Julia Ross - Chair
Julia Ross joined BASW National Council in December 2019. She is passionate about people who use services, their family, friends and carers. She has worked in health and social care for over 40 years and been a proud BASW member since qualifying. Julia has a wealth of national and local experience across large scale complex health and social care organisations in the public, private and voluntary sector. She qualified as nurse at St Thomas Hospital and then requalified as a social worker, initially in children and families work and child protection. She served as Social Work Advisor to the Select Committee on Violence in the Family in 1975. She spent 10 years as Director of Social services and 3 years as CE of an integrated PCT. She is very interested in how people benefit from integrated health and social care services. Julia chaired the Mental Health Charity Together for 9 years. She led the Care Services Improvement Programme in the DH for 5 years and latterly PredictX, a data and predictive analytics company. She serves on the Royal Society of Medicine DigiHealth Council, Acute Frailty Network, ADASS committees and Non Executive Director Isle of Wight NHS Trust where she spends any spare time writing.
I became a social worker to help ensure that everyone is included in society. I have worked in community and hospital services for adults, and more recently for Research in Practice for Adults. I now work for myself, helping organisations to improve social care. I particularly care about support for practitioners, using evidence, social work with older people and combatting ageism. I co-host the Helpful Social Work podcast.
I live in Devon with my partner and our cat. I enjoy cycling, playing the piano and watching movies.
David Hayes - Appointed Director - Northern Ireland Committee
Davy Hayes qualified as a social worker in 1988 and worked as both a practitioner and trainer in Family and Child Care services in North and West Belfast. He joined the staff of Queen's University Belfast in 2005 and is currently Professor of Child Protection and Safeguarding in the School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work where he contributes to social work education at both qualifying and post-qualifying levels.
Davy’s research interests are focused on service users experiences of the child protection and criminal justice systems, the involvement of family members in child protection and child welfare processes, and the practice and experiences of professionals who operate the child protection system. He is the current Chair of the Northern Ireland Standing Committee of BASW.
Caroline McDonald – Appointed Director – Scotland Committee
Caroline first joined the BASW council in October 2022 as an appointed director. Caroline also recently joined the Finance, Organisational and Development committee too. Caroline has found both roles interesting and they have helped her to gain a broader understanding of BASW's structure and governance.
Caroline was elected in early 2020 by the membership to join the National Standing Committee in Scotland (SASW). This has been a great opportunity for her to learn more about policy and proposed legislation and its impact on social work and wider society. Caroline has taken part in many forums to amplify the voices of social workers to ensure that they have a strong and collective voice. Caroline has enjoyed being part of short life working groups on conferencing planning and events, contributing to government consultations and representing social work at an event in the Scottish parliament to review mental health legislation. Earlier this year Caroline took on the role of Co-Vice Chair at SASW, it's been great for her to work closely with the SASW team and committee members.
Caroline is a 'home grown' social worker, having started out in her local authority 26 years ago. Initially she worked in housing and social care until she qualified as a social worker in 2016, since then she has worked in a local authority children and families team. In Carolines current post, she is a team leader. In the past three years she has qualified as a practice educator and also completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Child Welfare and Child Protection.
Caroline's key interests in social work: practice learning and development, child protection practice, pre birth with families, domestic abuse approaches, safeguarding children and young people. Caroline is passionate about social justice and anti poverty practice.
Christian Kerr - Elected Director
Christian Kerr is a social worker and lecturer in social care and social work. He started his career in social care and health services as a mental health support worker before becoming a community mental health worker and then a qualified social worker. Christian has worked as community deprivation of liberty social worker, a consultant social worker in mental health and a senior practitioner in a brain injuries service. As an academic writer and editor, Christian’s published work reflects his interest in and commitment to promoting social work as a single profession working with people across the life course in myriad contexts and includes books, articles and chapters on children’s services reform, dissent and charity sector third sector social work, and social work under Covid-19.
Dean Owens-Cooper - Elected Director
Dean has worked in the public sector for around 25 years in various senior roles. Dean's background is as a Senior Advanced Practitioner in complex mental health. Dean is an Elected Director for the British Association of Social Workers (BASW) and sits on BASW council. Dean is also a non-executive Director for Southway Housing Trust (SWHT) Dean has a specific special responsibility for EDI. Dean also sits on the Delivery Group at Greater Manchester NHS Foundation Trust for Complex Emotional Relation Needs (CERN) Dean is a gay disabled person and a keen advocate for Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion and resides in the Mancher City Region. In Deans spare time he enjoys the great outdoors and often go camping (Accessible) in his camper van. Equally Dean really enjoys walking (Accessible) Dean also volunteers in his spare time in the third sector. Dean joins BASW Council as Elected Director in June 24. Dean is also BASW EDI Group Co-Chair. Dean substantive role is as Head of People.
Lyn Romeo - Co-opted Director
Lyn has been a qualified as a social worker for over 40 years. She practiced as a frontline social worker and team leader working in hospital social work, child and family social work, mental health services, learning disability services and older people’s services. She has also worked as a residential worker with children and young people and was a Social Services inspector with the then regulator, SSI. She was the Director of Adult Social Care in the London Borough of Camden and most recently the Chief Social Worker for Adults in the Department of Health and Social Care.
Lyn stepped from the Chief Social Worker post at the end of January 2024 and is keen to continue to contribute to supporting social work practice and social workers to provide the best quality support to people drawing on social work support.
Russell Hogarth - Co-opted Non-Director Experts by Experience
Russell Hogarth is an Honorary Fellow and Community Engagement Ambassador in residence at the University of Central Lancashire. Russell chairs the UCLan Honorary Fellow advisory group and the EU award winning international Creative Communities Group. www.ccguk.orgHe also chairs the Lancashire Creative Commonwealth Association for Lord Shuttleworth.
He ran his own successful business for 25 years before entering the world of academia and community engagement. Russell is a University guest lecturer, High School and Academy enterprise advisor and a EU virtual VET ambassador. Russell is a philanthropist and social entrepreneur, and his area of special interest is lifelong learning and active citizenship. He also advises on equality, diversity, and inclusion.
Russell’s work has been published on a number of occasions and his 2015 MacMillan Palgrave publication, titled Creative Education, Teaching and Learning is often quoted as a pathway to inclusion and accessible education. Russell is a social entrepreneur mentor for UnLtd and a trustee for Creativity Works Preston. He's also an entrepreneur in residence at the UCLan Lancashire School of Business and Enterprise.
He is an advisor to the British Association of Social Workers and a trustee for the BASW charitable foundation trust. Russell is a former director for the design in mental network and an advisor to the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Russell is a senior fellow and the C.E.O for the national forum for health and wellbeing. He is also a patron for the inclusive dance group ‘DanceSyndrome’. His expertise in education, health and wellbeing, entrepreneurship, lifelong learning and active citizenship is now recognised both nationally and internationally.
