A reception was hosted by HE the Governor and Mrs Capes last night at Plantation House, to welcome back St Helena’s Commonwealth Games participants and celebrate their achievements with family, friends and officials.

Governor Capes welcomed back all team members and said that they should be very proud of their performances and the manner in which they represented Team St Helena – generating extensive and disproportionate publicity internationally.

The Governor said:

“There was a great amount of interest shown in the team’s journey and the actual time it took for our team to reach Glasgow.  In 2018, for the next Commonwealth Games, to be held in Australia, the journey will be a little different and much easier!”    

Governor Capes welcomed back Patrick Young, Chelsea Benjamin, Madolyn Andrews, Jordie Andrews and Ben Dillon.  Extended thanks were also given to participants and officials who are currently off the Island – Simon Henry, Lee Yon, Duane March, Vernon Smeed, Ryan Benjamin, Nicky Stevens, Maria Benjamin, Andrew Lawrence and Helen Joshua.

Pam Young, Chef De Mission, said that for some of the participants this was the first event of this size and for some it was the first time to travel so far from home.

Pam continued:

“But like true explorers, they embraced their journey and are now planning for future games.  These were certainly the ‘friendly games’ as we met so many people and the memories will live on.  The lessons learnt will also help us plan for 2018.”   

Madolyn Andrews concluded the presentation and thanked everyone in attendance for their support and encouragement to strive to compete once again.   Shooters Madolyn and Jordie Andrews said they had a fantastic experience, and particularly mentioned the pleasure of shooting on a professional range.  They hope that St Helena will eventually acquire a full size shooting range which will allow them to properly practice for future Commonwealth Games.

A commemorative medal was presented by Governor Capes to each athlete and to the officials present (Pam Young and Pat Henry).  St Helena UK Representative Kedell Worboys presented medals to some athletes and officials who are in the UK.

SHG

5 September 2014

Harry Legg OBE JP has been appointed by Governor Capes as Acting Sheriff of St Helena (see attached photo), whilst the current Sheriff, Greta Pat Musk MBE JP, is away from the Island.

The Sheriff’s prescribed Oaths were taken before the Governor in his Office at the Castle and became immediately effective from 4 September 2014.

The Sheriff of St Helena is nominally responsible for enforcing Court Orders, and this is usually carried out by the Police on the Sheriff’s behalf. The Sheriff is also responsible for summoning Jurors when a Jury is required, either in the Supreme Court or for a Coroner’s Inquest.  The most conspicuous public role, however, is the Swearing In of Governors and Acting Governors.

SHG

5 September 2014

‘A Look at St Helena’s Marine Life’, will be shown on local TV channel 1, commencing on Friday 5 September.

The film is the finale of the Darwin funded Biodiversity and Habitat Mapping Project led by Dr Judith Brown.  The documentary showcases St Helena’s marine environment and fosters an appreciation of its splendour, diversity and need for protection.  The film is 30mins in length and focuses on St Helena’s endemic fauna.

Timings for broadcast are shown below:

• Friday 5 September –        19:10
• Saturday 6 September –   18:55
• Sunday 7 September –     19:00
• Monday 8 September –    19:00
• Tuesday 9 September –   19:00

SHG

3 September 2014

Paul Bridgewater, Jane Jones and Suzie Nixon arrived on Island on 28 August 2014 to take on three new senior Social Services roles on St Helena.

Social Services on St Helena are delivered by a dedicated team of local staff who care for the disabled, look after the needs of older persons and those with learning disabilities, and safeguard St Helena’s children.  The new staff arrive at a time of modernisation in the way that social services are delivered on the Island, and current key objectives include a sustained improvement in safeguarding and child protection, and improving the quality of life of identified individuals through personalised care and treatment.  Paul, Jane and Suzie will spend three months on St Helena, specialising in three main areas.

Paul will specialise in the assessment of adults in supported SHG residential settings, establishing what residents need and how best to deliver their needs.

Paul said:

“It is about empowering a person to access what is available in the community to support them.  For example, SHAPE is a fantastic initiative that supports just this.”

Suzie will work mainly with family groups.  She will identify situations where family group conferences are best suited to resolve difficulties, involving all members of the family, including family friends and colleagues where appropriate – to create and manage a plan for a family member in need.

Jane will focus on child protection and child wellbeing, including private fostering and child minding arrangements, to ensure that St Helena policies are up to date.

Social Services is currently developing a new residential care facility for people in need, involving a major refurbishment of the old Half Tree Hollow School building, as a replacement for the current accommodation.  This will improve respite care, in a far more visually engaging location, with improved living conditions and additional space for all clients.

All new arrivals agreed:

“There are good systems in place on St Helena.  It is our job to enhance these systems and share our knowledge and experience.  On St Helena, we have to be realistic about what can be delivered, but we will identify gaps and try to find practical solutions.”

Paul has experience in adult safeguarding and specialist autism teams, and has also worked in similar settings in hospitals.

Suzie has been a social worker in New Zealand and has recently completed two years on Pitcairn Island.

Jane’s background is in child protection in the UK and the Channel Islands, working closely with children and families.  She has also been an expert witness in the courts.

