Board

Becs Barker

Chair

Becs has a passion for promoting fairness for all. Starting out at the age of 14, she started her working life as a volunteer and then as a play-leader at Thames Valley Adventure Playground for disabled children. Here she learnt that with the right mindset and support, anything is possible. Following this, she trained and worked as a nurse, quickly realising that her strengths lay in working with people with new disabilities. Completing a degree with the Open University strengthened her interest in human rights and community development – getting to the ‘nitty-gritty’ and supporting people to be in charge of their own, ordinary lives became a driving force.

A move to Scotland in 2004 saw a change in direction and Becs spent the next few years managing and facilitating peer support with Neighbourhood Networks. It was here that Becs first learnt about Self-Directed Support and the possibilities of the ‘SDS dream’. Redundancy and a period of time in the wilderness, led Becs to chance upon her dream job in 2013- as a Manager for Argyll and Bute’s independent SDS project, Carr Gomm’s Community Contacts. She has been there ever since; further developing Community Contacts to cover Highland. She has been promoted and along with offering senior management to Community Contacts, she leads on participation, involvement and innovation with Carr Gomm.

In her spare time, Becs is also a trustee of a further three charitable organisations; she enjoys gardening and yoga.

Joanne McGee

Treasurer

Joanne is Self Directed Support Scotland’s Treasurer. Over the last 25 years, Joanne has worked for a variety of Third Sector/Voluntary organisations. Starting out as an employability advisor with Castlemilk Economic Development Agency, supporting long-term unemployed / disabled people into employment, training and education. Following this, she spent some time at a Money Advice Centre, Carers Centre before commencing her current role at Take Control East Dunbartonshire.

Joanne started at Take Control as an advisor, bringing her personal experiences as a young/adult carer and managing an SDS Direct Payment package for a parent to the role, and has progressed to Co-ordinator at Take Control East Dunbartonshire.

In her spare time, Joanne enjoys hill walking, mindfulness in nature and meditation.

Laura Hendry

Laura currently works for a local Health and Social Care partnership as a Strategic Development Officer for Self-Directed Support. Laura previously worked for an SDS support service, Cornerstone SDS, from 2015, managing the service from 2020 to 2024. Whilst at Cornerstone SDS, they were able to support more than 1000 clients through all services (Direct Payment support, Individual Service Fund support, Direct Payment payroll and Support in the Right Direction).

This has given Laura a unique insight into how SDS works in practice and what the potential pitfalls are with the current roll out of the legislation. Laura has a sound working knowledge of SDS and how it is practically implemented. She has a passion for SDS and ensuring that it is implemented fairly across the country and does not result in a postcode lottery of what support is offered where.

Laura is keen to help shape the future of Self-directed Support and ensure that everyone is getting an equitable level of support from their local authority with regards to SDS.

Tressa Burke

Tressa is a lifelong campaigner for disabled people’s human rights, devoting her career to promoting participation and inclusion for all. She was a founder member of Glasgow Disability Alliance in 2001, and five years later, was appointed CEO. She has taken the organisation from strength to strength over the past two decades, remaining true to the initial vision of combating social isolation and focusing above all, on developing and drawing on disabled people’s own strengths.

As a disabled person herself, Tressa has a particular interest in the cumulative impact of discrimination, and has led GDA to create safe and inclusive spaces for all, with networks dedicated to rights and needs of disabled people of colour, disabled women, and LGBT disabled people, as well as support tailored for every stage of people’s lives.

Tressa lends her experience and expertise to a variety of other organisations including Glasgow City and Scottish Government across a range of areas, embedding disabled people’s voices, priorities and direct participation in policy development and service design. She is a member of the First Minister’s National Advisory Council for Women and Girls, the National Care Service Programme Board and the Disability and Carers’ Benefits Expert Advisory Group.

Tressa has an MA (Hons) in Music and Philosophy and a Masters in Social Work from the University of Glasgow, specialising in community development. She was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Open University in June 2022 in recognition of her commitment to public services including her contribution as a campaigner for equality and human rights.

Anne-Marie Monaghan

Anne-Marie is an experienced board member and is currently the Chair of the Board for the Independent Living Fund Scotland (ILF).

She also sits on GGCNHS Board as a Non-Executive Director. She is the chair of East Renfrewshire Integration Joint Board (ERIJB) and sits on the Glasgow City Integration Joint Board (GIJB).

As a Trustee with SDSS, Anne-Marie brings a wide experience of both strategic and operational work, having worked for over 40 years in community work and social work. She has held senior positions in a local authority, working in operations, commissioning and as a head of service. She also led the first Scottish Government self-directed support Test Site and has been involved in SDS from the outset.

Anne-Marie lives with a disability and has an individual budget that she uses for her support.

Michael Greaves Mackintosh

Michael is currently Chair of DG Voice, a disabled peoples’ organisation and Chair of LGBT Plus. Further to this, he serves on the Board of the Dumfries and Galloway Housing Partnership.

By joining the SDSS Management Committee, Michael would act as a liaison between the organisation and the disabled population of Dumfries and Galloway. He is looking forward to gaining a better understanding of SDSS, and to providing appropriate information to disabled people in the region.

Michael believes that all disabled people should have the choice to determine all aspects of their support and care.