News

Momentous achievements for local care company

Published

12 years ago

September 10, 2014

care in hand1 A PEMBROKESHIRE company is blazing a trail for care workers in Wales by becoming the first of its kind to offer the Living Wage to its staff.

Care in Hand, the care and nursing provider, has not only been accredited as the first Living Wage employer in Pembrokeshire, but is also the first in the care sector in Wales!

The Living Wage is an hourly rate that is set independently and reflects the basic cost of living in the UK. It is currently set at £7.65 per hour – £1.34 above the UK government’s Minimum Wage.

Now a call has gone out to other care sector firms to follow Care in Hand’s example and increase their wages to staff.

Living Wage Foundation director, Rhys Moore hailed the company’s accreditation as a Living Wage employers as ‘a huge step for the care sector in Wales’.

He added: ‘We hope that the leadership Care in Hand has shown will encourage others in the industry to consider how they support low-paid employees.

‘ Care in Hand Award Carers are traditionally some of the lowest-paid employees in the workforce, despite the work undertaken being some of the most vital in our society.’

Delan Umanee, Managing Director of Care in Hand, commented:’During our 10th anniversary year we really wanted to do something special to reward the commitment and hard work of our carers. We believe that this accreditation will make a genuine and lasting difference to our carers’ standard of living. Plus our clients can feel reassured that we are looking after the people who they rely upon for support and care.’

More than one in five people in Wales is paid less than the Living Wage, according to The Living Wage Commission report, June 2014. This means that 237,000 employees in Wales – 22% of the workforce – were paid less than £7.65 an hour.

News

Hakin motorist banned after driving 14 times over drug limit

Published

15 hours ago

June 9, 2026

Sarah-Jane Absalom

A HAKIN motorist has been banned from driving for three years after being caught behind the wheel with cocaine and benzoylecgonine in his system.

Mark Briskham, 53, of Waterloo Square, Wellington Road, Hakin, was stopped by police on January 5 as he drove a Ford Kuga along Steynton Road, near Milford Haven.

Blood tests carried out at the police station showed he had 800mcg of benzoylecgonine in his system. The legal limit is 50mcg.

He also had 64mcg of cocaine in his system. The legal limit is 10mcg.

Briskham pleaded guilty to two drug-driving charges when he appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week.

Magistrates disqualified him from driving for three years, taking into account a previous drug-drive conviction from 2020.

He was also fined £120 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £48 surcharge.cr

Crime

Begelly man remanded over alleged May Day assault

Published

15 hours ago

June 9, 2026

Sarah-Jane Absalom

A PEMBROKESHIRE man has been remanded in custody following an alleged May Day assault against a woman in Begelly.

Tomas Baker, 34, of Ty Dee, New Road, Begelly, is accused of assaulting the woman, causing actual bodily harm, at an undisclosed location in Begelly on May 1.

Baker appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week by video link from Swansea Prison.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge.

His trial will take place at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on June 22.

Crime

Waterston man denies child rape and sexual assault charges

Published

15 hours ago

June 9, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A WATERSTON man has appeared before magistrates charged with 13 sexual offences against children, including three allegations of raping a girl under the age of 13.

Chaisee Price, 25, of Biggins Hill, Waterston, Milford Haven, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court this week.

He faces three charges of raping a girl under 13, eight charges of sexually assaulting girls aged between five and eight, and two charges of intentionally inciting girls under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

The offences are alleged to have taken place between 2014 and 2019.

Price denied all charges.

Because of the seriousness of the allegations, magistrates declined jurisdiction and the case will now proceed to Swansea Crown Court on July 10.

Price was released on conditional bail.

The conditions include a daily electronically monitored curfew between 6:00pm and 6:00am, no contact with the prosecution witness, no unsupervised contact with children under 18, and a requirement to surrender his passport to police.