Our Board members

Chair of the Board, Mick Giannasi retired from the police service in April 2011, after a distinguished career spanning 31 years. He was awarded the Queen's Police Medal for his contribution to policing in 2011. Following his retirement from the Police Service in 2011, Mick was appointed by Welsh Government to act as a Commissioner for the Isles of Anglesey County Council. From September 2013 until April 2018, Mick was the Chair of Board of the Welsh Ambulance Service (NHS) Trust. He was made a Commander of the British Empire in 2018 in recognition of his contribution to the National Health Service in Wales.

Abigail has worked for over twenty years in senior leadership roles in the NHS, local government and the Welsh Government. This includes four years as the statutory director of social services in Bridgend and six years as the Chief Executive of the Vale of Glamorgan Local Health Board. Abigail has held numerous roles that have involved accelerating the integration of services across health and social care, and has a masters degree in Integrated Care.

Carl has spent the whole of his working life in the Voluntary Sector. He previously worked for the Church in Wales for 25 years and has held positions of senior management and leadership since 1999. He’s a fluent Welsh speaker and a member of the Welsh Language Commissioner’s Advisory Panel. He took up his post as Chief Executive of Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations in July 2008. He is a member of the Powys Public Service Board and Vice Chair of the Powys Regional Partnership Board

Damian was a Care Council for Wales board member and has experience in work on communication and service user engagement, focused on wheelchair services and rehabilitation in Wales and Nottingham. He’s also worked with all four major royal colleges. Damian has lectured on disability and care related issues on the international stage, and has undertaken further study in health, social care and education to further the breadth of his knowledge and experience. In his spare time, he loves horse riding and abseiling. Damian also swam at county level for the Cardiff Wales Disability Club.

Donna has been responsible for the social care sector within UNISON for the past eight years and is currently working with the Health Sector. She lives in North Wales but is based in Swansea for work. She has been a Magistrate and Brownie Leader.

Emma is a qualified independent social worker who works within the fields of fostering and adoption. She also supports adult survivors of child sexual abuse and tutoring young people within a voluntary sector agency. In addition to her professional experience, Emma has personal experiences of being a social care service user.

Grace Quantock is a board member across social care and health. She sits on the boards of Social Care Wales, Digital Health and Care Wales and Wye Valley NHS Trust. She is a researcher and counsellor in private practice with an MA in psychotherapy and digital delivery. Grace has undertaken two research fellowships into digital service delivery and undertaken research with BBC and Cardiff University on trauma-informed data delivery. She contributed to the Holmes Review into inclusion in public life in 2019 and is the recipient of a Fairwood Future Young Leader of Wales award.

Helen Mary Jones has 40 years’ experience of work in public service, including as a Member of the Senedd, where she chaired the Children and Young People’s Committee and the Culture Committee. She Chaired Cross-Party Groups on Children and Young People, Looked After Children, and Human Rights. She served as Shadow Minister for Health and Social Services and Shadow Minister for the Economy.

Outside politics she has held significant roles, including chief executive of a national youth work charity and Deputy Director of the Equal Opportunities Commission. She was appointed to the Ministerial Intervention Board sent into Pembrokeshire County Council following a series of safeguarding failings. She has presented on public policy at Harvard, Huston, and Austin Universities. In September 2021 she was elected to the Board of Children in Wales, the umbrella body for children’s organisations. She current works as a policy and public affairs consultant.

Joanne is a pharmacist who has lived in north Wales for the last 20 years. As a community pharmacist she has taken a leading role in supporting the health and wellbeing of the population locally. She has been actively involved with the tertiary sector and particularly carers’ organisations and is a Dementia Friend champion.

Jane has 40 years experience of working in local authority Children’s Services Departments. She has at, senior manager level, managed most aspects of Children’s Services. In recent years she has specialised in the delivery of services for looked after children. Since April 2013 Jane has been working independently. Some of the major projects she has been commissioned to work on are Project Manager for the National Adoption Service and Project Manager for the National Fostering Framework.

Maria Battle is the Chair of Hywel Dda Health Board and was formerly the Chair of Cardiff and the Vale University Health Board for 8 years.

Maria is a Solicitor specialising in public law and human rights. She was formerly Senior Director of Consumer Focus Wales, a consumer rights statutory watchdog. Prior to this Maria was Deputy/Acting Children`s Commissioner for Wales advocating for children rights in health, education, child protection and asylum in Wales, UK and Europe. Maria has been the Director of Age Concern Ceredigion championing the rights of older people. She has lectured in law at the Universities of Glamorgan and Birmingham.

Peter was originally a chartered accountant focusing on public services and charities. Having been for a Responsible Individual of a Welsh care home group for 15 years, he has direct experience of setting up and providing regulated services. Peter chairs the Improvement Committee of Social Care Wales.

Peter’s non-executive experience includes roles in the third sector and within the Welsh Government’s Department of Health and Social Services. Peter served on the board of a housing association for nine years and was an Independent Member on the NHS National Delivery Group for eight years and on the National Partnership Board for Mental Health for four years. Peter is a board member of Life Sciences Hub Wales and chairs their Audit and Risk Assurance Committee.

Simon has had a long career in the public sector, most recently as Director of Social Services for Monmouthshire. In addition to front line roles as a teacher and social worker, he’s spent many years working to build integrated social care and health services which put the individual at the centre. He’s a member of the National Independent Safeguarding Board and sees the protection of children and adults at risk as central to the improvement and regulatory work of the Social Care Wales Board.

Trystan Pritchard has experience across the public and third sectors in Wales. Currently Chief Executive of St David’s Hospice in Llandudno, he has previously held senior roles in the NHS and Local Government. His areas of expertise include public engagement and strategic management.

Trystan spent several years as Head of Communications for a Health Board with responsibility for strategic communications, stakeholder engagement and online services. A qualified journalist, Trystan has served as Chairman of the Citizen’s Advice Wales Committee. A fluent Welsh speaker, his interests include mountaineering, Welsh rugby and spending time with his young family.