Emma was nominated for recognition at what have become known as the social care ‘Oscars’ after colleagues praised her work ethic and compassionate personality.

A whizz of an administration assistant at Ysguborwen Care Home, Aberdare, she was described by bosses as being a real Wonder Woman and ‘the glue that holds everyone together’.

Emma was just 17 when she began working at Ysguborwen Care Home. She quickly became known for her bubbly personality, her exceptional proficiency and her natural compassion for residents and their families.

She was nominated for recognition by Ysguborwen manager Debbie Strong who said Emma is ‘indispensable’ to the smooth running of the home, adding: “She is already a winner for us.”

The Wales Care Awards are organised annually by Care Foum Wales to pay tribute to front line heroes and heroines of the social care sector.

Care Forum Wales represents more than 400 independent health and social care providers across the nation.

The winners were revealed at a glittering dinner and ceremony sponsored by Meddyg Care at Holland House Hotel, Cardiff.

Emma won silver in the category for excellence in a supporting function, sponsored by Silverlink.

She had made it through to a shortlist of finalists, whittled down from hundreds of nominees in the social care sector across Wales.

She said: “I just couldn’t believe it. I am so touched, I never expected anything like this. For me all the rewards come from just doing the job itself, getting to know our residents and their families and becoming a part of their lives. I just love my job and can’t imagine myself ever wanting to do anything else.”

Raised in Aberdare, Emma followed in her mum, Lesley’s, footsteps in 2008 when she applied for a job at Ysguborwen, which is part of Osbourne Care Homes group.

She worked as a kitchen assistant for a year. Then went on to train as a carer.

In her current role as administration assistant Emma takes on a variety of duties from helping organise staff rotas, liaising between managers, manning the phones and front of house reception, and covering for staff off sick.

She is also extremely talented with IT tasks and has become the go-to troubleshooter for issues such as fixing the printer, sorting out wi-fi or phone hiccups.

She said: “Mum was already working here when I started so I knew the home quite well and I think I was motivated by having had a grandmother who lived with Alzheimer’s for a number of years. Eventually it reached the stage where she moved into a care home. Having experienced it ourselves I think we just felt an affinity with families having to go through similar experiences.”

Emma is now a mum herself to two young daughters, Evie, nine, and Olivia, six.

Managers and fellow staff noted how Emma goes the extra mile to help residents, making friends with them and their families and taking time to comfort them if they are having a bad day. She is even known for stopping off at a coffee shop to bring in a favourite beverage for a resident who enjoys a latte. On another occasion Emma and a fellow carer took a resident out to a bingo evening to cheer him up on a day when he was feeling down.

Manager Debbie Strong said: “Emma knows all the families and their stories. She is a friend when needed. She is compassionate and very aware of the importance of person-centred approaches, respecting individuals in her daily role.

“She has infinite patience and is always pleased to help out. She has improved our management structure with her tremendous aptitude and keenness to learn new things, she holds us all together.”

Chair of Care Forum Wales, Mario Kreft MBE, said: “The 2025 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 underlines the importance of the sector – binding 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 came 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 wellbeing and mental health,” said Mr Kreft.

“He is greatly missed, but his legacy lives on – not only through his contribution to public life as a Presiding Officer, but also through the positive impact he had on so many communities.”