Funding provided by:
Mission Statement
To promote Independent Living in Scotland by ensuring high quality, local, Independent Support on Self-directed Support (SDS) is available to all. We work to showcase good practice in social care and campaign to ensure that SDS truly becomes the mainstream approach to social care delivery across Scotland.
Download the SDSS Strategy document 2018-21
About SDSS
Self Directed Support Scotland represents organisations run by and for disabled people, our members support thousands of people across Scotland with their social care choices. Together we work to ensure that SDS is implemented successfully so that people have full choice and control over their lives. We do this by:
- Supporting our members in the delivery of their services to provide local independent information, advice and support to those at each stage of their social care journey.
- Signposting individuals at each stage of their social care journey.
- Representing our members nationally to discuss SDS implementation.
- Showcasing good practice from those involved with SDS.
- Providing health and social care professionals, other voluntary organisations and educational institutions with the resources they need to champion SDS.
- Conducting research which recognises the power of lived experience.
SDSS Annual Reports
Staff
Jess is the Manager here at SDSS.
Jess Wade has worked in the voluntary sector since 2004, when she graduated from the University of Edinburgh. She has previously worked in a range of roles in the sector, including fundraising, volunteering and campaigning. She is a Trustee of both a local family support charity and Barony Housing Association. In 2016 Jess was appointed to the Board of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR). She has a Masters in Public Administration from the University of York and is a long time human rights activist.
Get in touch with Jess:
By Email- Jess@sdsscotland.org.uk
By phone- 0131 475 2622
Follow Jess on Linkedin
Mark is the Membership Development Executive for SDSS.
Mark previously managed and developed a Carers Advocacy Service at VOCAL, which is a carers organisation based in Edinburgh and Midlothian. Before that he worked as an advocate for people with learning difficulties, children and young people, and people using health services both in Scotland and the North East of England. Mark has also previously worked closely with disabled people’s groups and organisations to enable them to grow and develop in the way that they want, and to enable people to tackle the issues they are concerned with more effectively.
Mark has a love of history, archaeology and travelling and is currently trying to learn Mandarin and BSL!
Get in touch with Mark:
By Email- mark@sdsscotland.org.uk
By phone- 0131 475 2624
Anna is our Communications and Events Officer. She manages our programme of events, as well as our communications strategy. As well as her role with the SDSS, Anna sits on the Project Advisory Group for Happy to Translate.
Anna studied Linguistics at The University of Edinburgh where she developed an interest in speech and language pathology. Previous to this role Anna has worked in translation and higher education, managed a holiday playscheme service and a language summer school.
In her spare time, Anna loves Yoga, running and cooking.
Get in touch with Anna:
By Email – anna@sdsscotland.org.uk
By phone – 0131 475 2623
Follow Anna on Linkedin.
Dianne Theakstone recently joined the SDSS team alongside her best buddy (who you can see in the picture) Merlin, her 2 year old, very mischievous black lab guide dog.
Dianne comes from a research background that focuses upon co-production methodology with disabled people and exploring how to improve disabled peoples’ access to independent living. She recently finished a PhD in Applied Social Sciences at the University of Stirling and is currently working part-time as a researcher on the Match Me project (what works for effective allocations of adapted/accessible social housing) funded by Disability Research on Independent Living and Learning.
Dianne’s role with SDSS is Service User Experiences Research Officer. Between now and March 2019, she will be exploring the experiences/views of SDS users in five local authority areas in Scotland. We’re very excited about the project that seeks to build upon a pilot study conducted in 2016.
Dianne will be working on Mondays, Tuesday mornings and Wednesdays from 9am – 5pm.
If you would like to share any relevant information with me or if you would like to find out more about the Service User Experience project, please don’t hesitate to contact her at: dianne@sdsscotland.org.uk
Jeremy is our Operations Manager and is here to implement a plan in conjunction with our team and stakeholders to continue to increase the effectiveness of the organisation and to take the lead on finance operations.
Following business and senior management roles in Edinburgh’s private sector, I’ve come from 6 years in development and financial management in an award winning Drugs and Alcohol charity. There I developed independent income and streamlined systems improving organisational effectiveness with finance, marketing, stakeholder management, fundraising and reporting.
While Operations Manager of SDSS on a part-time basis I am developing a fundraising support service for organisations with low capacity to manage fundraising events, engage their own stakeholders and connect with corporates and the public. Outside of work I currently support my local ex-mining community through our community council and regeneration project steering groups.
Get in touch with Jeremy:
By Email – jeremy@sdsscotland.org.uk
By phone – 0131 475 2626
Follow Jeremy Linkedin.
If you have difficulty accessing the staff list we have provided an alternative access page.
Board Members
Florence Garabedian has been the Chief Executive of the Lothian Centre for Inclusive Living (LCiL) since 2008. Florence’s experience is rooted in community development and user-led organisations working with minority groups at local, national and international levels. Through LCiL and SDSS she is actively involved in the Independent Living Movement.
Ged Thompson. SDSS Management Committee.
After graduating in Humberside in 1988 Frank worked in Day Services in Cumbria and Merseyside as a Day Centre Officer before moving into a management role for PSS in 1992. Frank was responsible for a Hospital resettlement project and involved in setting up Adult Placement Projects in Merseyside. In 1999 Frank moved to Scotland and continued my passion for Adult Placement Services and established the first Adult Placement Services in Dumfries and Galloway with TRFS. In 2010 Frank managed Community based and Respite Services. Frank presently manages DGVoice a User-led organisation for people with a disability. Since 1996 he has been actively involved as a Social Work Practice Teacher and he recently completed part of the University of Edinburgh Post Graduate Integrated Service Improvement Programme on Personalisation and Outcomes. Frank is a a Shotokan Karate Black belt 2nd Dan and enjoys playing and writing Music. He has a passion for all things German including language, music, literature, and food!
Brenda Garrard has recently become a member of the SDSS management committee.
Brenda has worked for PAMIS (Promoting a More Inclusive Society) since 2001 and is committed to improving the lives of people who have profound and multiple learning disabilities and their family carers. She has worked on a number of various projects with PAMIS and is presently the manager of the PAMIS Self-Directed Support (SDS) project.
Enabling people with PMLD to access a life worth living is at the forefront of all PAMIS work. Self-directed Support and the ethos and vision behind SDS should enable all people with disabilities access to services that offer choice control and the necessary flexibility to not only receive appropriate care but to empower all to engage in society as valued citizens regardless of ability or disability.
Partnership working and supporting those who are committed to support the drive to make Self-Directed Support successful is important. PAMIS’ involvement with Self-Directed Support Scotland, as a member organisation, has been beneficial on many levels. As a member of the SDSS management committee Brenda hopes that she can contribute effectively to the work of the SDSS Team and in so doing contribute to positive change to the way people who require community support access and experience the SDS journey.
Angela is our Treasurer, she has been employed by GCIL, as the SDS Co-ordinator at Take Control East Dunbartonshire (Formerly East Dunbartonshire Direct Payment Support Service) since 2003. She has worked in social work, training and voluntary organisations. Focussing in the last 12 years in promoting independent living for disabled people. She is am also the Convenor of Glasgow Disability Alliance advocating for the involvement of disabled people in society. As a disabled person she believes passionately in user led membership organisations and is committed to the principles of Independent Living.
SDSS Management Committee.
Alternative access to board members list.