Connect with us
Advertisement
Advertisement

News

Time to Care Charter not adopted

Published

on

THE TIME TO CARE CHARTER was not adopted by Councillors at Monday’s (Feb 9) Cabinet Meeting.

Cllr Paul Miller: Put forward Notice of Motion.

Cllr Paul Miller: Put forward
Notice of Motion.

A Notice of Motion put forward by Cllr Paul Miller asked that the council should adopt the Charter which would have been launched from February 16.

Cllr Miller spoke of the need for the authority to make adult care a priority for the authority but, Cabinet members were concerned of the implications of accepting the Charter and said they would need to know more information before they could sign up to it.

Cllr Paul Miller said: “What we’ve tried to do is quite clearly set out what we would like to see being delivered from the Adult Social Care team going forward in Pembrokeshire. This document talks about the flexibility of carers to support their clients and whether they are given the appropriate time within the scheduling of visits to do that.

“In terms of time allocated to visits I accept what we are asking for is a greater meeting of needs of the client to the time allocated to visits. In general that means the end of fifteen minute visits but I do accept the directors report that there are some fifteen minute visits that are appropriate. There are significant concerns from carers that their time with clients is limited by travel times not being appropriately factored into the schedule.

“We’re also convinced that there are examples in Pembrokeshire of home carers not being paid the minimum wage, that is completely unacceptable but it is something that we need to be mindful of. This is about doing more for people in Pembrokeshire but for me it is a question of priorities and this needs to be a priority for us as an authority.”

Council Leader Jamie Adams said: “I recognise that many of our ageing residents are in danger of becoming vulnerable but I think it is important that we recognise, not just the financial framework, that we get the model of care right.

“There are fundamental aspects of that model of care that need to be put in place before we consider signing up to this.”

Cllr Simon Hancock said: “This is very much a valid part of social care and wider political discourse and I agree with his comments, something we would all agree with, we want to protect the most vulnerable, we want to protect people in the community and give them low-level community services. We all share the same philosophy as to how the model of social care is and should be. There are six providers that we commission that pay the living wage but as Paul illuded to, this is a question of cost. Preliminary figures show that if we signed up to this, it would cost us a minimum of £155,000 in extra expense and a full procurement exercise would have to be carried out and that would also have significant associated costs. Everybody in this room would agree we would love to have everybody on a living wage. We don’t pay living wage to all PCC employers. We are never complacent but there is a lot more work and a lot greater understanding to receive clarity before we as an authority could bind ourselves to this charter.”

Cllr Sue Perkins added: “I support everything that has been said but we couldn’t sit here and vote for something without knowing the costs. I would like to know a huge amount more information.”

Cllr Miller responded: “I would also like to understand exactly what this would cost. This is broader than just paying the living wage although it is a key part of what we are seeking. We need to make sure we are providing the best possible level of care to people in Pembrokeshire. For me this needs to be a priority for this authority.”

Cllr Adams said: “There is not a desire to dismiss the points you have made which are valid and worthy of consideration but a quick fix is going to be very difficult. I’m a bit worried that we are being pushed into effectively signing on to a document that is slightly meaningless, simply because we’re pushed on a timescale. There is a lot of change currently within adult social care. I am keen that we keep a watching brief on this.”

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

News

Rugby Weekly – Tenby’s promotion push continues

Published

on

It’s crunch time for all rugby clubs around the county, whether promotion is their aim or fighting relegation or even just trying to improve their league position, it’s now or never. 

Last weekend saw an important win for Fishguard in division two west which should put any relegation fears to bed completely. James Griffiths added an impressive 18 points for the Seagulls as they defeated Nantgaredig 33-19. 

Elsewhere in the second division, Milford were beaten 32-8 by a good Lampeter outfit. The Mariners are still a little too close for comfort with the drop zone but should have enough quality to see them safe. 

At the other end of the table Tenby sit in second place and have played fewer games than leaders St Clears and third place Lampeter. They won impressively again last weekend, beating Pontyberem 64-19 at Haywood Lane. Fletcher Broadhurst impressed with two tries as did Hywel Baker who also grabbed himself a brace. Another excellent performance in an outstanding season so far in which promotion would be the absolute icing on the cake. 

In Division Three West, Pembroke were well beaten by Laugharne 74-15 in which the outstanding Liam Price and Nico Setaro both crossed the whitewash 4 teams a piece. The latter also added 7 successful conversions. 

There was a local derby at Pill Parks where Llangwm hosted Pembroke Dock Quins and it was an exciting clash. The visitors won narrowly 28-23, Craig Barnett and Gethin Bradney both scored two tries for the Quins. The Wasps battled hard and will be proud of their performance, Gethin Thomas impressed for the hosts with two tries of his own but it wasn’t enough to secure the points. 

St David’s hosted the high flying Cardigan outfit and were unable to score in reply to the visitors 20 points, with it ending 20-0. The Saints however won’t be losing too much sleep over it as they have had a great season so far. 

Continue Reading

Business

Stephen Crabb leads inquiry on retaining community bank services  

Published

on

PRESELI Pembrokeshire MP, and Chair of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee Stephen Crabb is leading an inquiry in Parliament that will investigate the closure of high street banks in Wales, as well as access to cash.

