Professor Kish Bhatti-Sinclair

My academic career began at University of Southampton with a lifelong commitment to combating racism, shaping the debates on black perspectives and de-colonising social work practice. As a Professor of Social Work at the University of Chichester I have developed methodologies and theories, such as modern racism, to test discriminatory attitudes and behaviours. I have worked on many research projects utilising, for example, quantitative case data, evaluations and reviews. In particular, I have undertaken studies on child sexual exploitation and hard to reach children. I have written many journal articles and my book projects include: Anti-Racist Practice in Social Work (Palgrave Macmillan, 2011) which examines attitudes and behaviours in relation to law, policy and practice. Diversity, Difference and Dilemmas (OUP/McGraw Hill, 2017) promotes the idea that disproportionate attention is paid to immigrants and terrorists in populist policy and media reporting. I co-ordinate many academic and practice groups including the Social Work Education Anti-Racist Social Work Education Network (SWEARN). I am Co-editor in Chief of the Wiley journal: Child Abuse Review (CAR) owned by the Association of Child Protection Professionals. CAR’s editorial team includes approximately 20 associate editors representing many countries and many areas of inter-disciplinary safeguarding practice.

Professor Fiona Kumari Campbell

Fiona is Professor of Disability and Ableism Studies at the University of Dundee and has worked in various universities since 1995, in human services, social work and law schools in Scotland, Australia & Sri Lanka. As a young rough sleeper, and a person with multiple disabilities, she has had various contact with social workers and health professionals. Before joining academia, she worked with both government and non-government bodies as an investigator of health complaints and deaths in institutions, new social care program reform and design, with survivors of torture, poverty alleviation projects and disability rights. She is the originator of a field known as Studies in Ableism and has published extensively concerning theorising ableism, its applications and the idea of livability.

Thomas Carlton

Thomas Carlton is currently the support lead at the Promise Scotland. He is a Social Work graduate from the University of the West of Scotland and was awarded the University of Scotland’s Amundsen Trophy in 2014. Prior to graduating Thomas was an active campaigner for Children in care and care leavers; he also worked as an Advocacy Worker with a children’s charity, advocating on behalf of looked after children and care leavers. Upon leaving University in May of 2014, Thomas began a new role as a Policy Officer at Who Cares? Scotland, helping secure the political commitment to the delivery of an Independent Care Review. He also spent a period being a Panel Advisor for a Fostering provider. He has spent a period in a local authority practice, and whilst he was seconded to support the Independent Chair at the Independent Care Review he led a change programme that delivered tests of change across all of Scotland’s local authorities: whilst also securing six different commitments within the Scottish Governments Programme for Government. Thomas is a campaigner for care leavers; utilising his care experience to create positive change within Scotland’s care system.

Iona Colvin

Iona joined the Scottish Government in 2017 after more than 30 years working in Local government with eight of those years working in four posts with the NHS. Iona’s previous posts include: • Director of Health and Social Care and IJB Chief Officer – North Ayrshire • Director of Social Work and CSWO – North Ayrshire • Director of Southwest Glasgow Community Health and Care Partnership • Joint General Manager, Addiction Service – Glasgow While Iona is a committed and compassionate social worker, she has a particular interest in developing integrated approaches to improve outcomes for children, young people and adults. As Chief Social Work Adviser Iona has been involved in the development of the Scottish Government’s National Care Service proposals. Within the Scottish Government Iona is a member of the senior Leadership team for children and families and the health and social care management board. Iona has also been a member of the Drugs Death Task Force. Since joining the government, Iona has chaired review groups relating to out of hours care, allowances for children in foster care and kinship care and health and social care in prisons. She is currently co-chairing the group considering care and quality standards for Barnahus.

Professor Jennifer Davidson

Jennifer is a Professor of Practice at the University of Strathclyde, and Executive Director of Inspiring Children’s Futures, an Institute and Doctoral Research Centre working to reveal and resolve the structural barriers to children in adversity reaching their potential. Jennifer is a passionate advocate driving meaningful and sustainable change with and for children, supporting the implementation of effective government policy to reach children’s day-to-day lives. She draws on children’s human rights and the delivery of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, working closely with a range of international agencies. She leads the SDG 16 Pathfinders for Justice ‘Justice for Children, Justice for All’ Working Group, and previously led a series of UN Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children implementation projects. A Canadian-Scot and Founding Director of CELCIS (the Centre for Excellence for Children’s Care and Protection), she was recently awarded an OBE for services to the care and protection of children in Scotland and abroad.