Latest news with #StephenWalker
Wales Online
a day ago
- General
- Wales Online
The huge rise in children being home schooled in one part of Wales
The huge rise in children being home schooled in one part of Wales 'Sometimes parents don't understand the effect of children not being around other children or seen in school,' said one expert Stock image of schoolgirls (Image: PA) The number of parents schooling their children at home has surged in one Welsh county over recent years. Figures from Powys council show 409 youths are being home-schooled — up from 154 before the Covid pandemic. The issue came up as councillors discussed an assurance report into children's services, which followed up on a scathing Care Inspectorate Wales report from 2017 which revealed missed opportunities to safeguard children, poor risk assessment and serious performance issues. The new report was much more positive, finding the department had an "experienced and stable leadership team". Powys isn't the only council seeing a rise. But it did draw attention to one of the 'challenges' faced by Powys social workers since the pandemic — the increasing number of families home-educating their children. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newslette. Report writer Stephen Walker, a social services director at Leeds council, told Powys council's health and care scrutiny committee that it was 'not about' the rights or wrongs of children being educated at home. The issue, he said, is whether children's services are in a position to provide help if needed. Mr Walker added: 'There are national issues because we have no right to access, as children's services, to see children being educated at home.' He said some parents may have been 'persuaded' to take their child out of school because of difficult behaviour. This could be because they are 'reducing the overall achievement' of a school and educating them at home is "better" than for the child to be excluded, which would go on their official school record. Mr Walker went on: 'Sometimes parents don't understand the effect of children not being around other children or seen in school.' Article continues below Committee chairwoman, Conservative councillor Amanda Jenner said: "I think this is something we need to think about and potentially pick up with the education scrutiny committee as this ties in with the fact that school attendance since Covid-19 is a lot lower." The home-schooling figure of 409 is up from around 300 in June 2023, and 154 before the coronavirus pandemic.
BBC News
04-08-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Hammersmith's Ravenscourt Hospital gets housing planning approval
Proposals to turn a Grade II-listed former hospital in west London into housing have been Ravenscourt Park Hospital site will be converted into 140 new homes and a 65-bed care hospital in Hammersmith was first opened as the Royal Masonic Hospital in 1933, but has been vacant - aside from intermittent use as a film set - since developer, TT Group, has promised community spaces and preservation of the building's Art Deco style; however, only 21 of the homes will be affordable. All four hospital blocks will be redeveloped, with three converted into housing and the fourth reserved for community use, including workspaces and a café.The former block E, which was a poor-quality addition to the site built in the 1970s, will be demolished and replaced with new buildings housing care homes and affordable unanimously approved the plan at a meeting of Hammersmith and Fulham Council's planning committee on 30 July. Duncan Brisbane, development director of TT Group, said: "The proposal represents a rare opportunity to sensitively, sustainably, and inclusively regenerate a nationally important building."It will address Hammersmith and Fulham's acute needs by delivering new market and affordable homes, and elderly care accommodation." However, Stephen Walker, from the Ravenscourt Square Residents' Association, raised opposition to the new buildings that will replace block said these were "oversized, overbearing five-storey buildings" that would "blight the neighbourhood" and "destroy the roof line and townscape". Councillors questioned TT Group about why 15% of the site's housing will be affordable, which falls below policy Brisbane said in response: "We have worked with officers to maximise the affordable housing component of the scheme, which is a significant achievement [given] the heritage constraints."The developers have also pledged a £2.7m contribution towards additional off-site affordable housing. Residents also expressed concerns, including that houses on Ravenscourt Gardens would be overlooked by block B's the developers have pledged to plant trees to offer additional issues have also been raised around traffic congestion, pressure on local services, and overdevelopment of the resident said: "None of our objections have been addressed in any meaningful way."The council has approved a woolly planning proposal which leaves our conservation area vulnerable to the