Keeping The Promise: Next Steps Digital Conference 

Martin Crewe has been the Director of Barnardo’s Scotland for 16 years and has worked in the charity sector for more than 30 years. He has been a member of several boards including Edinburgh College, OSCR and Evaluation Support Scotland, and has chaired the Scottish Government’s Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC) Programme Board. Martin initially trained as a geochemist and has worked for a trade union, the National Health Service and charities both big and small. He has recently completed a DBA focused on charity leadership and effectiveness.

Carol is a former Social Worker who spent many years both delivering front line services and in managerial roles, including as an Independent Chair for child protection decision making. She spent a number of years working at SCRA as a Reporter, before leading a national improvement programme, PACE, whilst at CELCIS. This programme focused on addressing the negative impact of drift and delay on children within the care system.  

As the Director of Positive Outcomes at Children’s Hearings Scotland (CHS) she is tasked leading change through practice, policy and standards, quality assurance and learning to deliver the promise for children and young people in the hearings system. She was also a member of Hearing System Work Group representing CHS.  

She is passionate about addressing the systemic disadvantage that infants, children and young people who experience care face and putting kindness at the heart of what we do. 

Maree is the Chief Executive of the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC), having joined the organisation in 2010.  Before becoming Chief Executive, she served as Director of Regulation, overseeing the registration and fitness to practise aspects of the SSSC’s role. Before joining the SSSC Maree practised as a solicitor.

Mary started her career as a Social Worker specialising in child protection and her experience to date includes 15 years as a social worker, leader and trainer in a number of  Scottish Local Authorities, and a further 18 years in leadership roles in the children’s  charity sector. Throughout her career, Mary has specialised in creating teams and models of service that focus on the prevention of harm and the delivery of whole family support to uphold children’s right to live safely in their own families and communities.

Mary is a passionate advocate for children’s rights in policy and practice. She is the Chair of Together, the Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights, and is a former trustee of Starcatchers, Scotland’s arts and early years organisation. She was formerly on the Board of Social Work Scotland and is Chair of the Children and Families committee of the Coalition of Care Providers in Scotland. Mary has a particular interest in the impact of childhood trauma and is a passionate campaigner for trauma responsive and relationship-based approaches to supporting children and their families recover from adversity.

Claire is Assistant Principal for Health and Wellbeing at Glasgow Clyde College. Originally a PE teacher, Claire started her career in Further Education as a lecturer in Sport, Fitness and Exercise in 1991, contributing to the national development of fitness and exercise qualifications for 10 years.  From there, Claire has spent over 20 years in a variety of leadership roles in Further Education, managing curriculum areas of Sport, Science, Business and Creative Industries, Health and Social Care, Early Years, Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy and leading Quality and Estates support functions.

Claire is currently leading the nurture approach at Glasgow Clyde College and is passionate about equity in education and creating safe, inclusive and respectful learning environments.  A firm believer that success is best achieved when working in partnership, Claire continues to develop relationships and projects that support learners to thrive and achieve their goals.