SHG PUBLISHES ACTION PLAN ON WASS REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS

On 10 December last year St Helena Government welcomed publication of the Wass Inquiry Report, accepted the report’s recommendations and committed to quickly implement them. This work commenced in December, with some recommendations already implemented and many others already well in hand.

There is a wide range of recommendations in the Wass Inquiry Report, covering Safeguarding, Governance, the Police, Healthcare, Recruitment, HR practices, Training and Education.

Today, SHG publishes its Action Plan for the Wass Recommendations – which can be viewed at https://www.sainthelena.gov.sh/publications/ detailing the actions and timeframe against each individual recommendation.  This action plan will be updated regularly online with, at least, quarterly press releases on progress.

The progress already made across a number of the recommendations is balanced by SHG’s acknowledgement that there remains much work to be done – both within and outside the scope of the Wass Inquiry. This will be delivered by officials and Elected Members, working in partnership with Ginny Ferson of FCO and all other partners, including our main funder DFID.

All the issues raised in the Inquiry will be comprehensively addressed and we will regularly review our systems to make sure we are protecting the most vulnerable people in our community.

SHG and the UK Government will continue to take any allegations of abuse extremely seriously and are committed to ensuring that children and the vulnerable are heard and protected on St Helena.  We will strive for further safeguarding improvements on the Island, bringing prosecutions where appropriate.

The Wass Inquiry Report itself can be viewed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/484129/51735_Wass_Inquiry_Web_Accessible_PDF.pdf   Hard copies can also be viewed at the Public Library, the Human Rights Office and the Public Solicitor’s Office.

SHG

22 January 2016

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St Helena Government Communications Hub

Telephone: 22470
Email: kimberley.peters@sainthelena.gov.sh