Wrexham care home hailed as 'blueprint' for Wales
The praise for Pendine Park came from Dawn Bowden MS, the Minister for Children and Social Care, during a visit to the Highfield nursing home in Wrexham.
The visit coincided with Pendine Park's 40th anniversary, marking four decades since owners Mario and Gill Kreft opened their first care home in 1985.
Ms Bowden said: "The visit has been great and I have met with Mario a couple of times now.
"His dedication and his enthusiasm to what he is doing is incredible."
Since its humble beginnings, Pendine Park has expanded to include nine care homes in Wrexham and Caernarfon, employing 860 staff members and providing 440 beds.
The organisation has also been instrumental in the development of the social care sector, with owner Mario Kreft MBE founding Care Forum Wales and the Wales Care Awards.
Ms Bowden said: "I see Mario and Gill's homes as being held up as an exemplar of what we want to see in social care.
"It has been interesting to listen to Mario talk about different types of care settings that he has.
"There are various different settings but all with the same ethos, and I think that was the thing that has impressed me more than anything, and it's all driven wanting to provide the best care for some of the most vulnerable people that we need to look after."
The Minister, who took on the social care remit in September last year, also praised the dedication of workers in the sector.
She said: "What has impressed me the most is the absolute dedication of the people who work in the sector.
"Some of these people are the lowest paid in our public services, and we are trying very hard to do something about that."
Ms Bowden highlighted the introduction of the Real Living Wage in Wales for social care workers three years ago, acknowledging the need to recruit and retain the best in the sector.
She said: "What I want to see is that we really do get to a parity of esteem with NHS colleagues.
"I don't think what people do in the social care sector is appreciated enough and that needs to be recognised."
Highfield's manager Tracey Smith, who has worked at the site for 25 years, said she was pleased to have the opportunity to show the minister around the home.
She said: "It's always nice to be able to show people what we do here and for them to see the work the staff do.
"The staff want to look after people, and they work hard and they care about the residents, they put the residents first."
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Mr Kreft said this year was a significant one for Highfield as it marked the 30th anniversary of its opening, and he was pleased to be able to show the minister around the site.
He said: "It was a great pleasure to have the Minister here to see what we at Pendine do, what the staff here do, day in and day out, and also how important places like this in the independent sector are to health and social care in Wales.
"Kindness is the key to caring, and the staff go above and beyond, they are unsung heroes.
"Over the 40 years Pendine has worked with others in the independent sector and with government and that's why it is so nice to see the Minister here."
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