CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION 2025 Thursday 9 October 2025 in association with
Build custom reports in minutes.
Combine documents, recordings, handwritten notes, and video to create detailed reports.
Book a demo
Fully flexible across 40+ report types, from EHCPs to Form F.
We’re delighted to be back in central Glasgow for our key annual conference, creating a space for networking, collaboration, connection and reflection.
This year’s conference theme, ‘Relationships as catalysts for change’, has been chosen to underline the importance of relationship-based social work practice, and to highlight how relationships shape the leadership context within which we work.
Together we will explore
• the complexity of applying relationships theory into practice,
• the practicalities of partnerships and collaboration,
• the importance of individual and collective empowerment,
• the effects of change demographically, politically, and economically, and the increasingly critical role of social work services and leaders,
• the demands of social work leadership today, requiring unique relationship skills and the integration of professional values with managerial responsibilities.
As we meet for this year’s conference attention is beginning to turn to next year’s elections to the Scottish Parliament, and more immediately, what the UK and Scottish budgets will mean for people and communities. For social work, there is also anticipation about the National Social Work Agency and Scottish Social Work Partnership, and the appointment of a new Chief Social Work Advisor to the Scottish Government. All this against a backdrop of continuing recruitment and retention challenges for local social work teams, and a public service reform agenda, paired with ongoing squeeze to budgets, which is unsettling for those who use and work in the affected services. Over the past few years’ relationships have been tested at all levels, and the next few years promises more of the same. If ever there was a time for social work to be discussing how relationships are the catalysts for change, this is it.
Finally, a thank you. Social Work Scotland could not exist without our individual members, who contribute and give voice to the incredible range and depth of activity that happens every day in Scotland. From representing Social Work Scotland in national forums, contributing to our standing committees and subgroups, to the individual relationships and support you provide to individuals and families, you are modelling social work leadership, turning up and making a difference. Without our members there would be no Social Work Scotland; thank you.
The coming months and years will bring changes that impact Social Work Scotland directly, and we will need to adapt and change in response. We want that process to be driven by our members, for our members. If you’re not already a member – please consider joining us; we’re stronger with you.
Ben Farrugia
Director,
Social Work Scotland
A big thank you to all of our sponsors
08:30 09:30 Registration, refreshments, and exhibition
09:30 09:35 Conference welcome
09:35 09:45 Sponsor welcome Victor Bamigboye Senior Sales and Partnerships Lead, Beam
09:45 09:55 Social Work Scotland opening address John Trainer Convenor, Social Work Scotland
09:55 10:15
10:15 10:35
Keynote: The relationship as a catalyst for change: its creative possibilities and challenging limitations
Dr Pamela Trevithick
Retired academic and author, and visiting professor, Buckinghamshire New University
Keynote: Relationship skills through a leaders journey Susanne Millar Chief Executive, Glasgow City Council
10:35 10:45 Speech Iona Colvin OBE Chief Social Work Adviser, OCSWA, Scottish Government
10:45 11:15 Refreshments, networking, and exhibition
11:15 12:00 Panel: Partnerships for meaningful change David Lee
SallyAnn Kelly OBE Chief Executive, Aberlour Children's Charity
Professor Neil Quinn
Head of Social Work and Social Policy Department and Professor in Social Work and Health Equity, University of Strathclyde
Beth-Anne McDowall Promise Lead Officer, NHS Lanarkshire
12:00 13:15 Workshops part 1
13:15 14:15 Lunch, networking, and exhibition
14:15 15:30 Workshops part 2
15:30 15:35 Welcome back David Lee Chair
'I love you. For god's sake don't leave me'.
15:35 16:10
Kate and John's story after an Alzheimer's diagnosis. The power of relationships in attachment theory Kate White Psychotherapist and Author
16:10 16:20 Scottish Government address
Constance MSP Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs, Scottish Government
16:20 16:30 Closing remarks Leigh Jolly Vice Convenor, Social Work Scotland
16:30 16:35 Closing remarks David Lee Chair
16:35 Conference close
Workshops
Title Organisation Presenters
Relationships in the age of AI
Using Restorative Justice to Promote Positive Systemic Change, Boost Social Work Job Satisfaction, and Improve the Experience of Service Users
Scottish Children's Reporter Administration
Children & Young People’s Centre for Justice (CYCJ)
Relationship-based practice from an emotional and neuroscience perspective N/A
Community-Orientated Practice Makes a Difference!
Language and Communication as catalysts for change
Reflective spaces: creating supportive and containing spaces to relate, think and feel through professional consultation and creative supervision groups
Why We Do the Things We Do – supporting parents to understand their child’s emotional wellbeing and development
Glasgow HSCP
Annie Taylor
Lauren Emmerson & Pamela Morrison
Dr Pamela Trevithick
Caroline Mcdonald, Lorena Noto & Elaine Lyttle
RCSLT/NHS Ayrshire and Arran
Family Change, Perth and Kinross Council
Children’s Wellbeing Team, Aberdeenshire Council
Katy Pearson & Ruth Emond
Leanne Cheyne & Steph Herbert
Annemarie Macrae
Speakers
John Trainer
Convenor, Social Work Scotland
Chief Social Work Officer, Renfrewshire Council
John is a qualified social worker and the current Chief Social Work Officer for Renfrewshire in addition to his role as Head of Child Care and Criminal Justice. During his career John has worked in children, justice and adult social work. John has extensive experience in operational and strategic posts across social work. John was Head of Early Years and Inclusion in Renfrewshire before taking up his current post in September 2018.
