Staff
Part of: What is The Promise Scotland?
The Promise Scotland is split into four staff teams:
The Insights team
This team establishes what information Scotland needs to #KeepThePromise. They also make sure the people who need that information both know and understand it.
The Public Affairs team
This team works to make sure people across Scotland hear about the promise and why it must be kept.
The Support team
This team helps people across Scotland if they want to #KeepThePromise.
The Governance and Operations team
This team works behind the scenes to make sure The Promise Scotland functions effectively as an organisation. They also support The Promise Oversight Board in their work monitoring the promise.
Chief Executive Officer
Fraser McKinlay
Chief Executive Officer
Fraser McKinlay is the Chief Executive Officer of The Promise Scotland and sits on the Board of Directors.
He spent 16 years working for Audit Scotland, including ten years as Controller of Audit and Director of Performance Audit and Best Value (PABV). He has been running his own consulting business since April 2021.
As Controller of Audit (CoA), Fraser reported to the Accounts Commission on all matters relating to the audit of local authorities in Scotland. In his ten years as CoA, he produced over 60 Best Value audit reports across all local authorities, alongside many other statutory reports.
As Director of PABV, Fraser was responsible for performance audit across all sectors of public services in Scotland. This work focused on:
- governance,
- financial sustainability, and
- value for money.
Before joining Audit Scotland, Fraser was a public services consultant with Eglinton in Edinburgh and KPMG in London. He specialised in leadership, change management, facilitation and process improvement.
Since starting his own business, he has worked with a range of clients in the public and third sectors, specialising in:
- strategy,
- leadership, and
- change.
He is particularly interested in systems change, and how we use public money more effectively to deliver improved outcomes for citizens, families, and communities.
In October 2021, Scottish Ministers appointed him as a member of the Independent Oversight and Assurance Group for Mental Health Services in Tayside.
Fraser holds:
- a Postgraduate Diploma (with Distinction) in Strategic Leadership from Warwick Business School, and
- a degree in Industrial Relations from the University of Strathclyde.
He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
Teams
Claire Stuart
Head of Insights
Claire leads the Insights Team and is a member of The Promise Scotland’s Senior Leadership Team. The work she leads splits into two parallel programmes:
- data, information and evidence used to track and monitor Scotland’s progress to #KeepThePromise and,
- data, information and evidence as improvement tools across the change landscape.
Claire Burns
Insights Lead
Claire's job is to understand where Scotland is in its journey to #KeepthePromise by 2030.
With her colleagues, she works to collate and analyse data from many different sources. They use what they find from that data to drive accountability, innovation and change.
Stephanie Crisp
Improvement Lead
Steph works with others to understand how data, evidence, and research can be used to improve things so that Scotland can #KeepThePromise.
Her job is to make sure that this work stays rooted in what the Independent Care Review heard about what matters to children and families.
Selvarani Selvaraja
Doing Data Differently Manager (Maternity Cover)
To #KeepThePromise, we need to do data and evidence differently.
As the Doing Data Differently Manager, Selvarani oversees projects around improving data in Scotland.
The first of these is The Promise Data Map, which will allow us to understand what information is collected and shared throughout Scotland. This creates a system that impacts through efficient use of data, not mere generation of it. In this way, it improves the quality of data Scotland has.
Rebecca Rierson-Lott
Analysis Coordinator
Rebecca analyses data for the Insights team around how Scotland can improve, within the work programs:
- Using Money Differently— how Scotland can spend money more effectively, and
- Doing Data Differently— how Scotland can gather data in a way that's centred on children and families.
Her work includes:
- supporting projects,
- designing and structuring projects, and
- analysing text of reports and publications.
Fiona McFarlane
Head of Public Affairs
Fiona works with colleagues and partners across Scotland to ensure that organisations understand their role, responsibility, and purpose in work to #KeepthePromise.
She makes sure The Promise Scotland is well positioned to tell this story of change, and to elevate, support and influence all those who are part of this work.
She also works with The Promise Oversight Board to help them in their public reporting role.
Kenneth Fleming
Public Affairs Lead
Kenneth works with his colleagues so that decision makers in Scotland make choices that will help to #KeepThePromise.
This means providing them with the information and insights generated by his colleagues at The Promise Scotland, and helping to highlight positive stories of change across Scotland.
Chloe Riddell
Policy Lead
Chloe leads The Promise Scotland’s policy work. She helps to make sure that Scotland's policy and legislative framework and scaffolding is effective at upholding and enabling the implementation of The Promise.
She works to support the translation of these laws and policies into practical changes for children and families.
Robert Shepherd
Online Tools Manager
The Promise Scotland manages several online tools.
Eventually, these will include:
- this website,
- The Promise Data Map, and
- The Promise Change Programme.
Robert works to make sure these tools will:
- be clear,
- be accessible, and
- work together in a way that makes sense to their users.
Hannah Gould
Public Affairs and Communications Officer
Hannah’s role is to provide policy and communications support to inspire action to #KeepthePromise.
She works with her colleagues to ensure the right information is delivered to the right people, clearly and effectively.
Her experience lies in digital communications and storytelling which she uses to highlight Scotland's journey of change to a place where children and young people grow up loved, safe and respected.
