The Commissioner is supported by a small team of staff who work on her behalf to deliver her priorities. Find out more about the roles and responsibilities of the Commissioner’s Team below.
Senior Management Team
Kelly Davies
Chief Operating Officer / Deputy Commissioner
Kelly leads on, and is accountable for, all internal operations of the Commissioner’s office. Her role is to ensure effective planning, reporting and monitoring arrangements to support the smooth running of the organisation and to manage its performance against key strategic objectives, standards and budgets.
Kelly is also responsible for identifying and managing risks and ensuring that the systems, processes, controls and information are in place to comply with the Commissioner’s statutory duties.
As Chief Operating Officer, Kelly is formally designated as the Deputy Commissioner and is designated to undertake the role of Commissioner if the Commissioner so directs or is unable to carry out her statutory duties.
Rachel Bowen
Director of Policy
Rachel is responsible for the quality and impact of policy and research evidence, analysis and outputs. Rachel leads on specific areas of the Commissioner’s work, ensuring excellent working relationships with older people and other stakeholders. Rachel ensures that older people’s views and voices inform the Commissioner’s research and policy work through engagement with the diversity of the older population.
Delyth Evans
Head of Finance and Resources
Delyth is responsible for ensuring that the systems, processes, controls and information are effective and in place to enable the Commissioner to fully comply with her statutory duties relating to financial controls and systems, data protection, and health and safety.
Delyth has responsibility for the day-to-day operation of all financial accounting and reporting systems, as well as procurement (including tenders and contracts) and ensuring that all key deliverables are met as per agreed contracts.
Delyth is also responsible for the preparation of annual accounts and the submission of statutory financial returns.
Commissioner’s Team
Ageing Well Lead
David works with individuals, organisations and communities at a local, regional and national level to support, inform and empower local people to develop innovative and practical ways to enable older people to age well. He leads on the development, implementation and evaluation of local and regional events that support and empower people to have their say about what they would like to change in their community and identify the steps that they (and others) could take to help older people to age well in communities across Wales, alongside producing and promoting a range of tools, resources and practical guides to support change within communities across Wales.
David also leads the Commissioner’s priority of enabling all older people to age well.
Communications Officer
Rhys promotes the work of the Commissioner in Wales through social media, campaigns and digital and marketing activity to build awareness of the role of the Commissioner among older people and key stakeholders. Rhys also writes press releases, maintains the Commissioner’s social media presence, and ensures that the Commissioner’s website is kept up to date.
Corporate Services Officer
Hayley supports the Chief Operating Officer and Head of Finance and Resources to ensure that there is effective corporate services management for the organisation by supporting the HR, IT, health and safety and data protection functions.
Data and Research Analyst
Lauren ensures that the Commissioner can access and use appropriate data sources for good quality evidence, data and information to underpin her work. She undertakes analysis of data sources, leads on the evidence and data requirements for a ‘state of the nation’ report, develops indicators and measures to assess progress against the work programme priorities and produces detailed research and data briefings for a range of audiences.
Head of Advice and Assistance
Joanne leads the Commissioner’s Advice and Assistance service, ensuring that the service is effective and efficient, delivering high quality advice and assistance to older people across Wales. Joanne ensures that the service is widely promoted and accessible to all older people, and shares the evidence and insights from the service to deliver positive change for older people.
Head of Communications
Richard promotes the work of the Commissioner and ensures effective communication and engagement with older people and stakeholders through media coverage, campaigns, social media and marketing activities. He is responsible for managing communications across the organisation, through implementing, monitoring and evaluating the Commissioner’s communication strategy and annual communications plan.
Health and Care Lead
Valerie works with public bodies and other organisations to drive up the quality of, and access to, health and social care services for older people in Wales. She also works with public bodies to increase knowledge and awareness of the issues that matter most to older people to make more rapid progress towards the provision of a joined-up, outcome-focused service that delivers impactful change for older people and has older people at its heart.
Policy and Practice Lead
Sion leads on the key areas of policy linked to the age-friendly eight domains, shares good practice to improve experiences for older people and develops and maintains excellent working relationships with older people and other key stakeholders.
Sion leads on developing and managing a dynamic ‘Community of Practice’, encouraging and enabling members to learn from each other, share good practice and contribute to the developing age-friendly movement in Wales.
Rights and Equalities Lead
Anna plays a leading role in the organisation on the protection, development and promotion of older people’s rights and equality, working with public bodies to improve their understanding of ageism and age discrimination, how to combat it, and how to ensure policy and practice is free of ageism and age discrimination.
She also scrutinises proposed and existing policy and legislation concerning rights and equality, assessing the implications for older people and taking opportunities to influence with key stakeholders.
Safeguarding Lead
Andrea leads on the Commissioner’s priority of stopping the abuse of older people in Wales. She works with key organisations (including the Commissioner’s Action Group) to ensure that older people can get the support they need if they are at risk of or experiencing abuse. Andrea works with public services to improve understanding of the nature of abuse faced by older people and ensure that improvements are made in supporting older people across policy, practice, legislation, and resources.
Senior Caseworker
Rhiannon provides information, advice, guidance and support to older people and their families on a range of issues such as adult protection, finance, health, care and housing to challenge poor practice and ensure that their voices are heard and understood by service providers and decision makers.
Senior Advice and Assistance Officer
Rhian provides information, advice, guidance and support to older people and their families on a range of issues such as adult protection, finance, health, care and housing to challenge poor practice and ensure that their voices are heard and understood by service providers and decision makers.
Senior Executive Assistant
Ruth acts as a personal assistant to the Commissioner, providing the highest level of professional and efficient administrative and secretarial support. Ruth is first point of contact for external stakeholders, confidently dealing with a wide range of matters in a professional manner.
Ruth also performs the role of secretariat for the Senior Management Team and Audit and Risk Assurance Committee.
Team Support Administrator
Cara provides general administrative support to colleagues across the organisation. Cara also organises and supports both in-person and online events and meetings, including engagement events with older people throughout Wales.
Work Programme Support Assistant
Kay supports the delivery of the Commissioner’s work programme through providing a range of administrative support to the Commissioner’s priority leads. Her role includes producing progress reports and updates for colleagues, preparing materials and providing support at meetings at events.