#cllrshaungreaney — Public Fediverse posts

CHILDREN’S COMMISSIONER STEPS IN: Watchdog demands meeting with health board over special school nurse crisis

In a significant development, Rocio Cifuentes MBE has confirmed she will be writing to Hywel Dda University Health Board to “raise the issue and seek a meeting” regarding the lack of a dedicated, full-time nurse at Ysgol Heol Goffa.

The move comes just days after Swansea Bay News reported that campaigners, including parents and local councillors, had called for the commissioner to investigate, warning that “lives may be at risk” as teachers are forced to provide complex medical care to pupils with life-limiting conditions.

In a powerful statement, Ms Cifuentes said she had received correspondence raising “serious concerns” and understood the anxiety the situation was causing.

“I will be writing to Hywel Dda Health Board to raise the issue and seek a meeting. Estyn’s report clearly indicated the need for a dedicated school nurse so I hope that this issue can be addressed swiftly. I would also like to meet with the children, parents and staff affected at Ysgol Heol Goffa so that I can hear their views directly.”

The Commissioner’s intervention adds significant weight to the campaign, which has been backed by parents, school staff, and local politicians. Her statement directly references the Estyn inspection report which campaigners have pointed to as clear evidence that a full-time nurse is required.

Ms Cifuentes highlighted that the issue at the Llanelli special school is part of a wider, systemic problem across Wales.

“Children with complex and life-limiting medical needs have the right to feel safe and properly supported in school, and their best interests must always come first. Last year we published a report examining the experiences of children and young people with disabilities in Wales. Within it, we found that many parents feel schools do not always have access to the specialist knowledge and medical expertise required to fully support their children.”

She confirmed that her office has already been raising the issue with Welsh Government officials, asking them to “strengthen the role of health in meeting the needs of children who have Additional Learning Needs or who are disabled.”

As reported previously, parents and staff at the school have been calling for a full-time nurse for five years. Anxious parents said they were “horrified” to discover the provision was not in place, while Llanelli Town Councillor Shaun Greaney warned the authorities were playing “Russian roulette with pupils’ lives.”

Hywel Dda University Health Board previously stated that it provides a “dedicated school nurse to meet their universal health needs” and offers training to school staff.

Drawing a parallel with a previous successful intervention, the Commissioner noted her office’s involvement in securing a new, modern building for the school, which was approved in July 2025 after her office sought assurances that children’s voices were being heard.

She concluded with a message of optimism, stating: “I hope that we can reach a similarly positive conclusion for the children and young people at Ysgol Heol Goffa this time.”

Outrage after far‑right group urges parents to boycott school mosque visit

Voice of Wales, which has previously been linked to far‑right activism in South Wales, targeted Welsh Primary School, Ysgol Gymraeg Ffwrnes in Llanelli after the school arranged an educational trip to Swansea as part of the curriculum on world religions. The group made a series of false and inflammatory claims about Islam and encouraged parents to keep their children off school on the day of the visit.

The posts prompted a strong backlash from local residents, teachers and community leaders, who accused the group of spreading misinformation and stoking division. Voice of Wales has denied being a racist organisation, but its content has repeatedly drawn criticism from anti‑racism campaigners.

Llanelli Labour town councillor Shaun Greeney said the comments were “bitter and twisted racist remarks designed to incite hatred”.

“We’re entering a very dark place in Welsh politics when scoundrels like the so‑called Voice of Wales make such remarks aimed at the Muslim community attending the mosque in Sketty,” he said.

“My other concern is that it puts Furnace School at the centre of a storm of far‑right extremism. Such appalling remarks should be investigated by the police. It is high time the Voice of Wales site was taken down on the basis that such comments potentially incite violence.

“My biggest fear surrounds young people at the school, parents and teachers who have been thrust into the front line through no fault of their own. Visiting a mosque is part of a programme aimed at teaching school students about different religions and cultures so that they can become well‑informed and rounded citizens of the future.”

Cllr Greeney also warned of parallels with the unrest seen when far‑right activists infiltrated protests at the nearby Stradey Park Hotel in Llanelli.

Green Party councillor Rob James, whose son attends Ysgol Gymraeg Ffwrnes and will be taking part in the mosque visit, also condemned the posts. He said he was “more than happy” for his child to visit a mosque, church, synagogue or temple as part of learning about different beliefs. “That is how we live in a tolerant Wales,” he said.

Residents responding to the posts criticised the rhetoric as fear‑mongering and divisive. One Llanelli parent, posting anonymously due to concerns about being targeted, described the claims as “misinformation, collective blame and emotional manipulation”. Others pointed out that school visits to places of worship have been part of the curriculum for decades.

Voice of Wales has been the subject of previous controversy, including its support for Cinema & Co during the venue’s anti‑COVID regulation stance in the pandemic — a position that drew criticism from anti‑racism groups after the cinema welcomed the organisation. The group has also been linked to previous incidents involving far‑right agitation in Swansea and Llanelli.

One of its founders, Dan Morgan, received a suspended jail sentence in 2023 for his role in a PPI call‑centre scam that targeted elderly and vulnerable victims.

Despite this, some comments beneath the group’s posts were supportive, while many others condemned the rhetoric and defended the school’s decision to teach pupils about different religions.

Voice of Wales refute claims that their organisation is racist.

Commenting on the news, Torsten Bell MP, said: “This is the second utterly disgraceful recent attempt by the far right to use children to further their politics of hatred and division in Swansea.

“It won’t work because parents know education should be celebrated not weaponised by extremists. And it won’t work because across Swansea and South Wales people want to celebrate the different communities that contribute so much to our civic, cultural and economic life.

“I have been in touch with Sketty Mosque to offer my solidarity and support. More importantly so have many parents and others across Swansea and Llanelli.”