Conference and twilight session speaker biographies

Neil Eastwood

Neil Eastwood is an international speaker on care worker recruitment and retention within Adult Social Care. He is the author of the book ‘Saving Social Care - How to find more of the best frontline care employees and keep the ones you have’.

He is also Founder and CEO of Care Friends, an employee referral app operated in partnership with Skills for Care which won the 2023 King's Award for innovation. Neil was previously a director for a UK-wide homecare provider with 10,000 staff.

Chantelle Haughton, DARPL

Chantelle is the DARPL Director and Founder (Welsh Government National initiative for Pan-Wales Diversity and Anti-Racist Professional Learning to realise the Curriculum for Wales through a Community of Practice involving large institutions and grass roots organisations working in partnership with professional / lived experiences), National Teaching Fellow, Principal Lecturer in Early Years Education, Cardiff Met University and Senior Fellow (SFHEA).

Chantelle established The Cardiff Met University Outdoor Learning Centre. Chantelle co-Chairs Welsh Government Anti Racist Wales Action Plan Early Years, Childcare and Play Governance Group.

She was a Member of and Chair’s Brief for the Ministerial Working Group for Black Asian and Minority Ethnic Histories and Cynefin in Curriculum for Wales, former-Chair Black History Wales Management Committee, Former Vice Chair BAMEed Wales Network, Deputy Chair Race Equality Charter task group at Cardiff Met and Former Vice-Chair Early Years Network Wales.

Chantelle was Principal Investigator on the Research Report written  for Welsh Government (2021) Examining Recruitment and Retention Issues for teachers / leaders in Education, the findings of which resulted directly in the Welsh Government policy development for mandatory ITE Action Planning and Incentive Bursary for Student Teachers with Global Majority Heritage.

In 2023 Chantelle was Principal Investigator for a recent regional piece of research exploring racism in schools and issues around non-reporting.  

Martin King-Sheard, Play Wales

Martin is the Workforce Development Officer for Play Wales. He has lead responsibility for policy and strategic development related to the learning and professional development of the play and playwork workforce in Wales. He has been working with children for over 25 years, as a playworkers and circus practitioner.

Martin is based in North Wales and has been with Play Wales since 2006.

Liz Parker, Engagement and Development Officer, Social Care Wales

Liz is one of the engagement and development officers responsible for the Welsh language external work that Social Care Wales does with the social care and early years sector.

Ceri Gethin, Social Care Wales

Ceri is our WeCare Wales Engagement and Development Officer. She leads on the engagement work needed to promote and embed the work of WeCare Wales, including its jobs portal, Introduction to social care and Introduction to child care programmes. This involves maintaining and developing relationships with partners and employers across Wales.

Natasha Young, early years lecturer, University of Wales Trinity Saint David

Natasha is an early years lecturer at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. After many years working in the early years sector, she has developed a keen interest in all early years issues with specific focus on children’s development, play and safeguarding. 

Kay Evans, Early Years, Childcare and Play Division, Welsh Government

Information to follow.