New Members appointed to Scottish Social Services Council

Minister for Children and Young People, Aileen Campbell has announced the appointment of five new members to the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC).

The SSSC is an Executive Non-Departmental Public Body established under the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001. It is responsible for improving the quality of social services and protecting the public by strengthening and supporting the professionalism of the workforce and raising standards of practice through regulation. The Social Services Workforce covers more than 138,000 people.

The new Members are:

• Lorraine Brown – is a HR and project management professional with an honours degree in Business with Languages, and Associate Membership of the CIPD. Lorraine’s background is mainly in the private sector. Lorraine also brings to the board experience from the public sector – she was Census Regional Manager for the 2011 census for Falkirk and West Lothian, an employer lay member with the Employment Tribunals Service, and sits on the Rights of Audience Committee for the Law Society of Scotland. Lorraine has also helped to care for her mother for sometime, and is a member of Alzheimer Scotland.
• Harry Stevenson – began as a trainee social worker before completing his professional training in 1978. In 1996 he graduated from Strathclyde University with an MSc (Advanced Professional Studies) and in 2007 received a Diploma in Public Sector Collaboration Leadership from Lancaster University. Harry brings to the board experience of working to consolidate improvement in performance, with a particular focus on personalisation of services for children, adults and older people. Harry is also a former Secretary of the Association of Directors of Social Work and remains a member of the Executive Committee, representing the Association on a number of national groups.
• Julie Edey – has considerable experience in NHS management with posts at both hospital and health board level, latterly as Director of Strategic Planning with Fife Health Board. She relocated to Borders in 1999, and was employed by Scottish Borders as a manager within the information technology and social work department. Ms Edey was a Member of Borders NHS board for the period 2006-2012, where she chaired the Audit and Risk and Pharmacy Practices Committees.  She is currently a non-executive member of the Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA), and an external audit and risk committee member for Disclosure Scotland.
• Gail Harris – recently retired from the post of Associate Principal at Forth Valley College where she had senior management responsibility for curriculum and quality. Previously Gail held a range of other positions in the college sector including Head of Core Department which involved working closely with the core sector to ensure effective and efficient workforce planning. Gail has also been a Member of Scotland’s Colleges Core Strategy Steering Group and Chair of a local authority Local Employability Partnership.
• Joyce Lishman – brings to the board experience from the education and third sectors. Joyce was previously Professor and Head of the School of Applied Social Studies at The Robert Gordon University from 1993-2011.  Joyce has also been Director of Inspiring Scotland and Director/Trustee of VSA/Aberdeen and Aberlour.

The appointments for Lorraine Brown and Harry Stevenson will be for three years and will run from September 1, 2012 to August 31, 2015. The appointments for Julie Edey, Gail Harris and Joyce Lishman will be for three years and will run from October 1, 2012 to September 30, 2015.

The appointments are part-time and attract a remuneration of £8,222 per annum for a time commitment of five days per month.

Lorraine Brown is a Member of the Employment Tribunals Service, Ministry of Justice for which she receives a remuneration of £174 per day. Julie Edey is a Member of Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA) for which she receives a remuneration of £225 per day, and a Member of Disclosure Scotland for which she receives a remuneration of £225 per day.  Harry Stevenson, Gail Harris and Joyce Lishman do not hold any other ministerial appointments.

These appointments are regulated by the Public Appointments Commissioner for Scotland.

All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity within the last five years (if there is any to be declared) to be made public.

Lorraine Brown, Julie Edey and Gail Harris have had no political activity in the last five years.  Harry Stevenson has been a member of a political party for approximately 17 years. He does not actively undertake any role and has been in politically restricted posts for over 12 years.  Joyce Lishman has canvassed on behalf of a party or helped at elections.