THE PEMBROKESHIRE community has successfully raised the funds needed to cover the court fine of former teacher Rhodri S. Jones within just 24 hours. The GoFundMe campaign, launched to support Jones after his conviction for assaulting a child at Ysgol Caer Elen, has met its £600 target.

Jones, 40, of Hayston View, Johnston, had pleaded guilty to assault by beating. He was legally represented in court by Mr Michael Kelleher, who highlighted the difficulties faced by teachers in maintaining discipline without physical interaction. Jones, described as mortified by the incident, resigned from the teaching profession following the altercation where he pushed a pupil who was being cheeky and rude.

The court fined Jones £400, with additional costs and a surcharge bringing the total to £645. No compensation order was made against the victim, with the presiding magistrate deeming it inappropriate.

The fundraiser, organised by Andrew Phillips, saw an outpouring of support from the community, quickly surpassing its goal. Donations flooded in from parents, colleagues, and local residents who felt the punishment was too severe for what they considered a minor incident.

Jones expressed his gratitude, saying, “I am overwhelmed with the support of the community, and I can’t believe how generous everyone has been. This has been a difficult time for me and my family, and this support means the world to us.”

The rapid success of the campaign highlights the strong sense of community and the high regard in which Jones is held. Supporters emphasised his dedication to teaching and lamented the loss of a valued educator from the profession.

This collective effort not only alleviates the financial burden on Jones but also sends a powerful message of community unity and support. The incident has sparked a broader conversation about the challenges faced by teachers and the pressures of maintaining discipline in modern educational environments.

A SET of new resources aimed at reducing the use of restrictive practices in healthcare, social care and educational settings has been welcomed by the Minister for Social Care.

The Reducing Restrictive Practices Framework provides advice to those who work with children and adults across relevant settings and services.

The Framework aims to reduce the use of restrictive practices, also known as restraint, used on people of all ages and on those with additional learning needs.

The set of new resources to support the Framework have been developed by the Welsh Government in partnership with the Restraint Reduction Network and Improvement Cymru. The resources are based on the lived experiences of those affected.

They include an animation produced and written by people with a lived experience, an explainer document, and a poster.

The animation depicts the eight types of restrictive practice; physical, chemical, mechanical, enforced isolation, psychological, cultural, surveillance and blanket restrictions.

As well as the animation, the explainer and poster aim to support discussion and increase public knowledge.

Minister for Social Care, Dawn Bowden, has welcomed the new resources which aim to reduce the use of restrictive practices in relevant settings for people of all ages.

Speaking ahead of the launch of the new resources, Minister for Social Care Dawn Bowden said: “We know that restrictive practices can have a negative impact on the people they are used on, as well as those who implement and witness them”.

“We hope this new set of awareness raising resources will reduce the use of restrictive practices in the future, and increase knowledge of the harm they can cause.”

A webinar hosted by the Restraint Reduction Network in partnership with Welsh Government and Improvement Cymru has been planned for 24 July 2024 to officially launch the new resources.

Ben Higgins, Restraint Reduction Network CEO, said: “We are delighted to support the launch of the Welsh Government’s new resources for practitioners working in health, care and educational settings, created as part of the Reducing Restrictive Practices Framework.

“We hope that this coproduced animation increases understanding of restrictive practices – what they are, the harm they cause and how to reduce and prevent them – supporting practitioners to reduce the use of restraint in Wales and make a real difference to people’s lives.”

AN APPLICATION for a £30m-plus redevelopment of Haverfordwest’s Portfield School has been backed by Pembrokeshire planners.

Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning committee meeting of June 25 was recommended to approve a council application for the redevelopment of Portfield School, including demolition of the existing Portfield Lower School, a masterplan for the campus, the development of the new primary school building, refurbishment works to the existing sixth form block and associated works.

The proposal will increase student numbers from an approximately 170 to 215, with staff numbers increasing from 108 to approximately 145.

A report for planners said the application site is located on the current Portfield School, an Additional Learning School (ALN) for pupils aged 3-19, site, and part of the former school grounds of Haverfordwest High VC School.

“An overall masterplan for the site has been prepared. The principal elements of the redevelopment comprise the replacement of the existing lower school with a lower school building directly connected to the existing 6th Form block by way of a covered link.

“The 6th Form block and Holly House will both be refurbished but planning permission is not required for these elements of the scheme, bar the provision of a new entrance canopy to the 6th Form Block.”

It added: “The proposed development will lead to the loss of all-weather playing pitches and the Tennis Dome, albeit this is in the context of the council’s decision that this provision be discontinued and that the land should be re-purposed as part of the Portfield School redevelopment.

“The scheme will make provision of a new MUGA [Multi-Use Games Area] and play areas to serve the development. The overall masterplan indicates that the internal site layout will be reconfigured, with the internal access road to Waldo Williams Primary School relocated west, allowing for emergency vehicles and deliveries access to the adjacent site.

“In addition, the existing bus parking space will be utilised for standard parking, with a new access lane off this area leading to the rear of the secondary school, allowing refuse vehicles to access the bins and to accommodate a new drop off point for the Sixth Form Block.”

Moving approval at the committee meeting, Haverfordwest Portfield county councillor Cllr Tim Evans said the redevelopment was “very exciting” for Portfield.

Committee chair Cllr Simon Hancock said the development was “a significant investment” of over £30m.

The scheme was conditionally approved following a unanimous backing by committee members.