Latest Posts

PUBLIC SUPPORT SERVICES AVAILABLE

The Wass Inquiry Report into Allegations Surrounding Child Safeguarding Issues on St Helena and Ascension Island was today published by the UK Government.

SHG thanks everyone who contributed to the process and reassures the public that the support that was established earlier this year remains available should you have any issue at all as a result of the publication of the report.

Options available include:

1. On-Island counsellor Jenny Stephenson is keeping sessions free between 4-6pm on a Wednesday, specifically for people affected by the Wass report. People can access this by dropping in or contacting her on 22713 or by email counsellor.safeguarding@helanta.co.sh

2. The Mental Health team is also happy to take referrals should this be required. They can be contacted on tel no. 22593.

3. The Samaritans provide 24hr a day 7 days a week confidential telephone support on free tel: 20000.

Other useful contact telephone numbers include:

Safeguarding Services SHG 22713
Human Rights Office (Catherine Turner) St Helena Human Rights 22133
SHCDO (Liz Johnson) SHCDO 22791
Salvation Army (Coral Yon) Salvation Army 22703
Police (Pam Trevillion) SHG 22722
Education (Penny Bowers) SHG 24290
Church (Father Dale) Church 22663

SHG
10 December 2015

Thursday 10 December 2015

St Helena Government (SHG) today welcomes publication of the Wass Inquiry Report into Allegations Surrounding Child Safeguarding Issues on St Helena and Ascension Island – which follows an independent and comprehensive review of claims relating to child abuse on St Helena and Ascension Island carried out by Sasha Wass QC and the Inquiry team.  The team visited St Helena and Ascension Island in March of this year. The report was published at 09.40hrs today in the UK Parliament, by means of a Written Ministerial Statement by Minister for the British Overseas Territories James Duddridge. Both the statement and the report can be viewed on the FCO website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/484129/51735_Wass_Inquiry_Web_Accessible_PDF

SHG acknowledges and reaffirms the independence and credibility of this Inquiry – which received its full support and cooperation – and accepts the report’s recommendations.  Executive Council welcomes today’s publication of the report as an essential step towards securing St Helena’s good name.

At this early stage, we note in particular the following broad findings and recommendations:

 

Significant progress has been made in safeguarding on St Helena over recent years and months, including the creation of a new dedicated Safeguarding Directorate, improved care facilities, extra specialist staff, and better training for those working with children.  All of this is bringing strong results in case management, protection, investigations and successful prosecutions.

We will continue to work closely with FCO and DFID to ensure we do all we can to protect children and the vulnerable. We know that there are concerns about abuse, as there are in any community, but solid progress continues to be made in improving our safeguarding capabilities.

In conclusion, SHG and the UK Government take all accusations of child abuse extremely seriously and we are committed to ensuring that victims are heard and protected. Child abuse is a scourge that is totally unacceptable, but it is not unique to St Helena. Much safeguarding work was underway here before the Inquiry was established and has been carried out since the team departed the Island – but there is clearly more to be done.

Of course, it would be naive to think that Government can tackle all of this alone. Everyone on St Helena and Ascension Island has a responsibility to work together to help to protect the vulnerable in our community and anyone with information that would assist the authorities is urged to come forward in confidence.

SHG will now study the report’s findings in detail and in response will develop a plan of action and timetable, working closely with all stakeholders. With the Wass Inquiry recommendations on which to build, we will benchmark our delivery against UK standards and continue to strive for further improvements on St Helena, including beyond the scope of this Inquiry.

A copy of the Inquiry report will shortly be made available on the SHG website, and hard copies will be placed in the Public Library, the Human Rights Office and the Public Solicitor’s Office.

Note for Media: A press conference will take place this afternoon at 2pm in the Governor’s Office at the Castle.

