Meet the team - Sian Felstead, Deputy Operations Manager

To celebrate World Social Work Day we want to shout about the amazing social workers that help make Calon Cymru what it is. Today we are starting by introducing you to a new member of our Carmarthen team, Sian Felstead.

Sian joined the team in January as our new Deputy Operations Manager. Since then, she has made a wonderful impression on all staff and carers, regularly attending support groups and chairing our Parent and Child placement meetings.

We got together with Sian to ask her a few questions and get to know her a little better, here’s what she had to say.

Which office do you work for?

I work in the Carmarthen office but you will regularly find me out and about throughout the local area supporting our foster carers

When did you start working for Calon Cymru?

I joined the Calon team in January 2024 following a career at the local authority

What made you want to work in foster care?

Before I qualified as a social worker I used to do voluntary work with Children Looked After (CLA), I would take them out to do fun activities in the community to allow their foster carers some time to themselves to recharge. I loved building relationships with the children and the carers.

I have worked with children and families throughout my Social Work career, it’s always been my passion. Having worked in front line for 14 years I had lots of experience of working with Foster Carers. I was ready for a new challenge, and this role was perfect for me as it allowed me to continue working with children and carers, but from a very different perspective.

What do you do at Calon Cymru?

My office base is in Carmarthen and the geographical area we cover includes Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion.

I support a small team of social workers and support workers within these areas. If you're a budding or approved foster carer linked with someone from our Carmarthen Team, chances are we'll cross paths!

I see lots of carers in support groups and regularly catch up with our Parent and Child (P&C) carers as I chair a lot of the Parent and Child Placement (P&C) Meetings. You might even catch me overseeing some cases for our Supervising Social Workers when they are on leave. I like to keep close contact and build strong relationships with the foster carers.

What part of your job do you like best?

I have many different responsibilities in my role, from supervising staff, supporting my own foster carers who are allocated to me, chairing meetings, attending support groups for our foster carers and working directly with children to ensure they feel safe, secure and happy.  I enjoy each aspect of my job as it challenges me in different ways and allows me to use my managerial and social work skills in different ways.

If I had to choose one area, it would be Parent and Child Placements, I currently chair the weekly parent and child meetings in the West area of Calon Cymru and enjoy seeing the progress that the parents and children make week on week with support from the parent and child foster carers and all the other professionals involved.

Tell us an interesting fact about yourself or something people might not know about you

Me and my family are big Disney fans and love a trip to Florida to see Mickey and Minnie!!

Why would you recommend working with Calon Cymru Fostering?

Although I have only been in my role since January, I have already seen how well the Calon Cymru foster carers are supported. They receive a high level of supervision as well as support visits, access to support groups, training, respite/day care support, access to out of hours social work support all year round. As well as the in house support provided carers also have access to additional emotional support through specialist psychologists and therapists to help support them to care for the children in their care where this is needed. I have been very impressed with the level of support available, and I believe this really does make a difference to the children who are receiving this care.

If you could give advice to someone interested in becoming a foster carer, what would it be?

To make that enquiry and take the first step, it could just end up changing one child’s life course for the better.