News

Memberships of the regulatory bodies for social care in Scotland appear to be much less party political than their English counterparts.

Of the 20 members of the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care and the Scottish Social Services Council, just two have declared political activities.

Council member Patrick Kelly is chairperson of the Dumfries Labour Party and Commission member Pamela Courcha has declared activity with the Scottish National Party.

Discovery that more than a third of the members of the English General Social Care Council were Labour Party activists has led to demands for an investigation into the selection process (News, page 4, 9 August).

The Scottish Social Services Council will regulate more than 100,000 social workers and social care staff in the public, voluntary and private sectors. It will be responsible for raising standards of practice and strengthening the professionalism of the social services workforce.

Morag Alexander, formerly director of the Equal Opportunities Commission Scotland, has been appointed as convenor (chairperson) of the council. She is also chairperson of the Early Years Advisory Group of Children in Scotland and a board member of Turning Point Scotland. Carole Wilkinson, director of social work and housing at Falkirk Council, has been appointed chief executive.

Social workers are represented by Michael Kirby, a senior community support worker and Scottish convenor of Unison, and Kate Pryde, the head of adult provision at Falkirk Council. Elizabeth Bridgeford, who retired as director of social work in Perth and Kinross, has also joined the council.

Professors of social work Bryan Williams of the University of Dundee and Cherry Rowlings of the University of Stirling have also been appointed.

From the health sector are Thomas Lynch, professional nursing adviser to the director of nursing at Lanarkshire Health Board, and Patrick Kelly, former director of priority services and chief nursing adviser at Dumfries and Galloway Health Board.

Lay members are Ursula Corker, a full time carer and chairperson of the Scotland Committee of the Carers National Association, and James McIntosh, who holds voluntary positions on a number of community care, and disability rights groups.

The Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care will regulate care services used by 500,000 children and vulnerable adults and ensure they are focused on the needs of the user and that they meet national care standards.

It is headed by convenor Mary Hartnoll, recently director of social work at Glasgow Council and an independent assessor of the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments. The chief executive is Jacquie Roberts, director of social work at Dundee Council.

Social workers are represented by Margaret Lindsay, head of operations of Care Visions and project manager of the Scottish Centre for Learning Disability, and Peter Cassidy, former director of social work at Aberdeen Council.

Other social care appointments include William Fisher, a freelance disability consultant trainer and researcher; Pamela Courcha, a full time carer and self employed trainer and counsellor; and David McCallum, a consultant in residential child care and education.

The health service is represented by Isobel Walkingshaw, a consultant educationalist and former director of health education and health promotion at Fife Health Board; Raonid Cobban, a research project leader at the Dementia Services Development Centre in the University of Stirling; and Alastair Chisholm, a business development consultant at Erskine hospital and chairperson of the Hansel Foundation.

The lay member is John Hanlon, a non-executive director of Health Technology Board for Scotland.

The members of both bodies will be expected to work for about five days a month and will earn £7,000 a year.