Notes to Editors

The Inquiry was commissioned by FCO and DFID Ministers to establish the truth of various allegations by carrying out a multi-disciplinary investigation into the claims made, providing an assessment of their genuineness, and making recommendations as appropriate.  The allegations behind the Inquiry involved claims relating to child abuse in St Helena, police corruption and incompetence, and a conspiracy by SHG, FCO and DFID to cover these up.

The Inquiry was headed by Ms Sasha Wass QC, an accomplished barrister with substantial professional experience of dealing with these types of issues, supported by a multi-disciplinary team of experts.

 

SHG

10 December 2015

Pat Musk with Acting Governor Sean Burns and Mrs Burns

Pat Musk with Acting Governor Sean Burns and Mrs Burns

St Helena’s Sheriff, Greta Pat Musk MBE JP, will retire from her role as Sheriff on Wednesday 30 December 2015.  Acting Governor Sean Burns and Mrs Burns hosted a dinner in Pat’s honour on 7 December 2015 (pictured), to mark her years of service to St Helena.

Greta Pat Musk was first appointed as Sheriff of St Helena on 14 September 1994 by Governor Alan Hoole.  In her capacity as Sheriff she has sworn in several Governors, including:

 

Acting Governors Sworn In by Pat have included Michael Clancy, Kurt De Freitas, John Styles, Ethel Yon, Martin Hallam, Andrew Wells, Owen O’Sullivan and Sean Burns.

In June 2000, Pat was awarded an MBE for her contribution to St Helena’s community – coinciding with the same year that she celebrated serving for 25 years as a Justice of the Peace on the Island.

Pat continues to undertake voluntary services for the Island’s Girl Guides, the League of Friends and the Anglican Church.

SHG

9 December 2015

WHITE GATE TO FRANCIS PLAIN ROAD

The Highways Authority has given approval for the road to be closed from White Gate to Francis Plain Road on Tuesday 15 December 2015 to Thursday 17 December 2015. This is to enable the Roads Section to carry out planned works on ‘Swampy Gut’ Bridge.

The road will be closed from 9am to 3pm, on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Diversion signs will be in place and as normal only emergency services will be granted access.

The Roads Section would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused, and thank the public in advance for their continued cooperation.

SHG

9 December 2015

Steve KirkDeputy Harbour Master Steve Kirk (pictured) left St Helena on Friday 9 October 2015, for the Mediterranean Island of Malta, for three weeks of SHG-funded training, arriving back on the Island on 28 November 2015.

Steve undertook four courses, consisting of Port-specific Health & Safety, Company Security, Ship Security, and a basic Power Boat Level 2 course, run by the Royal Yachting Association (RYA).

Steve said:

“We covered anything and everything to do with health & safety within a port environment, and the same with the security officer’s course. Every aspect of the security of a ship and the responsibilities of the company security officer was examined.”

Steve found the overall training to be ‘fantastic’, providing him with a much wider outlook on health & safety, especially within a port.

Steve added:

“My main role as Deputy Harbour Master revolves around the health & safety and security of Jamestown Wharf, for both business and leisure users. My role is not only challenging but also very rewarding.”

Steve spent a year as a Customs Officer on St Helena before transferring over to Port Control as Assistant Harbour Master, followed by promotion to Deputy Harbour Master.

SHG
8 December 2015

Further to the press release of 4 December 2015, St Helena Airport Manager Nigel Spackman has today advised that the second Calibration flight is now due to arrive on Sunday 13 December 2015.

The calibration flight has been rescheduled due to the late arrival of the RMS and the necessity of having the Air Traffic Controller as an Observer in place on the Island when the flight arrives.

It is difficult at present to determine the exact arrival time of the flight but it is likely to be during Sunday afternoon.

As before, the calibration tests will be undertaken by Flight Calibration Services Limited (FCSL), with the aircraft leased from TAB in South Africa.

The public will be kept informed.

SHG

8 December 2015

L to R - Patra Duncan, Greg Hall and Anna Crowie

L to R – Patra Duncan, Greg Hall and Anna Crowie

The Safeguarding Directorate recently welcomed two new local staff members to its team – Social Care Officers Anna Crowie and Patra Duncan (photo attached).

