Staff
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Please click the links below to view full information about our staff and board members:
Staff
- Helen Carlin - Chief Executive
- Ann Brotherton - Service Manager
- Davie Rutherford - Service Manager - Thorntree Street
- Fiona Ingram - Service Manager
- Kirstie McGregor - Follow Me Coordinator / SVQ Assessor
Board Members
- Donna Fleming, Chairperson
- Rachel Hutton
- Angela Yih, Company Director
- George Taylor
- Maggie Dawson
- Russell Eadie
Helen Carlin - Chief Executive
I have been chief executive of Rowan Alba Limited since it's inception in 2005.
My career started on graduating from Glasgow University in 1983 with an arts degree. My first job was matching volunteers to older housebound people in Paisley, my home town. This led to an interest in housing and older people which remains to this day.
I developed my interest in housing spending four years working with the now City of Edinburgh Council, then five years with three very different housing associations. Then followed four years as housing and policy manager at Age Concern Scotland where my interest in homeless older people developed.
In 1998 I was seconded by the Novas Ouvertures group to set up a new company in Scotland which was to become Rowan Alba Association. As services development manager, I established and set up several new services, and in 2006 set up Rowan Alba Limited as a limited company to take over the staff and services and be fully independent.
In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my son, cooking and music and have recently discovered the joys of fishing, which I hope to get better at.
TopAnn Brotherton - Service Manager
I have been with the company for over six years. I started as a support worker in May 2003. In January 2006 I accepted a secondment to act as manager at the Stramullion Project. I applied for the position in Oct 2006 and was appointed as Service Manager.
I have previously worked as a volunteer with Homestart who provide a befriending service to parents with children 5yrs and under. I currently work as a volunteer with the Samaritans and have been with them for almost 6years, I also have involvement with the Prison Team and have so for 3years, training prisoners to provide a listening service within the prison.
TopDavie Rutherford - Service Manager - Thorntree Street
Davie's working experience in homelessness occurred entirely by chance after being made redundant from a flour mill in 1988. Since then he has worked in and managed homeless hostels in the statutory sector and residential and community based supported accommodation services in the voluntary sector.
Davie's interests include reading on non-fiction socio-political, human rights and globalisation issues, campaigning on community issues and greyhound welfare, football coaching and watching the local team with his kids.
He also works with East Lothian Council on a relief basis as a Neighbourhood Outreach worker, engaging with young people on street throughout the county.
TopFiona Ingram
Following 10 years working in sales, Fiona made the decision to go to college where she achieved HNC Social Care and BSc Rural Health Studies. During her five years at college, Fiona worked part time in as a carer in a dementia unit in Dundee, followed by a move to voluntary work with the Drug and Alcohol Team in Perth.
Fiona has worked with the company for seven years having come into post in 2002 as a Housing Support Worker, moving over to Senior Support Worker in the floating support service, before coming into her current post as Floating Support Manager in 2006.
Kirstie McGregor
I have been with Rowan Alba Limited since 2004. I began working with the company as a support worker in the Stramullion project.
Currently I am the Coordinator of the Follow Me service which involves managing a small team of staff an delivering a high quality support service to homeless women who have experienced domestic abuse.
During my time with the company I have completed my SVQ Health and Social Care Level 3 and A1 Assessors Award. This has given me the opportunity to become involved with assessing candidates, Rowan Alba becoming an accredited SQA centre, and able to deliver SVQ awards in-house and also to other organizations.
I also currently work as a voluntary support worker for Edinburgh Women’s Rape and Sexual Abuse center.
Board Members
Donna Fleming, Chairperson
Donna has over 17 years experience of management and senior management in the not for profit/statutory sector. Donna currently works with Edinburgh City Council developing their Telecare Services.
She has a wide range of knowledge and experience of the Supporting People Programme, the Substance Misuse sector, the Supported Housing sector and Support for vulnerable client groups, including Domestic Violence, Mental/Physical
Health sectors.
She has extensive experience of reviewing services, trouble-shooting, conducting pre-inspections and making realistic recommendations to improve service delivery.
Rachel Hutton
Rachel has worked on a voluntary basis for a number of health charities. She is Branch Manager for Harmony Employment, an agency that provides locum, contract and permanent staff for the Social Care sector. Rachel has over 20 years experience working in sales and marketing, she is a keen volunteer and is on several committees.
Rachel brings experience of management and problem solving in the commercial and charity sector and networking contacts.
Angela Yih, Company Director
Angela started work in housing with the City of Edinburgh Council as a housing advice worker. She then became the Care and Repair officer for a project managed by Age Concern Scotland, helping and advising older homeowners who required advice and assistance with house repairs. She is a former board member of Edinvar Community Care Company Ltd, and is currently employed by Care and Repair Edinburgh as a policy officer.
TopGeorge Taylor
George is currently in semi-retirement having worked previously as Operations Director of Hewlett Packard and Vice President and General Manager of Agilent Technologies and is now working as a consultant. He brings many areas of experience to the board, including general, operational and financial management, strategic planning and leadership and coaching skills. George is also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Management Accountants.
Maggie Dawson
Maggie qualified as a solicitor and worked at a senior level in both banking legal departments and private practice. Her specialisms included commercial property, contract and banking law. When she retired from private practice she felt that she should cease being a taker and should become a giver. Her background and training lead her to being objective and analytical in relation to problems. In the outside world she is a music buff, an avid reader, a lover of foreign travel - never happier than when combining music and travel!
Russell Eadie
Russell is a partner at Bonar Mackenzie in Edinburgh and is an employment law specialist with 12 years experience acting for employers and employees. Prior to joining the Board, Russell was a legal advisor to Rowan Alba and gained extensive insight into the operation of the organisation and the challenging issues that throws up on a regular basis. That experience made Russell appreciate the huge effort put in by staff to make Rowan Alba a success and his involvement with the Board is his way of saying "thank you" to them for a job well done. Away from work, Russell is a very keen golfer and also spends much of his time training for and running half-marathons (on the basis that he finds running too boring to do a whole marathon!)
