The Corporate Parenting Board

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Dougie is a local government Councillor for Kintyre and the Islands. This area covers lots of the Kintyre peninsula and the islands of Islay, Jura, Colonsay and Gigha. Dougie was brought up in East Kilbride, Lanarkshire and is married with two grown up children. He studied Chemistry at Strathclyde University and graduated before joining Strathclyde Police. Dougie was a police officer in North Lanarkshire for 21 years then Islay for 4 years before retiring. He has been a volunteer youth worker, a Duke of Edinburgh assessor, a young person’s project leader and has worked with youth organisations for many years. Dougie dealt with trauma involving children and their families/carers/friends and understands the impact trauma can have on a young person’s life.  As a Children’s Champion Dougie will work to support initiatives and organisations which help young people and their families/carers navigate a positive pathway through life.

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Hi my name is Graham Hardie and I am the Liberal Democrat councillor for the ward of Helensburgh Central. I am the Children’s Champion for Helensburgh and Lomond. I am 51 and live with my wife, two cats and a Labrador retriever just outside Helensburgh. Presently I am the Convenor of the Dumbarton Liberal Democrats and a member of the Scottish Liberal Democrat policy committee. I enjoy reading, writing poetry and going on long hikes and sometimes go sailing in the summer.

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Head of Children, Families and Justice
Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership

David joined Argyll and Bute in 2021 following 4 years working for Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar as Head of Children’s Service and as Chief Social Work Officer.  

Originally from Islay, David spent his school years in Edinburgh and qualified as a social worker in 1989.  Over the last 30 years he has practiced in the third, public and private sectors across practice team social work, residential settings, and employee assistance roles.  David is passionate about involving communities and the people who live in them in shaping solutions for Argyll and Bute.  Solutions relevant to our urban areas and to our remote and island communities.   

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Chief Officer
Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership 

As Argyll and Bute HSCP Chief Officer, Fiona leads and is responsible for strategic planning, budgetary management, performance and governance arrangements for all NHS services, adult social care, children and families and justice services in Argyll and Bute.

Fiona is Chair of Argyll and Bute Child Poverty Action Group and sits on the National Women’s Health Plan Implementation Board.

Throughout her career and as a Mum of three Fiona is a strong advocate and promotes and encourages collaborative working at all levels to overcome challenges and achieve the best possible outcomes.  Fiona enjoys the outdoors, especially hillwalking and skiing. She also loves music making and singing.

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Residential and Aftercare Manager 

Ronnie has been around for a long time so some of you may know her already.  For those of you who don’t, her job title is residential and aftercare manager.  It means that she is aware of all the young people across our 4 residential houses as well as the staff who look after all young people who live in our houses.  Part of her job is to know which of our young people live in residential care out with Argyll and Bute.  It is hugely important to her that all our young people are well looked after, that they feel safe and loved and that the staff know the people and things that are important to all our young people.  She takes her role as a corporate parent very seriously and makes sure all our young people have a say in what their home life looks and feels like and that they are a part of that.  She understands that our young people must be allowed to take some age appropriate risks and be allowed to make mistakes without being judged.  Ronnie admits she has made lots of mistakes every day and that’s how we learn and grow.  Being in care should not limit how we live our lives, the choices we make or the people we choose to have around us.  All our young people should have the same opportunities and experiences as young people who are not care experienced.  Ronnie wants to make sure the lives of our young people are as happy and fulfilled as others and if anyone has any ideas about how we can do things better, she would really want to hear them. 

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Chief Education Officer

Jen’s background has been working directly with children and young people for the past 20 years and her passion to advocate for children, particularly those who have additional needs or vulnerability has at the heart of her work for the past two decades.    Jen began her career as an English teacher working in a deprived area with many care-experienced children and families, and was then Principal Teacher of Guidance and a Depute Head teacher before working across the West Partnership RIC to support School Leaders and System Improvement.

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Care Experienced Co-Chair 

Joanne (aka Jo) is a Care Experienced Co Chair on the Corporate Parenting Board. 

Joanne is 39- years old and originally from Oban.  She now lives in Glasgow and has 2 children Ayla & Charlie.  Joanne is passionate about reducing stigma for our care experience young people and making sure that they are all treated with love, respect and that they are all treated equally where ever you may live.  (She also loves a wee snap chat filter).

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Virtual Head Teacher for Care Experienced and Young People

Louise is the Virtual Head Teacher (VHT) for Care Experienced Children and Young People in Argyll and Bute. 

