SallyAnn Kelly and Carole Dearie have been announced as the incoming Chair and Vice-Chair respectively on the Staf Board of Directors.

Currently the CEO of Aberlour, SallyAnn Kelly brings more than 20 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. Prior to joining Aberlour as CEO, SallyAnn worked for Barnardo's Scotland, first as Head of Operations, then as Acting Director of Barnardo's Scotland. She took on a role as Senior Manager for the National 3rd Sector GIRFEC Project in 2013.

Carole Dearie has worked in Residential Child Care and secure care for over 25 years and holds a diploma in Social Work and Post-graduate diploma in Advanced Residential Child Care. Carole is currently the Head of Service at St Mary’s Kenmure. In her previous role she was Depute Head of Service at the Good Shepherd Centre. Carole completed a two-year secondment with the Centre for Youth and Criminal Justice (CYCJ) in 2016, in which she carried out the role of Practice Development Advisor for vulnerable and high-risk girls and young women.

SallyAnn Kelly and Carole Dearie will work closely with incoming CEO Jo Derrick, who takes up post on 1^st October 2019, to realise Staf’s vision of a Scotland where the wellbeing and success of young people leaving care is indistinguishable from that of theirs peers in the general population. Read more about Jo’s appointment here.

After six years of service on the Staf Board, David Barr (outgoing Chair) and Jenny Kane (outgoing Vice-Chair) have now completed their terms, with CEO Norma Corlette also stepping down at end of September.

Under the leadership of Norma, David, and Jenny, Staf has flourished as an organisation. As a result, the organisation is now in a strong position to continue building influence and creating meaningful change for the care experienced community, and the workforce that support them.

Staf has enjoyed six years of success: see our achievements over this time in this short video.

Norma Corlette, outgoing Staf CEO, commented:

'This new leadership team, comprising a passionate and knowledgeable trio, gives me great confidence that Staf will continue to thrive in the years to come. I look forward to seeing the impact that Jo, SallyAnn and Carole – supported by the wider staff and board team – will make in leading the organisation moving forward.

I want to thank David and Jenny for their hard work over the last six years in getting us to this point: we couldn’t have done it without them!'

David Barr, outgoing Chair, said:

'It has been a pleasure and a privilege to Chair the Staf board for the past six years and to work with Norma and the Staf team.

I am particularly proud that Staf is now leading on the trauma-informed, relationship-based, whole-systems change we want to see for our young people.

With a strong plan for the future and a talented leadership team in place, I know Staf will continue to be powerful voiced for care-experienced young people.'

SallyAnn Kelly, Staf’s new Chair, said:

'I am delighted to take on the role of chair of such a vibrant organisation, which at its heart is an agent for the empowerment of our young people.

Too many of our young people face homelessness, poverty and poor mental health when leaving care – I’m proud to be part of an organisation that is working to change that.

I will passionately support Staf so that it continues to be bold in its ambition for care leavers.'