S.Atlantic : Weekly St. Helena News Stories
Submitted by SARTMA.com (Juanita Brock) 30.07.2004 (Article Archived on 13.08.2004)
St Helenian Scholar Leeanne Peters has completed her third year of study at London Metropolitan University. Leeanne is enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts Combined Honours Accounting and Business scholarship.
Photo (c) St. Helena Media - Scholar Leeanne Peters
Scholar Leeanne Peters
Scholar Leeanne Peters
St Helenian Scholar Leeanne Peters has completed her third year of study at London Metropolitan University. Leeanne is enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts Combined Honours Accounting and Business scholarship.
In her third year of study Leeanne studied Income Tax, Financial Management, Corporate Finance and Current Issues in Human Resources Management.
At that time Leeanne’s tutor commented that her performance was outstanding in Semester A, particularly because she transferred onto the final year directly from the Higher National Diploma, Leeanne dealt with the transition extremely well and achieved high marks. She is a very hard-working student who attends all classes punctually, and is expected to do well for the remainder of her studies.
Leeanne said that she found the first semester on the degree programme rather challenging but an enjoyable experience and is very pleased with the grades she achieved. She studied four modules and achieved three A’s and a B. The modules Leeanne studied this semester were also very challenging, but she says she is determined to do her best and hopefully will do just as well as she did in the first semester. A more recent report confirms Leeanne’s excellent achievements. With just one year, instead of two to complete her degree, Leeanne is heading for a 1st class Honours Degree. The Chief Education Officer said “Leeanne has been a model student, kept in touch with us throughout her studies and is now reaping the benefit of her sheer commitment and determination to do well. I wish her the very best as she takes up a senior post with SHDA on her return to the Island. St Helena should be proud of Leeanne; the Education department certainly is.
Ray Mace, Teacher/Student placement Co-ordinator for Education Department, sums it all up by saying “a highly successful outcome. The result of hard work and determination. Well done”.
Public Relations/Information Office
Office of the Chief Secretary
27 July 2004
Geoffrey Benjamin Appointed
Senior Biomedical Scientist
Geoffrey Benjamin, a St Helenian currently working on the Falkland Islands, has entered into a three year fixed term contract for the post of Senior Biomedical Scientist with the St Helena Government, to work in the Public Health and Social Services Department.
The vacancy of Senior Biomedical Scientist was first advertised locally and because there were no applications it was then re-advertised as a Key Post this time attracting nine applicants, of which Geoffrey was the successful candidate.
Geoffrey has dedicated his career to Pathology, starting as a Trainee Laboratory Technician. On completion of local training here, Geoffrey went to the UK where he studied at St Andrews Hospital in London, training and working in the fields of Haematology, Blood transfusion, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Histology and Cytology. Courses in mycology and parasitology were carried out in specialist hospitals around London . He also studied at East Ham College in London where he obtained an Ordinary National Certificate in Medical Laboratory Sciences and at the City of London Polytechnic where he specialised in Microbiology and obtained a Higher National Certificate in Medical Laboratory Sciences.
On his return to St Helena he was promoted to Senior Laboratory Technician managing the Department of Health’s Medical Laboratory. Geoffrey held this post for nine years during which time he received further training at Frenchay Hospital in Bristol.
During his career Geoffrey has had the opportunity of training in a number of different places in various fields of work. He was attached to the Public Health Laboratory in Guildford dealing with food and water microbiology, an Army Blood Supply Depot where he dealt with the processing and infection screening of blood for transfusions and the UK National Quality Assurance Advisory Panels Pathology in London where he dealt with blood and faecal parasitology.
Geoffrey is an Associate of the Institute of Biomedical Scientist UK, and a Member of the Health Professionals Council UK. He has made presentations at Journal Clubs for Doctors and Nurses, as well as attending the Biomedical Science Congress.
In 1993 Geoffrey moved to the Falkland Islands to take up the post of Laboratory Manager in the Pathology department of the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital. In 1999 he took a refresher course at the Royal Hospital Haslar in Gosport. In 2002 Geoffrey took a one year sabbatical from the Falklands and was offered the post of Senior Biomedical Scientist with responsibility for the Haematology and Blood Transfusion Department at a private hospital in West Sussex, UK, coincidently, also named the King Edward Vll Hospital. He is due to return to St Helena in January 2005 as the Senior Biomedical Scientist.
On St Helena Geoffrey will be responsible for providing a professional and reliable laboratory service and his key responsibilities will include the management of the laboratory staff and all pathological investigations, serving as an advisor to Government Committees and quality manager as part of the Competent Authority, analysing foods for export to the European Union.
When working in the Public Health and Social Services Department, Geoffrey will report to the Chief Administrative Health and Social Services Officer on managerial matters and to the Senior Medical Officer on professional matters.
Public Relations/Information Office
Office of the Chief Secretary
27 July 2004
Investors in People ‘Health Checks’
In 2002 five Government Departments were accredited with the Investors in People Standard. These five departments were the first on St Helena to be successful in obtaining the award and the first within all of the Overseas Territories. To date there are 6 departments holding the Investors in People accreditation, i.e Audit, Police, Personnel, Development and Economic Planning, Office of the Chief Secretary & Education.
At the first Investors in People Certificate Presentation, Chief Secretary John Styles said that the departments that obtained the accreditation were “a very elite group”.
In order to determine whether these departments are maintaining their ‘elite’ status and are still compliant with IiP standards, a team of Internal Reviewers have been conducting ‘health checks’ on departments.
In September 2003 during the visit of David Worsfold, an external assessor for IiP UK, seven people from various departments were trained as Internal Reviewers. All Government Departments were invited to nominate a person from their department to undergo an intensive one-day training session; following the training, the team shadowed David Worsfold as he assessed departments up for accreditation, which enabled the team to put their training into action and develop effective interviewing techniques.
Derek Richards was elected as the Internal Review Co-ordinator, who would have a key role to play in the lead up to SHG’s assessment for 2004. The Internal Reviewers would not replace the External Assessor, but would prepare departments for external assessment and would do much of the evidence collection and therefore reduce the time required for the External Assessor’s visit. The initiative to conduct health checks for all Government departments, was raised earlier this year and the aim is to provide departments with evidence as to whether they are maintaining the IiP Standard, or what they further require to acquire it, before the External Assessor’s visit.
Having trained Internal Reviewers on St Helena saves time and money, as it is not necessary for Overseas Personnel to conduct the internal reviews when there are trained personnel on the island. The Internal Reviewers are currently able to assess and report the progress/development of departments already holding the award or who are working towards achieving the award but are not licensed to evaluate whether a department is or is not recommended to the International Panel for award. The External Assessor makes his recommendation to the IiP Body in the UK who would then make the decision to endorse the recommendation to receive the IiP accreditation.
Bronwen Yon who is the Internal Review co-ordinator, since Derek Richards is currently off Island said, “all Government departments were extremely cooperative during these ‘health checks’, allowing staff to be available at the scheduled times, adhering to the scheduled timetable and providing office space for conducting interviews, which made the Reviewers’ job just that much easier”. Bronwen went on further to commend the Internal Review team on their commitment to the exercise, which was conducted over a two-week period, bearing in mind their work commitments within their own departments.
Departments will be issued their reports shortly and will have approximately 6 months to implement any improvements required to meet/maintain the Standard.
Public Relations/Information Office
Office of the Chief Secretary
27 July 2004
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