AFKA benefits greatly from the expertise and support of our Board of Trustees who provide strategic oversight and governance of the charity as we work towards our charitable purposes. Trustees bring a wide range of experience including legal, social work, health, education, human resources and finance with many having personal, as well as professional experience of adoption, fostering and kinship care.
Janys M Scott KC
Chair
Janys is a lawyer with many years of experience in family law, including cases involving fostering, kinship care and adoption. She has been the Scottish Legal Consultant for BAAF, a solicitor, an advocate and a part-time sheriff. She served as a member of the Adoption Policy Review Group, whose report led to the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007. She is committed to the provision of support for children and respect for their rights and to AFKA’s role in promoting evidence-informed best practice. She chairs the Board of Trustees.
Steven Smillie
Treasurer
Steven works as an Audit Director specialising in the audit of not-for profit entities for CT. He was previously the Trustee Treasurer of a young carers charity for 6 years and recognises the importance of the services AFKA provides in promoting best practice for looked after young people as a father with an adopted son.
Elaine Goudie
Board Member
Elaine has worked for over 30 years in Glasgow City and is a qualified social worker. She is currently employed as an Assistant Service Manager in Families for Children, Glasgow City HSCP’s fostering and adoption team and has a good working knowledge of AFKA and its role in supporting practice development across Scotland. In her current role, Elaine’s main focus is adoption and permanent foster care.
In recent years she has had a role in developing assessment and planning around supporting sibling relationships both within Glasgow and nationally in partnership with Stand Up for Siblings and the Promise Group’s Community of Practice for Siblings.
Rob McCulloch-Graham
Board Member
Rob has worked in the Public Sector for the UK for over 40 years. In that time his work has focused on Health, Social Care and Education. He has held directorships for Education, Childrens Social Services and Adult Social Care Services, in London and more lately in his home country of Scotland. His major input has been within joint working and systems management. Within this arena he introduced one of the first partnerships in London, operating across, the National Health Service, Mental Health, Health Commissioners and Local Authority Care Services.
The work to unite services and organisations continued with Rob’s return to Scotland, where he supported the development of the Health and Social Care Partnership across the NHS Board and Local Authority for the Scottish Borders.
Rob has also supported the UK government and the Mayor of London’s Office in the development and implementation of policies for professions working with both Children and Families.
Sarah McIlhone
Board Member
Sarah has worked in Children’s social work for over 20 years. Her current role as Team Leader (Children’s Services, Midlothian Council) has her working with a wide age range of children and young people from pre-birth to 26, covering all aspects of care and protection, with a particular focus on permanence planning. She has also worked within fostering, adoption and kinship teams.
Sarah has a keen interest in transition planning and life story work for children and young people and ensuring that children’s and young people’s voices are heard.
Sarah has lived experience of growing up in a fostering household and being an adult member of a fostering family.
Dorothy Murphy
Board Member
Dorothy is a seasoned HR professional with extensive experience across generalist and specialist roles in blue-chip, start-up, retail and financial services sectors and is known for her proactive approach and inclusive leadership style. Dorothy supports through strategic insight and technical expertise. She is a member of the CIPD.
Linda Richards
Board Member
Linda has been a qualified social worker since 1989 working in all her career with Children and Families. Linda started as a residential worker with Aberlour before moving to Falkirk and then Perth and Kinross Council. She has managed services involved in supporting care experienced children and young people since 2007 and has developed services in reflection of changes in legislation and practice. Linda also chairs Social Work Scotland’s community placement sub-group.
Linda is passionate about improving life chances for our care experienced population and committed to delivering a high quality service.
Autumn Roesch-March
Board Member
Dr Autumn Roesch-Marsh is a qualified social worker and senior social work academic at the University of Edinburgh. In her role at the University of Edinburgh Autumn is Director of Research for Social Work and is the Co-Director of The Binks Hub, which co-creates research with communities and practitioners to enhance human flourishing. Autumn’s research interests include care experience, relationship-based practice, decision making, friendship and social work education.
Barbara Stewart
Board Member
Barbara is a Consultant Paediatrician and Permanence Medical Adviser. She has completed a number of quality improvement projects to help ensure each and every care-experienced child’s health needs are understood and met. She has been co-chair of AFKA Medical Advisers’ Forum and Scottish representative on CoramBAAF’s Health Advisory Committee.