An Anglesey mum-of-two who worked her way up from junior carer to qualified nurse has won a top award recognising her achievements in social care.

Amy Rowlands, 33, received a gold award at the Wales Care Awards in Cardiff for her work at Bryn Seiont specialist dementia centre in Caernarfon.

Her success follows a remarkable career journey, during which she gained a first-class honours degree in nursing through Pendine Park’s training programme, allowing staff to study for qualifications while continuing to work.

Amy was one of the first two nurses at Pendine Park, alongside colleague Sioned Williams, to complete the four-year Open University degree programme. It was developed to help address the shortage of nurses working in social care.

Since qualifying, Amy has continued to develop her skills and is now undertaking further training in leadership and management.

She was nominated for the award by Bryn Seiont manager Sandra Evans, who has worked alongside her since the specialist dementia centre opened.

Amy said she was delighted to receive the gold award and felt fortunate to have been given the opportunity to progress from junior carer to qualified nurse.

She said Pendine Park’s investment in her training had made a significant difference to her career, adding that the greatest benefit was for the residents receiving care and support.

Amy said the better trained staff were, the better care they could provide, with residents’ needs remaining at the heart of everything they did.

Mrs Evans said Amy had shown commitment, compassion and a determination to keep learning throughout her career, describing her as a valuable member of the team and a role model to colleagues.

She said Amy consistently put residents first and went above and beyond to ensure they received the best possible care.

Mario Kreft MBE, owner of Pendine Park and founder of the Wales Care Awards, said Amy was a deserving winner whose achievement demonstrated the importance of supporting staff to develop their skills and fulfil their potential.

He founded the awards in 2003 to recognise the contribution of people working on the frontline of social care.

He said Amy’s success was not only a personal achievement but also an example of how investing in the workforce could benefit residents who rely on skilled and compassionate professionals.