New Chief appointed to take over reigns of Care Council for Wales

Sue Evans has been appointed the new Chief Executive of the Care Council for Wales. She is currently Chief Officer, Social Care and Housing, at Torfaen County Borough Council, and is President of the Association of Directors of Social Services (ADSS) Cymru.

Sue will take over from Rhian Huws Williams, who will be retiring from the Care Council after almost 15 years, at the end of June.

Sue will come to the Care Council after a varied career in the public, private and voluntary sectors.

Care Council Chair Arwel Ellis Owen said: “We are delighted to have appointed Sue who will bring a wealth of valuable experience to the role of Chief Executive at a time of exciting change and opportunity for the Care Council.

“In April 2017, the Care Council will be changing to Social Care Wales, an organisation with broader powers and a leading role to play in how new Government legislation is put into practice.

“With responsibility for regulating and developing the social care workforce, as well as service improvement, research and training, we will need a Chief Executive who is capable of leading the organisation through this period of significant change. Sue with her senior experience in social services, the NHS, housing and voluntary organisations, is an ideal person to take us forward in this exciting but challenging period and help us develop a wider range of partnerships to meet our broader objectives.

“In Rhian Huws Williams we have had an excellent Chief Executive, who has led the Care Council since it first opened its doors in October 2001, guiding it to many significant achievements and building it into a successful organisation. Now that Rhian is retiring, we are fortunate to have someone of Sue’s calibre to lead the Care Council onto its next stage of evolution and I’m looking forward very much to working closely with her,” he added.

Sue joined the NHS in 1992, moving from public health medicine into various management roles. Her experience in the voluntary sector put her at the sharp end of meeting the needs of children, young people and adults with disabilities, which sparked her interest in health, social care and housing.

Between 2006 and 2012, Sue had a range of joint-Director roles, with responsibility for planning, commissioning and operational delivery of health, social care and housing services. This included the role of Statutory Director of Social Services, which she still retains in her current role with Torfaen County Borough Council.

Sue has been a member of the ADSS Cymru Governance Board since 2013. Picture (c) ADSS Cymru.