exploitation and greed of developers, and will cause serious harm to the amenity of local residents."The Hammersmith Society, which seeks to improve the area's environment, said "some [residents] may have got used to the luxury of a vacant site nearby, which couldn't last forever". The building is listed on Historic England's Heritage At Risk England was initially worried that the rooftop extensions to one of the blocks would result in "really notable harm".However, they have now expressed support for the scheme, after the developers revised the plans to better preserve the site's said: "We welcome the retention and restoration of the building's significant architectural elements, such as the curved balconies and marble entrance hall."We look forward to removing the site from the Heritage At Risk Register once the works are complete." The former hospital is described as "Britain's first major example of the International Modernist architectural style", and was awarded the Royal Institute of British Architects' gold medal in was originally built to provide treatment for Freemasons and their families, and operated independently until financial issues forced its closure in reopened in 2002 as an NHS hospital, but closed in then, it has become a popular film set, including in the 2024 Amy Winehouse biopic Back to Black and 2006's The Queen, starring Helen Mirren. This year it was crowned Location of the Year at the Global Production Awards in Cannes.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Yahoo
Traffic stop controversy in Bartow prompts police policy overhaul
BARTOW, Fla. (WFLA) — A tense traffic stop has prompted changes at the Bartow Police Department. A local pastor said he was racially targeted, and now city leaders are modifying policies and issuing a public apology. Florida driver caught going over 100 mph minutes after new 'Super Speeder' law kicks in: deputies Bartow police said the officer who pulled Pastor Don'tavius Sanders over was new to the job. Police Chief Stephen Walker admitted the officer lacked communication skills but said the traffic stop was both justifiable and lawful. Sanders said a June 29 traffic stop left him feeling like he was targeted because of his race. Police said he was stopped because his tag light was out and his window tint was measured at 3%, far darker than Florida's legal limit of 15 percent. This was also the third time Sanders has been pulled over for his tag light being out. He was previously stopped and warned in January and again in June before the latest incident. 'We observed a vehicle going east on Main Street here in Bartow,' Walker said. 'They noted that the tag light was not functioning in the vehicle. Based upon that, they initiated a traffic stop.' Sanders said the encounter escalated and made him feel threatened by the officer's harsh tone and a K-9 search of his car. 'The tag light, I have no issue with the tag light being out,' Sanders said. 'Everything after that, just not seeing justified.' During a community gathering, Walker apologized to Sanders, acknowledged communication issues, and announced changes to policies on K-9 searches. 'I want to say to Pastor Sanders, I apologize if he was treated any way with any less respect, and I apologize for that,' Walker said. 'I've ordered an investigation. I reached out to you as soon as I was made aware of it through Mr. Carter and tried to set up a meeting, because I do care. I care about rights, I care about our city.' 'Let me you about me, all right. I'll fire people if they can be fired. I respect this badge is a symbol of public trust. If you violate that, I have a real problem,' Walker added. City Manager Mike Kerr also addressed residents, saying officer training is being improved to help police better handle sensitive situations. 'Working with all of our officers to do a better job with respect to our sensitivity and to recognize that, you know, hey, look, there are certain situations that people of color react to and we need to do a better job of communicating,' Kerr said. Sanders said he hopes promised changes will happen but said the impact of that night still weighs on him. 'I want to see it in action. The way I feel. The pain, the humiliation. It's going to take more than words for me,' Sanders said. The internal investigation remains open as community members and police work to rebuild trust. Walker said his door remains open to the public. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Say 'I Do' Again vow renewal ceremony
The annual Say 'I Do' Again vow renewal ceremony returned to Nokomis Beach and Siesta Beach on Friday. Presented by Sarasota County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources and Friends of Sarasota County Parks, participants enjoyed warm evening filled with love, happiness, and joy for all the couples who attended. Judge Stephen Walker was at Siesta Beach and Judge Maria Ruhl at Nokomis Beach to officiate the non-denominational services. This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Say 'I Do' Again vow renewal ceremony