Outside of work John is a runner, cyclist, skier and football fan. He is also active in the credit union movement.
Dr Pamela Trevithick
Retired academic and author, and visiting professor, Buckinghamshire New University
Pamela Trevithick is a retired social work academic. In the past she has been the Manager of a Child and Family Support Centre, Director of University of Gloucestershire’s social work training programme, and for ten years was the Visiting Professor in Social Work at Buckinghamshire New University. She is known nationally and internationally for her scholarship on knowledge and skills, and her bestselling 3d edition text Social Work Skills and Knowledge: A Practice Handbook, published in six languages. She is currently writing a 4” edition of her book and an article on the significance of neuroscience research for social work.
Susanne Millar
Chief Executive, Glasgow City Council
Susanne Millar became Chief Executive of Glasgow City Council in May 2024, after more than 30 years working for the city. She was previously Chief Officer of Glasgow’s Health and Social Care Partnership, having spent her earlier career working in social work and social care services in the city – starting in residential care for older people, then working with vulnerable children and families.
After holding strategy and planning roles, she became the Head of Children’s Services and Head of Homelessness and Asylum Services. In 2012, Susanne became Assistant Director of Social Work Services in Glasgow, then Chief Officer for Planning, Strategy & Commissioning for the newly-formed Glasgow City HSCP.
From 2019, Susanne led a team of more than 12,000 people as Chief Officer.
Speakers
Iona Colvin OBE
Chief Social Work Adviser, OCSWA, Scottish Government
Iona Colvin was appointed as the Chief Social Work Adviser (CSWA) in April 2017. As CSWA, Iona is the lead official on advising Ministers and policy teams with an interest in, or responsibility for, aspects of social work services and practice. Before taking up this role as CSWA, Iona spent more than 30 years working in local government. including:
• 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
Iona’s contributions have been recognised with an OBE and she will be stepping down from her role later this year.
SallyAnn Kelly OBE
Chief Executive, Aberlour Children’s Charity
SallyAnn has over 30 years of experience working in Children’s Services, having qualified as a social worker in 1990. She was promoted to her first management post in 1996 and has worked in several Scottish local authorities in middle and senior management positions until 2008.
Prior to joining Aberlour as CEO in 2014, SallyAnn worked for Barnardo’s Scotland, first as Head of Operations, then as Acting Director of Barnardo’s Scotland.
SallyAnn has a keen interest in strengthening and improving practice with an emphasis on taking rights based approaches. She has a particular interest in improving the experiences of children and young people who have experience of the wider care system in Scotland. She has enabled Aberlour to put in place ambitious plans for improvement in how the organisation works alongside children and families – not being afraid to be led by the views of children and young people and their families.
SallyAnn has a commitment to challenging and reducing poverty and inequality and she has worked with colleagues within Aberlour and across Scotland over a number of years to ensure that reducing child poverty is at the heart of the political agenda.
She has supported colleagues in Aberlour to focus on digital transformation and the organisation is currently involved in a number of initiatives to take change forward.
SallyAnn is currently the Chair of STAF (Scottish Throughcare and Aftercare Forum) and was awarded an OBE in 2022.
Kate White Psychotherapist and Author
Kate is an activist and researcher inspired by her lived experience as a former care partner for John Southgate as they navigated their lives together following his diagnosis of Alzheimer’s. Kate originally trained as a district nurse in Scotland and she is now a retired psychotherapist and co-founded The Bowlby Centre in London. The perspective provided by attachment theory has, in her view, a great deal to offer us in understanding the emotional complexity which faces us all following a diagnosis of dementia.
Angela Constance MSP
Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs, Scottish Government
Angela Constance was born, raised and educated in West Lothian. Prior to 2007, she worked as a social worker and mental health officer and was a local councillor in Livingston.
She has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament since May 2007, first for the Livingston constituency and now for the Almond Valley constituency.
She has served as Minister for Youth Employment and Cabinet Secretary for Training, Youth and Women’s Employment, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning and Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities. She was reappointed as the Minister for Drugs Policy in May 2021. Angela Constance was appointed as Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs in March 2023. Angela Constance was reappointed as Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs in May 2024.
Leigh Jolly Vice Convenor, Social Work Scotland
Leigh Jolly qualified as a social worker in 1996 and has spent the majority of her career in Children’s Services Social Work. She started out in Aberdeen City working in Children & Families Social Work in two areas with high deprivation prior to taking up the post of Child Protection Manager with Aberdeenshire Council in 2002. Since then Leigh has worked as a Team Manager in Children & Families, a Service Manager for looked after children services and has been Head of Children’s Services Social Work since 2018 taking on the role of Chief Social Work Officer in 2020. As CSWO works closely with Health & Social Care and is passionate about social work practice and the importance of relationships in practice.