Both Anna and Patra work with vulnerable people aged between 18 and 65 years, with Anna’s work focused on home support and Patra working more with disabled clients and helping them to better access the community.

Anna said:

“We often think of who needs care rather than who is providing the care and my role is to bring the two together and assess what carers are there for people who might need them – and also to support those providing the care.

“In line with the newly established Better Life Allowance I will be looking at the vulnerable people in our community, assessing their level of need and ensuring they are correctly entered into our system and receiving the benefit they are entitled to.”

Patra added:

“My work focuses more on working with our disabled clients from Ebony View and Barn View and encouraging them to get out into the community, access the services on offer and even to just have a conversation with someone. So I am working on educational plans to develop clients’ communication skills, using sign language and communication aids to enable them to become more confident in communicating with others.”

Anna and Patra have very important roles in protecting the Island’s vulnerable and both bring a wealth of previous work experience into their new Safeguarding roles. Anna has been a nurse for over 29 years and despite now being in a different role finds her previous nursing skills very useful when dealing with vulnerable people. Patra comes from an education background and her previous role in a Special Needs School in the UK is of great benefit to her Safeguarding role.

Anna and Patra are also currently undergoing an on-the-job training programme and studying to complete their vocational courses online.

Anna commented:

“We have a good team in Safeguarding and a lot of support. The role is a challenge for me but I feel that I have a lot to offer from my previous working background. Every day I’m experiencing something new and building new relationships with clients.”

Patra concluded:

“Working with the clients, learning what they’re capable of and how we can work towards helping them is rewarding in itself. I’m really happy with how the job is going so far, looking forward to the challenges ahead but even more so getting the clients out into the community and helping them to communicate confidently.”

SHG

8 December 2015

Further to the press release of 4 December 2015, regarding the RMS St Helena’s delayed departure from Cape Town, SHG can now report that the RMS left Cape Town on Monday 7 December 2015 at around 3pm. She is expected to arrive at St Helena on Saturday 12 December 2015 at approximately 6am, one day later than originally scheduled.

The RMS will depart as per her original schedule on Sunday 13 December 2015 at 2pm, for her first shuttle to Ascension Island.

It is expected that the RMS will need to stay longer at St Helena on return from her second shuttle to Ascension  – and will therefore arrive at St Helena on Tuesday 22 December 2015, one day earlier than scheduled.

The RMS will depart for Cape Town on Wednesday 23 December 2015, as scheduled.

SHG

8 December 2015

 

Currently taking place in Paris, France, until 11 December 2015 is the 21st UN Framework Conference on Climate Change. This conference is crucial, because it aims to reach a legally binding agreement on climate change – with the aim of limiting global warming to a minimum level – for the first time in 20 years of negotiations.

Among the 50,000 participants at the conference is a delegation from the Overseas Countries & Territories Association (OCTA), of which St Helena is a Member. OCTA presented at the conference and below is St Helena’s contribution to OCTA on the implications of climate change on a small Island in the South Atlantic:

‘Nowhere are the threats and opportunities of climate change more apparent than in isolated island nations. St Helena situated in the middle of the South Atlantic between Angola and Brazil, with a mail ship that calls every three weeks, is about as isolated as it gets. A tiny island, with a population of about 4500, also has a tiny economy. A portion  of this economy, however, is diminished each year through diesel imports for power generation.

 ‘This is changing fast though. Renewable energy output has increased in the last two years from 9% to 35% and plans are afoot to take this figure to 50%, with a second phase of the recent solar farm. A roadmap is also being finalised to take the power supply to 95% renewable by 2020 as the preferred date. A combination of wind, solar and either pumped hydro or battery storage will provide this energy supply, and additional measures will need to be put in place to assure grid stability. Along the way, subsidies to the power and water utility might be redirected to other key  spending priorities. The decreased reliance on fuel imports will entail significant money remaining on Island and being re-circulated in the local economy bringing economic benefits that are 3 to 4 times greater than the financial savings being made. This can become a driver for further investment to green the economy as St Helena moves away from its isolation and embraces eco-tourism after the new Airport opens for business next year.

