Confirmed contributors (more to follow)
Dr Richard de Brabander, InHolland University, the Netherlands
Richard de Brabander is professor (lector) Ecosocial Work. He writes about justice issues, politicization of social work and ethics. The central question of his research group is how to create a sustainable society that is socially and ecologically just and what role social work has to play.
Iona Colvin, Chief Social Work Advisor, Scottish Government
Before taking up her current role as Chief Social Work Adviser, Iona spent more than 30 years working in local government. 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 across all areas, she has a particular interest in developing integrated approaches to improve outcomes for children, young people and adults.
Caroline Hickman
Caroline qualified in social work in 1983 (Sheffield Hallam) working in mental health & child protection and a psychotherapist in clinical practice since 2000. She is a lecturer in social work at the University of Bath researching children and young people’s responses to climate change globally, she is co-lead author on a 2021 quantitative global study into 10,000 children & young people’s emotions & thoughts about climate change published in The Lancet Planetary Health.
Josien Hoffs, IFSW Europe lead for eco-social social work
Josien Hofs is a former social worker / social work teacher, now at IFSW Europe leader of the project Eco-wisdom for social workers. Holding interactive webinars and workshops, involved in the conference on eco-social work in Rotterdam June 2024.
Prof Trish McCulloch, Professor of Social Work and Senior Associate Dean in the School of Humanities, Social Sciences and Law at the University of Dundee
Trish McCulloch is Professor of Social Work and Depute Dean at University of Dundee. Her practice and research straddles community justice and professional learning and is grounded in ideas of co-production and social justice. Recent projects include co-design work with marginalised young adults and longitudinal research with early career social workers.
John McGowan, General Secretary of the Social Workers Union
John is a Registered Social Worker and the elected General Secretary of the Social Workers Union, the only specialist social work union in the UK. He is also a Practice Tutor (Social Work) with the Open University and sits on the Executive Council of the General Federation of Trade Unions (membership of 600,000 members).
Dr Rosanne Palmer, BASW Policy and Research Lead
Dr Rosanne Palmer is the BASW Policy and Research Lead where, amongst other things, she co-leads on the BASW annual survey and coordinates responses to UK government consultations and parliamentary evidence submissions on topics crossing devolved boundaries. Prior to becoming a policy professional, she lectured in Politics.
Lyn Romeo, previous Chief Social Worker for Adults, Department of Health and Social Care, England, Wales/Cymru government representative
Lyn Romeo was Chief Social Worker for Adults in England for 11 years, retiring in January 2024. Previously, Lyn worked as the Director for Adult Social Care and Joint Commissioning in the London Borough of Camden. She has also worked as an inspector with the Social Services Inspectorate, as well as working in Yorkshire for over 20 years as both a field social worker and in a variety of management roles across children and adults
Aine Morrison, Chief Social Worker, Northern Ireland
Aine is the Chief Social Worker in the Department of Health NI with professional responsibility for social work and social care and for the provision of social work advice to the Minister, the Permanent Secretary of the DoH, policy colleagues, other government departments and to all social work employers working across the statutory, community and voluntary sector and criminal justice agencies.
Jonathan Griffiths, Director for Children and Adult Social Care in Welsh Government.
I am the Transformation Director for Children and Adult Social Care in Welsh Government. I was previously a director of social services and President of the ADSS Cymru.
I am supporting the delivery of positive change and innovation in social care and the Government commitment to radically reform children’s services and develop the National Care and Support office.