In November 2023, Pembrokeshire saw the closure of Lloyds Bank in St Davids, and in the coming months both Barclays Bank and Halifax in Haverfordwest are set to close. In recent years, Wales has experienced a rapid decline in the number of high street banking services available to the public. Already in 2024, 23 high street bank closures have been announced in Wales, while automated teller machines (ATMs) declined by nearly a quarter between 2018 and 2023.

The Committee willconsider how declining high street banking services are impacting vulnerable people and small businesses across Wales, who are often more reliant on cash than digital banking. It will also examine how Wales is being affected by the loss of high street bank services, and whether the problem is worse in Wales than other parts of the UK.

Mr Crabb is a staunch advocate for retaining community banking facilities, especially in rural communities like Pembrokeshire where many local branches remain the only source of face-to-face banking provision for miles.

Recently Mr Crabb challenged Barclays Bank senior management on their decision to close the bank branch in Haverfordwest– a move that will see Barclays not only pull out of the county town, but means they won’t have a branch left anywhere in Pembrokeshire. He has also engaged with LINK – the UK’s largest cash machine network – and continues to campaign on the basis that a Banking Hub is established and that ATM machines should be retained or installed, especially in areas worst affected by the closures.  

Following the launch of the inquiry, MP Crabb added: “It is really sad to see so many banks across Wales closing as online banking grows in popularity. Despite the advantages of online banking, for a rural community with an ageing population like Pembrokeshire, bank branches hold huge importance as they offer face-to-face customer service.”

“I am acutely aware of the inconvenience that the bank closures locally have already caused following hundreds of replies from constituents to my ‘online banking survey’ ”

“I am looking forward to gathering further evidence on this subject through the committee’s inquiry, and will continue to put pressure on the relevant stakeholders to ensure that adequate alternative provisions are made through the establishment of banking hubs as well as the instalment of ATM machines where necessary.”

“In this inquiry, we are particularly keen to hear from those likely to be directly affected by the shift away from cash and physical banks. I encourage anyone with first-hand experience of losing banking services to give evidence to the Committee”

Continue Reading

Business

Trains resume between Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock as works end

Published

on

TRAIN services resumed this morning (Thursday 28 March) after ten days of essential round-the-clock work to upgrade track and drainage between Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock.

The railway was closed from Monday 18 March to Wednesday 27 March to allow Network Rail teams to replace more than 200 metres of track and 300 tonnes of ballast (track stones) between Pembroke station and Pembroke Dock.

Work to improve the drainage between Narbeth and Kilgetty stations was also completed at the same time.

Nick Millington, Network Rail Wales and Borders route director, said: “This essential work in Pembrokeshire demonstrates our commitment to improving the reliability of the service we provide to passengers along our route.

“We know that replacing the track can be disruptive and very noisy, so I would like to thank the residents of Pembroke for their patience while our team carried out this crucial work.”

Colin Lea, Planning and Performance Director at Transport for Wales said: “We’re pleased that our colleagues in Network Rail have completed this essential work and that Transport for Wales rail services resumed today.

“We’d like to thank passengers for their patience while this work has progressed and look forward to welcoming passengers back in time for the Easter weekend.”

Continue Reading

Business21 hours ago

Stephen Crabb leads inquiry on retaining community bank services  

PRESELI Pembrokeshire MP, and Chair of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee Stephen Crabb is leading an inquiry in Parliament that...

News1 day ago

Police ask motorists to avoid A44 trunk road due to heavy snowfall

DYFED-POWYS POLICE have issued an appeal to motorists to avoid a 25 mile section of the A44 trunk road between...

Crime2 days ago

Woman will quit the booze after seeing shocking drunken video in court

A HAVERFORDWEST woman this week vowed to undertake ‘a complete alcohol abstinence’ after being shown court video footage of her...

News3 days ago

Family heartbroken by loss of ‘larger than life character’ in M4 crash

THE FAMILY of the man who died in a collision on the M4 motorway say ‘he will be greatly missed...

Business3 days ago

Victory for WASPI women but the fight goes on

A LANDMARK ruling by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman could benefit around 5,000 women in Ceredigion born in the...

Entertainment5 days ago

A night to remember: Symphonica Tywi’s ‘Film Fantastics’ was a triumph

ON SATURDAY (Mar 23), Haverfordwest High School was ablaze with the soaring melodies and dramatic scores of some of cinema’s...

News5 days ago

Memorial for all those affected by Covid-19 unveiled at County Hall

A LASTING tribute for Pembrokeshire loved ones lost during the Covid-19 pandemic and those working on the frontline has been...

Top News6 days ago

Princess of Wales announces cancer diagnosis and treatment

CATHERINE, the Princess of Wales, has shared her recent health struggles with the public, revealing a diagnosis that has sent...

Charity1 week ago

RNLI lifeguards back on patrol in Pembrokeshire for the Easter Holidays

RNLI lifeguards will be on patrol once again in Pembrokeshire ahead of the Easter holidays. This Saturday, 23 March 2024,...

Community1 week ago

Neglected Pembrokeshire poodles find their forever homes 

THIRTY poodle type dogs were in total rescued after they were found in an unsuitable environment where their owner also...

Popular This Week