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Children to receive domestic abuse support from schools

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CHILDREN and young people in Pembrokeshire who witness the distressing scenes of domestic abuse are now receiving support from their school the very next day.

About one in five children in the UK are exposed to domestic violence according to the NSPCC – and following an incident, they often go to school with little or no support.

‘Operation Encompass’ seeks to combat this.

The scheme means that the police will provide a report for schools before 9am the following day when a pupil has been exposed to a domestic abuse incident the previous evening.

The information is given in strict confidence to the school’s designated safeguarding officer to enable support to be given dependent on the needs and wishes of the child, said Alastair Birch from Pembrokeshire County Council.

“The key adult won’t raise the issue with the pupil but they will keep a very close eye on them and if there are any issues, practical or emotional, they will step in and help,” said Alastair, Equalities and Safeguarding senior system leader.

“The approach is ‘be aware, be prepared’.

“If they turn up with no uniform, they’ll be given a uniform. If they haven’t had breakfast, they’ll be given breakfast. If they want to talk, the adult is there to listen.

“It’s absolutely vital that we give early, quick support to that child or young person.”

Operation Encompass has been set up jointly by Pembrokeshire County Council and Dyfed-Powys Police.

Pembrokeshire is the first authority in Dyfed-Powys to introduce the scheme. It already operates in several force areas in England.

Kate Evan-Hughes, Director for Children and Schools at Pembrokeshire County Council, said: “Children do come to school upset, distressed and can have an awful day and there may appear to be no clear reason for it. But actually there’s a whole background to why they’re behaving that way. Encompass lets them know if something has happened at home and it’s affecting the child.

“It allows the school to put into place the pastoral care for the child, discreetly and immediately and ensures that someone understands why the child may be behaving differently.

“Just having staff knowing makes a big difference.

“In many cases where a child has witnessed domestic violence that information has often not been shared with a school until many weeks after the event – this may have led to a lack of understanding about a child’ s behaviour and inappropriate consequences. Operation Encompass puts the child first and will help to make sure that support and understanding is there straight away.

“We are excited to be the first in the area to introduce the programme and look forward to sharing our learning and experiences with our partners on the regional safeguarding board.”

Detective Inspector Elaine Bendle, Dyfed-Powys Police, said: “Protecting vulnerable people is a priority for Dyfed-Powys Police and I am pleased to work side-by-side with Pembrokeshire County Council on Operation Encompass.

“This model is recognised as best practice and has the potential to make a real difference to some of our county’s most vulnerable children.

“The feedback so far has been promising; a full review will take place in a few months and if this pilot is successful we hope to roll Operation Encompass out across the whole force area.”

A local headteacher said: “As part of ‘Operation Encompass’ we have to date received important information at the start of the school day. The information has been very valuable to us as a school.

“We are grateful for the support of ‘Operation Encompass’ in helping us keep our pupils safe. It is reassuring to know that there is a system in place to safeguard our children both in and out of school.”

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Major traffic jams following accident on M4 near Swansea

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A ROAD traffic accident has closed the M4 in both directions from 6am on Tuesday morning (Mar 19).

The affected section is between junction 49 Pont Abraham and junction 48 Hendy, Llanelli, in Carmarthenshire.

As of 8.30am there were 45-minute delays with Traffic Wales saying: “Road continues to remain closed.

https://x.com/DyfedPowys/status/1769963608048378117

“Busy in the area delays showing as approximately 45 minutes in the surrounding areas. Please allow additional time for travel and thank you for your patience.”

Traffic monitors are showing there is already slow traffic in the area and congestion.

There are delays on surrounding routes in the area and on the A48.

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Dredging work set for Tenby Harbour

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TENBY HARBOUR and North Beach users are being asked to be aware of heavy moving machinery from Tuesday March 26 th to Friday 29 th as dredging work is carried out.

Sand will removed from the mouth of the Harbour and deposited at the north end of the beach. The work will not affect vessel movements at the Harbour.

Tenby Harbourmaster Chris Salisbury said a licence for the dredging had been issued after several months of application work.

“We ask that the public please keep clear of the operating area and that dogs are kept on a lead during this time,” Chris added.

Cllr Rhys Sinnett, Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services, said: “I’m grateful to our officers for securing the licence for this work to go ahead. This dredging is essential
for the operation of Tenby Harbour.

“The timing of the work has been governed by the tide and the dates represented the last opportunity for the work to be carried out before the boats are placed back in the
water.”

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Closure of Tata Steel’s coke ovens sparks political and union backlash

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THE recent announcement by Tata Steel to close the coke ovens at its Port Talbot plant in South Wales has ignited a firestorm of political and industrial action, highlighting the deepening crisis within the British steel industry and the challenges facing the transition to green steel.

Jo Stevens MP, the Shadow Welsh Secretary, expressed her concerns over the impact of the closure on the Welsh steel industry and the workers affected. Stevens emphasized the need for assurances about the workers’ immediate future and pledged that a UK Labour government would invest in the steel industry to support the transition to green steel, harnessing the skills, talent, and ambition of Welsh steelworkers.

The closure, slated for Wednesday due to concerns over the ovens’ “operational stability,” has been criticized by regional Senedd Members for South Wales West, Tom Giffard MS, and Dr. Altaf Hussain MS. They accused the Labour Welsh Government of neglecting its support for the Tata Steelworks in Port Talbot, highlighting a lack of financial assistance since 2019 and calling for a change in response to the current developments.

Unite, the UK’s leading union, has been vocal in its opposition to Tata’s decision, describing it as a shock and a “result of years of betrayal.” The union criticized Tata for not disclosing the imminent risk of closure during recent consultations and announced a ballot for industrial action among 1,500 Tata workers. Unite insists there should be no job losses at Port Talbot or Llanwern and that a blast furnace should remain operational.

Peter Hughes, Unite’s regional secretary for Wales, called for Tata to halt its closure plans in anticipation of Labour’s promised £3 billion investment to rejuvenate the UK steel industry. He accused Tata of managing the decline of UK steel while accepting government subsidies, describing the company’s actions as “deliberate industrial vandalism.”

The closure has not only raised concerns about the future of steel production in the UK but also spotlighted the political and economic strategies required to ensure the industry’s survival and transition towards more sustainable practices. The unfolding situation underscores the need for a collaborative approach between the government, industry stakeholders, and the workforce to navigate the complex challenges ahead.

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