Contributors
Rob Greig, Chief Executive, National Development Team for Inclusion
Rob has been Chief Executive of the NDTi since May 2008. Before that he spent six and a half years as the Government's National Director for Learning Disabilities, providing national leadership on the delivery of the cross-Government Valuing People Now policy.
He was the creator and original manager of the Valuing People Support Team and the prime author of Valuing People. Whilst working for Government, Rob was also involved in the work of the Office of Disability Issues, including as Vice-Chair of the Expert Panel that oversaw the development of the Independent Living Strategy. He also was a contributor to many other elements of health and social care policy - seeking to promote their relevance to people with disabilities and others who are marginalised in society.
Prior to this, Rob worked in a variety of roles, including managing and planning both mental health and learning disability services in both local government and the NHS and managing a voluntary sector development programme. In 1995 he established the Community Care Development Centre at King's College and prior to that worked as a consultant with various organisations - including the NDT in the early 1990's.
Rob's great concerns have always been in how to effect change in public services and society to benefit people and groups who are marginalised and excluded. This has resulted in a range of interests over his life and career, including action around employment, housing, racism and the health service.
Rob was awarded a CBE in the 2010 New Year Honours List for his work described above.
Mike Stevenson, Director, Thinktastic
Mike Stevenson is one of the UK’s most sought after speakers and creative thinkers. His record of inspiring organisations and individuals to raise their vision and performance is remarkable. From British Gas and National Trust to the Scottish Parliament and the NHS, people readily respond to Mike’s blend of edginess and humour. He is a truly compelling and original speaker, who leads his audiences on an exhilarating journey of discovery. Mike has a remarkable ability to get close to his audience – no matter how large or small. He lifts people out of their day-to-day thinking, he challenges them and he inspires them to see and realise new possibilities. Through Thinktastic he is helping businesses and public services cut through the fog, find new clarity of purpose, get people enthused and create new ways to communicate.
After being kicked out of Kirkcaldy High School at 15 years old (he was a contemporary of Gordon Brown at school) Mike’s life has taken some wildly varied turns. He slept on the streets of London and busked in Dublin, laid bricks, fitted carpets, sold linoleum, furniture and suits, corked French wine. He was steelworker, a biscuit packer, a youth worker and community worker. He’s played guitar and performed on stage and in films – and all this before he entered the world of communications.
Mike is widely acclaimed for his unique approaches to marketing. He is passionate about the power of ordinary people to achieve extraordinary results and was given special recognition with two successive Merrill Lynch sponsored awards for Raising the Attainment of Young People. Mike is Chair of Common Purpose, Edinburgh and Lothians and on the board of Working Rites.
Mike has kindly agreed to Chair the Creative Breaks conference.
Michael Matheson, Minister for Public Health
Michael Matheson MSP was born in Glasgow in 1970 and educated at St John Bosco Secondary School. He went on to study at Queen Margaret College, Edinburgh where he obtained a BSc in Occupational Therapy. He also holds a BA and a Diploma in Applied Social Sciences from the Open University.
Prior to becoming an MSP Michael practised as a Community Occupational Therapist with Stirling Council, Central Regional Council, and Highland Regional Council.
Michael was elected as the MSP for Falkirk West following the May 2007 elections. Previous to that he was a Regional MSP for Central Scotland from 1999-2007. Before being appointed Minister for Public Health and Sport Michael was Vice Convenor of the European and External Relations Committee. He also sat on the Scottish Parliament's Health and Sport Committee, and previously served on the Justice and Enterprise and Culture Committees.
He was re-elected at the May 5, 2011 election and thereafter appointed to his present Ministerial position.
He is married to Susan and has three sons, Sean, James and Daniel. Away from politics, Michael is a keen mountaineer, which has taken him to the Western Himalayas.
Dr Joe Gibson, Outdoor Activities Coordinator, Sense Scotland
Prior to working for Sense Scotland Joe completed a BA Hons in Outdoor Education in the Community and also worked as a house parent at an outdoor centre for people with disabilities. In 1997 Joe began working for Sense Scotland as a nightshift worker while working towards his PhD, which at that point was investigating outdoor education in special schools. The interest shown in outdoor activities by the service users in the house where he worked and the success of a service user holiday to an outdoor centre led to a change in focus of his PhD. It now aimed to understand the experiences of outdoor activities of two congenitally deafblind men who lived in the house where he worked.
Since 2005 he has worked as Sense Scotland’s Outdoor Activities Co-ordinator supporting and facilitating all forms of outdoor activity for services throughout Scotland. Joe has also been involved in establishing the DbI Outdoor Network and establishing international links in the area of outdoor activities. Joe has presented at many International and European conferences both in the areas of Deafblindness and Outdoor Education. He continues to undertake academic research and has publications in both outdoor and deafblind focused journals and books.
Joe continues to enjoy all forms of outdoor activity and recently in 2009 was a leader of on an expedition to Greenland where 50 young people spent a month conducting scientific research and adventurous activities.
Moira Oliphant, Team Leader, Carers Policy, Scottish Government
Before joining Carers Policy in 2009, Moira worked for three years as Team Leader in Children, Young People and Social Care Directorate, Safer Children, Stronger Families Division with responsibility for the Disqualified from Working with Children List and implementation of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups legislation. And before that she was seconded to Barnardo's Scotland for three years taking forward its substance misuse policy and practice, working closely with projects and services. Moira has worked within the Scottish Government/Scottish Executive/Scottish Office for a good number of years working for Conservative, Scottish Labour/Lib Dem and now the SNP administration!
Louise Morgan, Young Carers Services Manager, Princess Royal Trust for Carers Scotland
Louise has been involved in young carers work since 2001, when she took up post as the first Young Carers Development Worker in Highland. She moved into her current role as Scottish Young Carers Services Development manager with The Princess Royal Trust for Carers in 2004. This work involves co-ordinating a nationwide network of over 50 agencies called The Scottish Young Carers Services Alliance. Despite having been a young carer herself, Louise is constantly amazed by the diversity of issues faced by young carers. A favourite part of her job is attending the national Young Carers Festival – an event which brings together over 500 young carers to have lots of fun and to tell decision makers what they should do to improve the support available. Louise now lives in Ayrshire, has three grown up sons and a passion for anything to do with horses.
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