I joined Hafan Cymrus as Chief Executive on 4th January 2016 and I am ultimately responsible for all day-to-day management decisions and for implementing the businesss short and long-term plans on behalf of the Board of Management, whilst also acting as a direct liaison between the Board and Management of the Association. Hafan Cymru is a charitable housing association that provides accommodation and support to women, men, their children and young people across Wales, offering a complete package of support provision to help people with a wide range of needs.
Over the past 31 years Hafan Cymru has needed to develop and expand from its original intent of providing sanctuary and support for women fleeing domestic abuse in order to respond to the changes in legislation and service needs. This has seen the business grow in terms of employees and contracts and the constitution changing to enable support services to be delivered to men facing domestic abuse. However, to get us to where we are today required some very tough decisions as when I joined the business in January 2016 I did not expect to find a business that was failing due to lack of leadership, financial controls and complacency. It was clear to me that between the reality of the marketplace and the businesss ability to act within that reality, something fractured until it was nearly too late to fix. However, following a difficult period of change the business is now thriving and delivers over 60 contracts across Wales providing the much needed support services to men as well as women and children, providing refuge, safe houses, temporary supporting houses and floating/outreach support, employability support, training for employers as well as building a range of skills in other areas such as mental health and working with men facing isolation.