‘Of course it’s not all about the economy. The tiny Island is home to over 30% of the endemic biodiversity of the UK and its Overseas Territories, and its rich heritage dating back to early trade with the East Indies and later ‘home’ to Napoleon and liberated slaves. It is therefore a unique location whose key assets are its natural and historic environment. Environmental protection must therefore be at the heart of all decisions and development on St Helena.

‘Climate change of course presents huge challenges. Jamestown nestles in a deep valley between crumbling volcanic cliffs and increased extreme weather events will increase the frequency of rockfall. Poor stormwater infrastructure is already causing flooding and erosion problems and these will get worse. Farmers struggling to feed the Island despite long dry periods and invasive species, will face even greater challenges.

‘In parallel with plans for a renewable energy system, a programme is being drawn up to address some of these challenges through a combination of traditional hard infrastructure works, and more innovative green infrastructure investment. Could, for example, expansion of the threatened endemic cloud forest not only sink more carbon into soils and critically endangered biodiversity, but also create more cloud and hold more water in its organic-rich soils to steadily feed the watercourses that supply the Island?

‘Could holistic thinking in small island nations demonstrate to world leaders that creating an economy that builds rather than destroys natural and human capital is not just essential – it’s achievable?’

SHG

7 December 2015

WEIGHT MANAGEMENT

Following previous articles around healthy eating I thought that this week I would look at the Eatwell Plate which is a very visual and user friendly way, both to lose and maintain weight, by changing eating habits for life rather than dieting.

The Eatwell Plate highlights the different types of food that make up our diet, and shows the proportions we should eat them in to have a healthy, balanced diet.

It’s a good idea to try to get this balance right every day, but you don’t need to do it in every meal. You might find it easier to get the balance right over a longer period, like a week. And do try to choose options that are lower in salt when you can.

Eating healthily is about eating the right amount of food for your energy needs. On St Helena, many adults are either overweight or obese. This means many of us are eating more than we need, and should eat and drink fewer calories to lose weight.

Based on the Eatwell Plate try to eat the following foods in the proportions shown on the plate:

Plenty of Fruit and Vegetables

Did you know that we should be eating at least five portions of a variety of fruit and veg every day?

Consider frozen and tinned if no fresh fruit and vegetables are available.

Plenty of Potatoes, Bread, Rice, Pasta and Other Starchy Foods

Choose wholegrain varieties whenever you can, or eat potatoes with their skins on for more fibre.

Some Milk and Dairy Foods

Go for lower-fat milk and dairy foods. These are healthier options to help you get enough protein and calcium.

Some Meat, Fish, Eggs, Beans and Other Non-dairy Sources of Protein

These are important sources of protein, vitamins and minerals, and form part of a healthy, balanced diet.

Just a Small Amount of Food and Drink that is High in Fat or Sugar

You can cut down on fat and sugar by eating fewer sweets, cakes and biscuits, and drinking fewer sugary soft drinks, including energy drinks.  Remember that fruit juices can also be very high in sugar. Try to choose low sugar varieties of drink where possible.

Is the Eatwell Plate for Me?

The Eatwell Plate applies to most of us – whether we’re a healthy weight or overweight, whether we eat meat or are vegetarian.

However, the Eatwell Plate doesn’t apply to children under the age of two, because they have different nutritional needs. From the ages of two to five, children should gradually move to eating the same foods as the rest of the family.

For further information please contact Marian Kanes, Health Promotion Trainer, at hp.trainer@publichealth.gov.sh, or Marian Yon, Health Promotion Coordinator, at marian.yon@publichealth.gov.sh. Alternatively you can call tel 22500, ext 211.

Marian Kanes, Health Promotion Trainer

SHG

7 December 2015