Fiona Aitken

Fiona Aitken has been appointed by Adoption UK as development manager for Scotland and will be responsible for managing service development and delivery across the country. Aitken has many years experience in working with young people, specifically supporting children and families affected by disabilities. She also has a background in speech and language therapy and a post graduate qualification in autism and Asperger’s syndrome. She has a keen professional interest in family support and previously spent 10 years working with children’s organisation Barnardo’s Scotland.

Fiona Dunbar

Fiona Dunbar has been appointed by Adoption UK as volunteers’ coordinator for Scotland. She will be responsible for the recruitment and support of volunteers, and the management of support groups throughout the country. Dunbar’s most recent role was supporting young people affected by homelessness within their first training flat tenancies. She was with the organisation Four Square (Scotland) for 11 years and before that, had experience in other voluntary organisations. Dunbar is also a foster carer, adopter and has a background in counselling.

Sarah Smith

LinkLiving which is part of the Link group of voluntary organisations and social enterprises, has appointed Sarah Smith as its new director. Smith has been involved in developing and managing housing support services for more than 25 years, with Edinvar Housing Association, Carr Gomm, the Scottish Association for Mental Health, Children 1st and, most recently, Quarriers. She will be responsible for consolidating LinkLiving’s person-centred support, employability and volunteering services and participating in the development of new social businesses and services.

John Carnochan

Worldwide Alternatives to Violence (Wave Trust) has appointed John Carnochan as its second senior fellow. Carnochan, a former detective chief superintendent in Glasgow who set up Scotland’s Violence Reduction Unit during 2005, will take on the role in September 2014. He joins first senior fellow Professor Sir Harry Burns. Carnochan is an adviser to the World Health Organisation, lectures at the Scottish Police College, is a consultant for the Inter- American Bank, serves on the Scottish Government’s Early Years Task Force, as well on the boards of several groups including Alcohol Focus Scotland, Children’s Parliament and the Poverty and Truth Commission.