Managers from Swanton services in West Wales got together to celebrate 12 months of achievement during a joyous meeting this February.
Regional Director Kuba Nowak welcomed managers from services Glangarnant, Pant Yr Odyn, Dan Y Graig, Maesteilo Mansions and Supported Living and Domiciliary Support to look back at 2023.
Each manager was asked to design a presentation to showcase the highlights of life in their houses over the past year, putting their individual slant on it.
What followed was an inspiring session where achievements, learnings and ideas were shared and celebrated.
Kuba said: “This is one of the best meetings we have every year – it’s so good to see how much has been achieved by every single one of our incredible teams.
“The managers take a lot of time and pride in compiling their presentations, and it makes me really proud to see how well everyone is doing.
“Every person who works in these services is doing so much for the people we support, and it’s great to see them doing that with smiles on their faces.”
Each service picked out the highlights of 2023, and some remarkable things happened in every single one.
New service Deheubarth opened last year and has had a very successful first year, welcoming six young people to live there.
For Team Deheubarth, one of the most satisfying achievements was supporting Rhiannon in moving into shared accommodation, something others had predicted she’d never be able to do. Not only did she defy expectations to move in, but she’s also been using public transport, another goal many dismissed as unattainable for Rhiannon.
Over at Dan Y Graig, the service highlighted Eifion’s successful transition into the service, and he has made brilliant progress since moving in.
The team also celebrated the massive achievement of attaining an ‘Excellent’ rating from Care Inspectorate Wales, a rating that’s a testament to the hard work and quality of care at the service.
In Glangarnant, the big story was Luke’s amazing achievement in raising over £3k for Andy’s Man Club following the devastating death of his brother.
Luke climbed mountain Pen-Y-Fan, supported by Swanton team members, in tribute to brother Ceri, and turned tragedy into inspiration. Everyone was incredibly proud of Luke for conquering a mountain and his fundraising target.
In Cartref Croeso, one man’s dream came true when Ian was supported to take a trip to Spain to see his favourite team, Real Madrid, play in their home stadium.
Ian, who is battling cancer, was permitted by his doctors to make this trip of a lifetime and made the most of every minute in Spain. The cherry on the cake was the chance to see his footballing heroes in action, and Ian had a brilliant time.
Holidays were also a highlight at Pant Yr Odyn. The team were delighted to report that a person we support had achieved the goal of staying overnight in holiday accommodation and enjoyed several trips.
It was a big deal for this person to make it to another destination and find the confidence to stay there to sleep, so staff were thrilled by this progress and what it means for future holidays.
Finally, Team Maesteilo Mansions was also thrilled to receive an ‘excellent’ rating from Care Inspectorate Wales, as well as celebrating a personal victory for Robert.
Robert has enjoyed designing and making wooden signs and has created one for each service. Not only has he handcrafted the bespoke signage, but he’s gone to the sister services to deliver them, demonstrating a massive step up in his confidence.
Kuba said: “All these stories show just what a huge impact the work our teams do has on the lives of the people we support.
“When you are busy supporting day-to-day, you can forget all the little victories that accumulate.
“Our yearly presentations allow everyone to take stock, feel proud and get inspired for the next 12 months.
“I’m so excited to see what 2024 brings for our terrific West Wales services.”
