Happy birthday

A full morning of senior management team meeting with briefing on smarter working which will have to be part of our life when we move premises next spring.

Then a trip to the new offices to meet the senior team from the Mental Welfare Commission with whom we will be sharing a floor.

Back to collect repaired car then off to the Scottish Parliament this evening to mark 10 years of Clan Childlaw. This organisation provides free legal advice to some children. From small beginnings it has grown to be a telling force, at times helping to shift the law in respect of children’s rights. I first worked with them some 8 plus years ago when in the section of the Scottish Government that funded many of their activities.

Various speeches from politicians, the Lord Advocate, Clan Childlaw leaders and Thomas Timlin from the review of care. He explained how Clan has been there for him some years back.

Clan Childlaw is actively promoting the need to do much more for siblings. We have signed up to support Stand up for Siblings. The need for action was all the more powerfully made by Thomas who recounted how he was separated from his birth siblings aged 9; and then aged 16 from the adopted siblings in the family he had been living with. The emotional impact on everyone was permanent and damaging.

A powerful presentation.