Meet the team

With 14 years’ experience working with vulnerable children, young people and their families, parents, carers and other agencies to ensure a consistently high level of care.

Elaine has a master’s in Psychology from the University of Glasgow and is currently undertaking the Masters in Advanced Residential Childcare at the University of Strathclyde. Alongside qualifications in Health and Social Care, Elaine has a PDA in Management and Leadership with 8 years managerial experience within the Residential Childcare Sector. Elaine has a passion for social pedagogy and currently sits on the board of Trustees for SPPA (Social Pedagogy Professional Association)

With experience in counselling, social work field work services and educational psychological services, Elaine brings a wealth of knowledge and experience of the wider influences and services around to support the children and young people within Nether Johnstone house. Author of ‘Life story approaches and relationships within residential child care: A practice reflection’, Elaine’s philosophy of care and support is embedded within a social pedagogical approach ensuring that the child/young person is central to all aspects of their care and development. Elaine offers a holistic, relational, experiential approach to her leadership and management of the team. Focused on growth, development and a strengths-based approach, Elaine embraces the values and ethos of Nether Johnstone House in a way that encourages participation and leadership across the team, children and young people.

Dr Irene Stevens provides external support and supervision to the Service Manager as well as providing staff training at Nether Johnstone House and independently auditing the views of stakeholders, children and young people on their experience of the service. Dr Stevens has an esteemed career in residential child care. She joined the University of Strathclyde in 2001, after a career in residential child care in Scotland which spanned almost 20 years. Within the university, she worked for the Scottish Institute for Residential Child Care which has now become CELCIS (Centre of Excellence for Looked-after Children in Scotland). Her main work there was training, evaluative research and developing practice guidance literature. When she left CELCIS in 2012, she continued to work as an independent consultant in the field of residential child care and education. She currently sits on the editorial board of the Scottish Journal of Residential Child Care, and continues to write and publish in this area. Her most recent publications have included work in the European Journal of Social Work, the International Journal of Social Work and the International Journal of Child, Family and Youth Studies.

Maureen Anderson is an Independent registered Social Worker and Tutor Assessor for the Care Inspectorate. She provides auditing and quality assurance of Nether Johnstone House care systems, training and is currently preparing to support the young people in knowing their rights and responsibilities. Maureen has had a lengthy career in social care and social work. She has had many years’ experience in residential child care, children and families experience and has managed a drug service. She is a qualified Further Education Lecturer and worked for the Scottish Institute for Residential Child Care as Assistant Director, Workforce Development where her role was to support the residential child care workforce into Further Education in order to meet SSSC registration requirements. In that post, with another colleague, Maureen developed the Core Skills Appraisal Project which won two Care Accolades in 2005. She sat for a seven year term on the SSSC Registration and Conduct Sub-Committee and was a member of the General Teaching Council for Scotland Fitness to Teach panel for seven years. She was a part-time Locum Inspector in the Care Inspectorate complaints team and is also a Panel Practice Advisor within the Children’s Hearing System.