Dundee Carer Centre Announce New Convenor

Dundee Carers Centre are delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Alan Baird as their new Convenor, taking over the role from Isabel Shearer.

Alan brings extensive experience in local and national government and voluntary sector Boards.  Having qualified in social work in 1980, he spent 13 years working in the North East of Glasgow.  In 1993, he then moved to a promoted Children’s Services post in Tayside, before becoming Head of Criminal Justice Services in both Angus and Dundee Councils.  In 2011, he was appointed Director of Social Work with Dundee City, before being appointed as Chief Social Work Adviser to Scottish Government.

Retiring from that role in 2017, Alan then became President of Scottish Care and was appointed an Honorary Professor of Social Work by the University of Dundee. Having previously served on the Board for SACRO and Children’s Hospices Across Scotland, in 2018, he was appointed to the Council of the Scottish Social Services Council.  Between 2018 and 2020 he was also part of the Independent Care Review which reported to the First Minister in early 2020.

I am delighted to have taken on the role of Convenor, as I knew the Centre well when I worked in Dundee and always held it in high regard. I was always struck by the excellent support provided to carers. I supported my mum through Alzheimer’s over a number of years, working with a wide range of agencies in the community and care home. I not only learned so much about dementia but how complex the system is, particularly if you don’t have experience of working in the care sector. I hope I can use my experiences to the benefit of the Centre in Dundee and to the carers and disabled people it supports.

Professor Alan Baird - Newly Appointed Convenor for Dundee Carers Centre