Speakers
Professor Neil Quinn
Head of Social Work and Social Policy Department and Professor in Social Work and Health Equity, University of Strathclyde
Neil Quinn is Professor in Social Work and Health Equity and Founding Director of the University’s Centre for Health Policy. He is an international leader in social work and public health has been invited to be a Visiting Professor at New York and Yale Universities.
He has a particular expertise in health inequalities, human rights and citizenship and has a specific commitment to working with vulnerable groups, including people with mental health problems, asylum seekers and refugees and people experiencing homelessness.
He is committed to working in partnership with service users and communities and has 25 years’ experience in social work, community development and public health at a local, national and international level. He has led a major community development and health programme in one of Europe’s areas of highest deprivation, chaired the national Sanctuary programme working with asylum seekers and refugees and is on the steering group of People’s Health Movement Scotland. He is also a co-founder of the Declaration health and human rights arts festival.
Beth-Anne McDowall
Promise Lead Officer, NHS Lanarkshire
Beth-Anne has recently taken up post s Health Improvement Practitioner - Promise Lead Officer within NHS Lanarkshire - the first Promise centric post in an NHS health board. Beth-Anne also recently became a Non-Executive Director at The Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland, whilst being a Board Member at Children’s Hearings Scotland since 2017.
Previously, Beth-Anne has worked for includem as a Senior Development Officer, North Lanarkshire Council as Promise Development Worker, and Who Cares? Scotland in Participation.
In 2018, Beth-Anne won the YouthLinkScot award followed by the YoungScot award in 2022.
A place to live, a space to thrive
Harmeny provides a highly nurturing and therapeutic care and learning environment on a residential and day basis, for children aged 5-18 who have been impacted by trauma. Following transition out of Harmeny, our Here4U service extends our support for young people up to age 26.
We are fully committed to the aims of the promise; our work is child-centred, with minimised transitions sensitively managed, from careful matching on entry to positive onward destinations.
We recognise that each and every child has unique needs and skills. Through our bespoke services, we help them to succeed in the way that suits them best, encouraging them to find and develop their interests along the way.
If you’d like to learn more about our services, or to discuss making a referral, please contact us on 0131 449 3938 or email referrals@harmeny.org.uk
www.harmeny.org.uk | @harmenyed
Adoption Support for Local Authorities
At Kibble Adoption, we recognise adoption as a lifelong journey and are committed to providing trauma-informed, research-led support that puts children at the centre.
By working with us, local authorities can be confident that the drift and delay of children’s plans can be reduced. Together, we can create bespoke support packages tailored to individual need. This is achieved by providing:
• Transitional worker to provide support and collect essential life story information
• Lifelong therapeutic support for children & families
• Collaboration with local authorities
• Recruitment specific to child/sibling groups
Contact us to find out more on 0800 008 6812, or email kasrecruitment@kibble.org
"good support isn’t just about ‘services’ – it’s about having a life."
IMPACT is an implementation centre with the mission to improve adult social care across the UK, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and the Health Foundation
IMPACT is based at the University of Birmingham, and the University of Stirling is our Scottish partner. It works in partnership with people who draw on care and support, carers, staff and more - all committed to getting evidence of what works used practice to make a difference to services and to people’s lives.
Registered in Scotland No. SC162021. Scottish Charity No. SC024256.
Fulcrum Care brings independent exper tise to suppor t care providers, commissioners, and professional suppor t teams in strengthening quality and inspection readiness We deliver Care Inspectora te Readiness Assessments, mock inspections, and comprehensive action planning, giving ser vices an objective view of where they stand and a clear roadmap for improvement
Our team provides leadership coaching, workforce development, and gover nance reviews, ensuring competency, compliance, and best practice are embedded across all levels of care Already working with ser vices in NHS Highland, Dumfries and Galloway, Glasgow and the Scottish Borders, Fulcr um Care is a tr usted par tner in helping providers not only meet regula tor y standards but also deliver safe, compassiona te, and person-centred care tha t changes lives
Our Head of Scotland, Arlene Bunton is leading on our g rowth in Scotland with both sector exper tise and academic achievement in MSc in Dementia Studies and pursing a Doctora te in Dementia and Ageing combined with Integ ra ted Joint Board experience within Scottish Local Authorities
fulcr umcareconsulting.com
Montane Group are an award winning, independent Healthcare commercial brokerage, with national coverage and recognised as an advisory partner of choice supporting acquisitive, ambitious, and dedicated operators within the Healthcare sector. Our services include Commercial Finance, Commercial Agency and Business Insurance
With a combined 125 years of sector specific, commercial exposure, we pride ourselves a deep and broad knowledge and understanding of the Care sector
We develop long lasting relationships with our clients and provide a bespoke and personal service with your specific, individual needs, always at the forefront of our approach.
We are Aspris Raising potential every day!
Aspris offer tailored education and care based on the specific needs of each child, to unlock their potential. With courage, resilience and dedication, we build confidence, face challenges together, and create uplifting environments where everyone can grow and succeed.
We are Aspris. Together we raise potential.
www.aspris.com Scan here to visit our website!
