Health Minister Jeremy Miles made the remarks at the Wales Care Awards in Cardiff, where he joined Care Forum Wales chair Mario Kreft MBE to celebrate the nation’s unsung heroes working in care homes and domiciliary services.
The prestigious event, often described as the Oscars of social care, took place at the Holland House Hotel and was backed by headline sponsor Meddyg Care.
Mr Kreft warned that Wales’ care system would be at serious risk without the dedication of international staff, describing Farage’s proposed deportation policy as “potentially catastrophic”.
He said: “We believe passionately at Care Forum Wales that the people who legally come to this country to care for our most vulnerable people deserve our utmost respect and support. We shouldn’t have political nonsense about deporting legal migrants.”
Echoing his comments, Mr Miles said Wales was proud to be a welcoming nation.
“There are people working in our care sector who are from Wales, from other parts of the UK and from right around the world,” he said. “They make a huge contribution wherever they’re from and they are welcome in Wales.”
Mr Miles presented the Dignity in Care Award, sponsored by the Welsh Government, which was jointly won by Sian Perez, Sharon Leach, Rachelle Beasley, and Samantha Dodd for their dedication to compassionate care.
The night also honoured Caroline and Tyrone Jones of Tredegar, who gave up their bakery business to foster 25 children, earning them the Peter Clarke Award for excellence in children’s services.
Keri Llewellyn, director of All Care (South Wales) Ltd, received the Craig Thomas Lifetime Achievement Award, while Heather Powell, founder of the North Wales Music Cooperative, won the Sir Bryn Terfel Foundation Award for promoting the arts in social care.
Mr Kreft said the awards underscored the vital role of carers across Wales.
“For more than 30 years, Care Forum Wales has worked tirelessly to champion the social care sector,” he said. “The Wales Care Awards underline how the sector binds our communities together socially and economically.”
A touching moment came when Mair Elis-Thomas, widow of the late Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas, presented one of the awards in honour of her husband’s legacy supporting social care and the arts.