Alison Sutherland
Head of Support
Alison leads The Promise Scotland’s Support Team which is focused on engaging with a wide range of organisations to #KeepThePromise. This includes:
- Building new ways of working
- Identifying and sharing/communicating effective practice
- Facilitating networking events
- Nurturing Communities of Interest, and
- Driving reformed local and national activity
Alison’s background is in Children’s Services with experience as Head of Children, Families and Justice Services in a local authority, and previously in Education as a former Head Teacher of two secondary schools. She also serves as a non-executive Board Member at Ayrshire College.
Thomas Carlton
Implementation Lead
Thomas and his colleagues seek to get alongside all those looking to keep the Promise, to respond to their support needs in order to best drive the necessary required change.
It is a privilege to lead the Promise Delivery Partners in this work, which currently has a focus on supporting local areas and organisations funded from The Promise Partnership.
Rachael Hood
Promise Design School Programme Lead
Rachael helps people tasked with change – or keen to influence it – with access to support and programmes that help them #KeepThePromise.
She has a focus on connecting people with lived experience – whether that’s children, young people or families – to influence and design. Together, they find creative ways to problem-solve, including design thinking approaches.
Clare Morris
Learning and Development Officer
Clare plans and coordinates learning events to share knowledge and showcase innovation. If you have a change journey that you’d like to highlight, get in touch and she will help shine a light on the great work you’re doing.
Promise Delivery Partners
Each of Scotland's Local Authorities has a Promise Delivery Partner connected to them, who works to make sure the promise is a key part of public services.
They get alongside the workforce and the care experienced community locally to:
- support reflection and planning towards tangible action,
- connect innovation and learning across Scotland, and
- ensure the focus always remains on including care experienced children, young people and families in spaces that give influence over change.
Their goal is to make sure shifts in policy and practice happen both locally and nationally, in order for Scotland to keep the promise.
Laura Beveridge
Promise Delivery Partner
For 20 years, Laura has been working in partnership with children, young people and their families. She's done this in:
- residential child care,
- community support, and
- the third sector.
As someone with secure care experience, Laura's passionate about meaningful and purposeful participation. She also:
- is a founding member of STARR, and
- was Co-Chair of the Review's Stop Go and Siblings group.
As a Delivery Partner, she works in partnership with:
- East Lothian Council,
- Edinburgh City Council, and
- the third sector.
Laura also has an interest in care in relation to justice and children’s rights. She continues to promote best practice around the rights and relationships of brothers and sisters.
Tom Boyd
Promise Delivery Partner
Tom is supporting the work of:
- the Promise Design School, and
- specific innovative projects that have benefitted from Promise Partnership funding.
He has particular interests in:
- how we enable the relationships that matter to last, and
- innovative, creative approaches to nurturing voice and co-design.
Tom covers:
- Highland,
- Moray,
- Orkney,
- Shetland, and
- Western Isles.
Carly Grant
Promise Delivery Partner
As well as the Local Authorities listed below, Carly covers organisations funded through the Promise Partnership.
She has a particular interest in mental health and the power of good quality relationships.
Carly covers:
- East Ayrshire,
- East Renfrewshire,
- Glasgow,
- Renfrewshire, and
- South Ayrshire.
Rachel Keenan
Promise Delivery Partner
Along with her colleagues, Rachel supports organisations as they change to make sure that Scotland keeps the promise. She is passionate about making sure all children in Scotland have what they need to grow and flourish.
Rachel covers:
- Aberdeen City,
- Aberdeenshire,
- Clackmannanshire,
- Falkirk, and
- Stirling.
Fiona Robertson
Promise Delivery Partner
As an experienced CLD practitioner, Fiona has a keen interest in participation and voice.
She is currently leading the Right to Education theme for the support team. This sets out to make sure The Promise Scotland has a good sense of:
- the education sector's engagement with the promise, and
- the education sector's activity around the promise.
As well as this, Fiona covers:
- Dumfries and Galloway,
- North Lanarkshire, and
- South Lanarkshire.
Laura Sharpe
Promise Delivery Partner
Laura is committed to supporting transformational change. She is passionate about empowering creative conversations and spaces which:
- help tackle inequality,
- help improve services, and
- help improve individual lives.
Laura covers:
- Argyll and Bute,
- East Dunbartonshire,
- Inverclyde,
- North Ayrshire, and
- West Dunbartonshire.
Louise Whitelock
Promise Delivery Partner
Louise covers organisations funded through The Promise Partnership. She has particular interests in disability, equality and inclusion.
She also covers:
- Midlothian ,
- Scottish Borders , and
- West Lothian.
Morag Burnett
Head of Governance
Morag works with colleagues across Scotland to ensure that there is clear accountability to #KeepThePromise nationally and locally.
She makes sure that The Promise Scotland’s own governance and operations are excellent, and runs the secretariat that supports The Promise Oversight Board.
Asima Hussain
Finance and Central Services Manager
Asima works alongside colleagues across the organization to deliver services and provide advice and support on all aspects of finance, risk, HR and business planning.
She also leads on:
- regulatory requirements ensuring legal and financial compliance, and
- organisational risk management and mitigation processes.
Gillian Sinclair
Executive Assistant and Governance Coordinator
Gillian supports The Promise Scotland's Chair and Chief Executive by planning and organising their time.
She also:
- leads on governance and assurance processes
- supports the Directors of the Promise Scotland, and
- co-ordinates meetings and support for The Promise Oversight Board.
Mhairi Glen
Senior Finance and HR Officer
Mhairi provides organisational support to the whole Promise Scotland Team, focusing on finance and HR. Heading up the administration team, she's never without a list, coffee and IT tips and tricks.