Preventing and Tackling Antisocial Behaviour in Scotland Conference 

As Director, Fiona leads CYCJ towards its ambition of ensuring that Scotland’s approach to children and young people in conflict with the law is rights-respecting and contributes to better outcomes for children, young people, and communities. This involves supporting professionals from all disciplines working with children and young people on the cusp of offending by promoting best practice based on up-to-date evidence and research.  

Prior to and since joining CYCJ in 2013, Fiona has been committed to ensuring the rights of children in conflict with the law are upheld. Her aim is to provide leadership across all sectors where children are involved to ensure children are treated as children. Her work to date includes the Expert Group on Preventing Sexual Offending Involving Children and Young People, Expert Review on Mental Health and Young Offenders, Age of Criminal Responsibility, Restorative Justice, Children’s Rights and supporting the work of the Youth Justice Improvement Board. Fiona currently chairs the Age of Criminal Responsibility Data and Research Group, Children’s Rights Group, and the anti-social behaviour group.  

Before joining CYCJ, Fiona was seconded to the Scottish Government youth justice team for three years as a professional social work advisor to lead on the Scottish Government policy of the Whole System Approach (WSA), which was implemented across Scotland. Prior to this, she worked for ten years as a social worker and social work manager in youth and criminal justice within rural and urban areas of Scotland.  

Lorraine Gillies is an independent freelance consultant – currently working with Winning Scotland to deliver Planet Youth in Scotland – a preventative upstream approach focused around school communities.  She is the co-chair of the Independant Working Group on Anti-social behaviour.  Previously the Chief Executive Officer of the Scottish Community Safety Network – a professional membership network for community safety practitioners and agencies across Scotland. Her background includes executive level roles in the third sector, homelessness, addictions,  public sector and audit.  She values people before process; compassionate approaches; creativity and likes to break down barriers.  

She is a pioneer of flexible working, has successfully implemented a four-day week and promotes trauma informed practicing workplaces.  Lorraine is a Director of the Donaldson Trust – the National Centre for Neurodiversity, a Director of The Scheme – a local arts focused recovery charity and is a founder member of The Wedge – a web resource for neurominority women in work.  

John Blackwood has worked in the private rented sector for nearly 30 years and is widely recognised as one of the leading voices in the Scottish private rented sector. He represents SAL on a number of Scottish Government committees working to inform and influence housing policy. John is chief executive of the Scottish Association of Landlords (SAL), managing director of Gladstones Property Investment Managers and chairman of Scotland’s national accreditation scheme for private landlords and letting agents, Landlord Accreditation Scotland (LAS). John also holds a judicial appointment as a member of the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing & Property Chamber) and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Housing.  

DCC Connors has over 30 years’ service from across Police Scotland and the Metropolitan Police and has a wealth of experience in all areas of policing. She is passionate about public service.  

Having joined the Metropolitan Police Service in 1993, DCC Connors worked across different communities and departments including the head of both Taskforce and Public Order Planning commands making her one of the most experienced Public Order Cadre officers nationally, successfully delivering a significant number of complex and challenging events. DCC Connors initially co-ordinated and led the Metropolitan Police response to Violence against Women & Girls (VAWG).   

DCC Connors joined the Police Service of Scotland in 2023, initially with executive responsibility for Crime and Operational Support which includes Major Crime, Public Protection, Local Crime, Organised Crime, Counter Terrorism, Intelligence and Operational Support.  

In March 2024, DCC Connors took on the role of DCC Designate, changing portfolios to become the Police Scotland Lead for Local Policing which includes responsibility for: 

• Local Policing East 

• Local Policing West 

• Local Policing North & C3 

• Operational Support  

• Change 

• Finance 

Graham has been Director of the Scottish Mediation since August 2012. During that period, he has contributed to policy as a member of the Scottish Government Administrative Justice review, the Digital justice Working Group and more recently on a working group on Marches and Parades in Scotland.  He is a mediator with the Edinburgh Sheriff Court Mediation Service.  

Graham has worked extensively in the third and public sector and brings senior leadership experience, having worked in Student Unions, The Festival City Theatres Trust and the Scottish Ambulance Service. He has strong skills in partnership working, governance, policy development, has an MBA and is a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute. 

Kate Wallace has been Chief Executive Officer at Victim Support Scotland since 2017. With twenty years of extensive leadership experience in executive and non-executive positions within the public and voluntary sectors, Kate previously led Visualise Scotland—a service delivery charity supporting individuals with disabilities and complex needs. Before her tenure at Visualise, she served as the UK Programme Director for Barnardo’s 

Duncan first joined First Bus through the First Group Graduate programme in 2001 as a Senior Management Trainee after graduating from Robert Gordon University in his native Aberdeen. 

He quickly worked his way through the two-year programme gaining a vital understanding of all functions of the business and experienced it through a variety of stints at operating sites across the UK and was soon appointed as a staff manager in the First London and Berkshire operation. Duncan then gained promotion to Operations Manager for the First Essex Opco before promotion to Operations Director. In 2009, Duncan returned to Aberdeen to become Operations Director for that part of the business and spent over 3 years in that role before becoming Managing Director of First Aberdeen in August 2012. 

Duncan then left First Bus in Jan 2015 to become Group Performance Director at ARR Craib Transport Ltd, who are a household name in the northeast haulage industry and this experience would prove vital for his return to First Bus in 2016 after 18 months out of the business. Duncan returned to the business to become Operations Director for First Glasgow, the company’s largest operating company and he has overseen huge growth and commercial success during his tenure in role leading to his promotion to Interim Managing Director of First Bus in Scotland in May 2021. 

Duncan was formally appointed as Managing Director of First Bus Scotland in January 2022 and is responsible for more than 2,500 employees based at two operating companies across Scotland.  

Duncan first joined First Bus through the First Group Graduate programme in 2001 as a Senior Management Trainee after graduating from Robert Gordon University in his native Aberdeen. He worked across a variety of roles at operating sites across the UK before returning to Aberdeen to become Managing Director of First Aberdeen in August 2012. As Operations Director for First Glasgow, he oversaw huge growth and commercial success during his tenure.