This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Mental Welfare Commission appointments
03/02/2006
Part-time Commissioners to the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland serve an initial period of four years. Three re-appointments have been made by Her Majesty the Queen on the recommendation of the Rt Hon Jack McConnell MSP, First Minister of Scotland.
Professor John Bain has been re-appointed as a part-time Commissioner (General Practitioner). He qualified in medicine in 1964, gaining his initial General Practice experience in Livingston, West Lothian before taking up a post as Senior Lecturer in General Practice at the University of Aberdeen. More recently he was Professor of Primary Medical Care at the University of Southampton, and immediately prior to his retirement he was Professor of General Practice at the University of Dundee. Professor Bain does not hold any other ministerial appointments.
To ensure that the views of people who have experience of psychiatric services are heard in relation to its work, the Commission has also re-appointed Mrs Lynne Edwards and Ms Corinna Penrose as part-time Commissioners (Service User Representatives).
Mrs Lynne Edwards has experience in a range of areas and has worked as an academic researcher for most of her career. Since September 2003 she has been the Service User and Carer Involvement, Support and Development Worker - Mental Health, in the School of Community Health, Napier University, Edinburgh. She is currently collaborating with lecturing staff and external service user, carer and service provider partners on two projects and in updating a third year degree module to bring service user and carer involvement directly into curriculum design and delivery. Mrs Edwards does not hold any other ministerial appointments.
Ms Corinna Penrose currently works for the Social Work Department with young people who have been looked after. She has been a senior advocacy worker with Glasgow Association for Mental Health and has had extensive experience of the voluntary sector. This has included working as a part-time care worker with Lanarkshire Association for Mental Health and as a support worker for Inverclyde Association for Mental Health. Ms Penrose does not hold any other ministerial appointments.
These Commissioners served as Commissioners from July 30, 2001 to July 29, 2005. The re-appointments will be for a period of four years from July 30, 2005 to July 29, 2009.
It is expected that part-time Commissioners will devote around 20 to 25 days a year to this work. Remuneration is currently £2,191 for an annual commitment of 15 days, plus a payment of £201 for each additional day devoted to Commission business. Commissioners visit persons with mental disorder in hospitals and community settings, some of whom will be subject to the Mental Health (Care and Treatment)(Scotland) Act 2003 or the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000.
The Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland is an independent statutory body, established under the provisions of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003, which protects mentally disordered people who are not able to look after their own interests. It enquires into cases of alleged ill treatment or deficiency of care or treatment, and issues best practice guidance.
These Ministerial re-appointments were made in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland's Code of Practice.
All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees' political activity (if any declared) to be made public. None of the re-appointees have been involved in any political activity within the last five years.