She previously worked with Argyll and Bute Council as Head Teacher in the Oban area, and in a neighbouring authority.  Prior to working in education, Louise established an engineering company of which she remains Company Director.  She also has experience in health and safety, community regeneration and business improvement. 

Louise strongly believes everyone should have the support they need to thrive and this is reflected in her volunteering experiences.  These include youth organisations, refugee resettlement, teaching of adult literacy and advocacy.  She currently volunteers as a mentor through the MCR Pathways programme.   

In her role as VHT, Louise links closely with wider agency colleagues to ‘Keep the Promise.’  She feels privileged to help shape the delivery of education provision for care experienced children and young people across Argyll and Bute.  Louise strives to make sure their voices are heard and represented and welcomes opportunities to support and initiate positive change. 

Louise is a season ticket holder for Falkirk FC – it builds resilience!

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Chief Executive of Argyll and Bute Council

Pippa Milne was appointed as Chief Executive of Argyll and Bute Council in November 2019. Prior to that Pippa was Executive Director of Development and Infrastructure. In that capacity With 28 years’ experience working for councils across the UK, Pippa brings with her wide ranging experience to take forward the organisation’s vision that Argyll and Bute is a place people choose to live, learn, work and do business.
As Chief Executive Pippa is responsible for providing a diverse range of public services with a dedicated team of about 4,000 people and her focus is on working in partnership to deliver the best possible outcomes for our communities. Pippa is passionate about Argyll and Bute’s potential and promotes the many and varied opportunities there are here whenever possible.

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Area Manager for Skills Development Scotland

Susan MacRae – Area Manager for Skills Development Scotland which is Scotland’s National Careers Service. Susan known as Suz has worked as a Careers Adviser for nearly 25 years in lots of different schools right across Scotland and really enjoys helping young people make decisions that are right for them! She lives in Glasgow but is from Lewis originally so knows what it is like to live in a rural community. She is a Scotland Rugby Fan and loves watching TV (especially the reality kind) and listening to all types of music! Suz really enjoys being a member of the Corporate Parenting Board and is always keen to hear how she can continue to support our young people in Argyll and Bute. 

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Care Experienced Co-Chair

Vanessa is a care experienced member of the board and is very passionate about making positive decisions about young people looked after for today and the future. 

Before coming a board member Vanessa volunteered with Argyll and Bute council as a peer mentor. 

Vanessa is a mother of two who works in the addiction and mental health sector. 

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Corporate Parenting Board - Co-Chair 

Takki has been CEO of Argyll and Bute Third Sector Interface since 2021 where he leads a team working to support local community groups and social enterprises as well as running a mentoring scheme for those looking to access employment, training or further education.  He was Assistant Director for Communities for a London Borough for three years and spent five years as Head of Public Engagement at Cafcass, the family court service in England, where he co-produced with children and young people the world’s first social care portal offering online self-directed services to over 100,000 users per year.  He also contributed to the debate on opening up the family courts to media scrutiny.

As a foster carer Takki is keen to improve the outcomes for care experienced young people in Argyll and Bute not only by accessing excellent support services but also in terms of the continuity of care and support as people move through their different life stages.  Takki feels the Corporate Parenting Board can make a real difference in bringing The Promise to life and is keen to ensure that the voice of care experienced people is front and centre of the CPB's planning and delivery.

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Senior Manager for Child Health and Maternity Services 

Beth joined Argyll and Bute in January 2023 after working in Glasgow leading and managing Paediatrics and Child and Adolescent Services. 

Beth’s career in the NHS started in 1997 when she commenced working as a nurse in an acute ward setting with motivation and passion to improve the quality of care offered within care settings. 

That drive for excellence in care, motivation and innovation has continued throughout her journey. Alongside passion to ensure all voices are heard and that the path taken will not and should not be the same for everyone. 

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Detective Chief Inspector – Police Scotland 

Sam Glasgow is a Detective Chief Inspector with the responsibility for protecting vulnerable people across Argyll and West Dunbartonshire. Helping people was what motivated Sam to join the police and is still something she is genuinely passionate about. Sam has worked across a number of areas at different ranks in Argyll and West Dunbartonshire and is committed to trying to make it somewhere that people feel safe.

Sam has been a Police Officer for 19 years and was a Police Cadet prior to that for 2 years, joining at the age of 16. She feels she has been extremely fortunate to have been given the unique opportunities and life experience that a career in Policing can provide.

Sam has a background across a number of public protection specialisms including child protection and domestic abuse however recently enjoyed her time back in Uniform as Area Commander for Cowal, Bute and Helensburgh which allowed her to see the bespoke challenges for the people who live and work there.