Jane added:

“Social Services are based on the same issues everywhere.  I don’t think there is anywhere in the world where there aren’t some needs for some people.  The idea of social services is to clearly identify what those needs are and to support families to find ways to resolve them.” 

Two pictures accompany this release.

SHG

2 September 2014

In June 2014 work commenced on the pavement areas in lower Jamestown, as part of the Main Street Enhancement Project. Contractor Brian Leo and his team are carrying out the pavement works, managed by Pro Arc and planned and funded through Enterprise St Helena’s Tourism team. The pavements from Porteous House up to the Consulate Hotel have now been completed, as well as the area outside the Post Office building on the other side of the street.

On Friday 29 August 2014, Dorothy (Dottie) Peters from the CCC visited Jamestown especially to test the new pavements’ accessibility for wheelchair users like herself. Dottie made her way from Solomons Office to Porteous House in her electric wheelchair. She commented:

“The new pavements are a great idea and are so much easier to navigate with a wheelchair. The workers are doing a brilliant job and I am definitely looking forward to completion of the other side of the street as it will be much easier for wheelchair users like me to get into some of the shops.”

Chairperson of the Disabled Persons Aid Society, Ian Rummery, added:

“St Helena is not an easy place for wheelchair accessibility, but I am delighted that it has been a key criterion for the Main Street Enhancement Project.  The new pavements not only look great but they are going to make it easier and safer not just for wheelchair users but for all people with limited mobility and for children in pushchairs. Once the pavements have been completed there will be a wheelchair friendly crossing constructed between the two pavements. 

“On behalf of the Disabled Persons Aid Society I would like to thank everyone involved in this project who have been supportive of our efforts to improve disabled access in Jamestown.”

Work is now ongoing between the Post Office and St James’ Church.

Contractor Brian Leo said:

“The works are progressing well. We did lose a few days due to bad weather and because no kerb stones were found in some places after we had dug up the old pavement. But, despite almost every day presenting us with challenges we are completing the work and have had some good and positive feedback from the public.” 

The public are reminded that the bollards placed at intervals along the pavements are designed to protect and preserve the restored surfaces and old kerb stones. Vehicles should not be parked within these bollards on top of the pavement (in undesignated parking areas), which also obstructs wheelchair users and those with small children in pushchairs.

Two photos are attached.

SHG

1 September 2014

St Helena Government (SHG) already provides accurate and timely information to the public in many ways – including through routine publishing of public information and by interaction with the media – as part of open and transparent Government. 

Where information held by SHG is not already in the public domain, the general public can already, and does, make various requests to St Helena Government for information, and such requests are normally dealt with by the relevant Directorate.

From today, 1 September 2014, SHG streamlines that approach and offers a central point of enquiry – under its new Code of Practice for Public Access to SHG Information.  The Code of Practice can be viewed at:  http://www.sainthelena.gov.sh/public-access-to-information/

The Code draws on access to information policies and legislation in the UK (e.g. FOI) and other island states.

The new Code deals with public requests for SHG information where that information is not already available by other means.  So, the code does not replace the handling of routine requests from the public or the media by telephone, by e-mail or face to face, etc. These routine day to day requests to Government will continue to be dealt with simply and quickly through the normal channels.

But where members of the public wish to see information held by SHG, where it is not already available by other means – then they can from today make a request under the new Code of Practice for Public Access to SHG Information.

Councillor Ian Rummery said:

‘Freedom of Information was a major topic of discussion during the Election campaign last year, and the new Code of Practice for Public Access to SHG Information is an important part of SHG’s openness and transparency agenda.  The Code will be kept under review and will be audited after six months to see how it has been used and what, if any, improvements can be made.  Some information cannot be released to the public but this Code does offer a sensible and workable framework for the public to make requests, and requires SHG to explain where information cannot be released.’

Councillors will provide advice and assistance where needed to help constituents who wish to make requests under this procedure.

St Helena Government’s presumption will be for disclosure, and information will be provided unless one or more of the Exceptions in the Code applies.  Again, these Exceptions draw on UK and international best practice, and they are important because St Helena Government, like all Governments, recognises that it does need to respect confidentiality between parties and has a duty to protect privacy and certain information. 

The Code applies to all information held with proprietary rights by SHG, regardless of who produced or supplied the information and subject to the Exceptions listed in the Code.  The Code requires all SHG employees dealing with requests to ensure that any request received from the public for information and made under the Code of Practice for Public Access to SHG Information, is dealt with in compliance with the Code. 

From today, all requests for SHG information made under the Code of Practice, should be sent, in writing, directly to the Executive Manager Corporate Services, SHG, at the Castle, or by e-mail to:  informationrequest@sainthelena.gov.sh

 SHG

1 September 2014

Councillors Constituency Surgeries conclude this Saturday, in Jamestown and Sandy Bay. Both surgeries will take place between 10am and 12noon.

If you would like to give Councillors advance notice of your concern before attending a surgery, you can do so by contacting the Secretary to Elected Members, Anita Legg, on Tel: 22590 or email: sec.em@helanta.co.sh

On behalf of St Helena Legislative Council

1 September 2014