impacted on the safety of the rest of the household or posed a threat to their children.

“Catherine and Matthew currently support an individual who lives with them in the main household under a long-term arrangement.

“This young person moved in with the couple with a view of developing his independent living skills to move onto fully independent living and is now waiting to move into a supported property currently being built, for further independence, which has always been his ultimate goal.

“Catherine and Matthew currently support another individual within the main household under a long-term arrangement. This young person moved in at the age of 18 and it was thought that he was unable to access the community independently, be home alone for any length of time, access public transport, maintain friendship links and meet with friends on a regular basis, manage his finances or further develop any level of independence.

“This individual has now lived with Catherine and Matthew for a few years, but within months of the arrangement starting he was attending college independently by bus, built an extensive network of friends, including a girlfriend, who he met regularly in town, independently.

“This person has always had a dream to go to Florida but always been told that this would never be possible due to his support needs. However, he is now being supported by Catherine to save for a trip to Florida in the future.

“Catherine and Matthew currently support another individual who lives in the self-contained flat attached to the main household. This individual suffers with mental health and anxiety, however since moving in his family have noted a massive change in the way he presents.

“The key theme through all arrangements that Catherine supports and has supported in the past, is person-centred. Catherine strives to offer support to individuals in line with their interests, goals and abilities. Catherine supports people to accept that ‘anything is possible’ and that if they put their mind to something they can achieve it.”

The Wales Care Awards ceremony will be taking place on Friday, October 18, at the Holland House Hotel in Cardiff. The awards ceremony will be hosted by radio and TV presenter Jason Mohammad.

The Wales Care Awards, the Oscars of social care, are organised by Care Forum Wales, and the overall sponsor is Ontex Healthcare.

Mario Kreft MBE, the chair of Care Forum Wales, 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.”