Mario Kreft, is Chair of Care Forum Wales (CFW), a professional association of primarily independent sector care providers and care professionals and a provider of domiciliary and residential care services based in north-east Wales.
In this interview with Business News Wales, he outlines the impact of the pandemic on the care sector.
CFW now has more than 500 member organisations throughout Wales and is now widely recognised as the voice of the independent sector in Wales. CFW member organisations provide Wales with a workforce of more than 18,000 care practitioners and ancillary professionals.
Mario says there is greater appreciation for care workers following the pandemic. “Care workers are heroes and we need to do far more in future to ensure that this is a profession to be valued.”
In his CFW role, Mario is responsible for social care policy and the organisations working relationship with the Welsh Government and other public, voluntary and private agencies, and he devotes a great deal of time to the promotion of issues relating to the social care workforce. A previous member of the Care Council for Wales and CCETSW and is Chair of the Wales Care Awards.
He was also appointed by the Welsh Government as the Care Sector representative on the advisory National Partnership Forum for Older People and was previously appointed by the Privy Council to the Registered Homes Tribunal. Mario is also the Welsh representative on the board of Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE). Sits on the Ministerial Board overseeing the new Social Services (Wales) Bill – Sustainable Social Services for Wales.
