Appointment to Mental Welfare Commission

The appointment of a part-time Commissioner to the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland has been made by Her Majesty the Queen on the recommendation of the Rt Hon Jack McConnell MSP, First Minister of Scotland.
Ms Angela Forbes is the Manager of Advocacy Service Aberdeen, an independent advocacy service for people who use health and social care services in the city of Aberdeen. Prior to working in the advocacy movement, Ms Forbes worked in education as a lecturer in further and higher education and, during that time, she spent a year working with people with disabilities, helping them to access educational opportunities. She does not hold any other ministerial appointments.
The Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland is an independent statutory body which protects mentally disordered people who are not able to look after their own interests. It enquires into cases of alleged ill treatment or deficiency of care or treatment and visits persons with mental disorder in hospitals and community settings, some of whom will be subject to the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 or the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000.