Public Appointment: Members appointed to Community Justice Scotland

The Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs today announced the appointment of Henry Acres, Lorraine Gillies, Keith Rosser and Helen Wollaston as Members of Community Justice Scotland (CJS).

Members

Henry Acres is a career civil servant having worked at The State Hospital in Carstairs, The Scottish Prison Service and now at the Scottish Government.

He has extensive voluntary experience with Durham Police Constabulary, RNIB Scotland and most recently as the Vice Chair of the education, justice and animal welfare based community interest company, Paws for Progress.

He brings an array of useful skills to the CJS Board, with a background in risk management, business continuity and resilience from his time in the NHS and his current role as Head of the Scottish Government’s Social Care Response and Resilience Unit; knowledge of the justice system from his Criminology degree, voluntary work and role in SPS; and, extensive knowledge of drug policy from his time as the Head of the Drugs Death Taskforce Secretariat and Team Leader for Cultural and Structural Change in Scottish Government’s Drug Policy Division, with a focus on justice, drug law reform and stigma.

He is an active champion of equality and diversity, starting early in life as a member of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Project 1000, becoming an advocate through his work with the Glasgow Centre for Inclusive Living and roles in the Scottish Government’s union the FDA, Disabled Staff Network and corporate committees.

Lorraine Gillies is the former Chief Executive of the Scottish Community Safety Network and is currently the co-chair of the Independent Working Group on Anti-social behaviour.   She is autistic with and is a founder member of The Wedge – a collaboration supporting neurominority women in work.  She is a trustee of the Donaldson Trust – the national centre for neurodiversity in Scotland and The Scheme – a local recovery focused charity.  She is passionate about neurominority, social justice and community safety.

Keith Rosser, as an executive founded and built a pre-employment vetting business responsible for strategy, growth, and organisational performance, whilst also working as a Group Risk Director for a £1bn UK firm. He received a Commendation Award from the UK Home Office and became an Honorary Fellow of Lancaster University for work modernising the labour market. Keith has 15 years’ experience as a Non-Executive Board Member across a range of public bodies serving on People & Resources, Audit & Risk, and Finance Committees. He is a regular speaker at UK Parliament on a range of topics to do with modernising employment, including work with MPs, Peers, and industry on how to employ people with convictions. Keith also brings extensive experience of board governance, commerciality, and finance.

Helen Wollaston gave up full-time work in 2020, her other Board roles include Vice Chair of Phoenix Futures, a charity which supports recovery from alcohol and drug addictions through psychosocial therapy in residential, prisons and community settings and a board member of Zero Waste Scotland. She brings experience of the criminal justice system as a volunteer, consultant and board member on a large mental health and learning disabilities NHS Trust in Yorkshire and with the young women’s charity YWCA.  Her career in the public and third sectors focused on equality, diversity and inclusion. For eight years she was Chief Executive of WISE, a Community Interest Company inspiring employers and educational institutions to embed gender equality in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Prior to this, she ran an equalities consultancy and worked in management roles at the Equal Opportunities Commission and the National Lottery Charities Board. 

Appointment

These appointments will be for 3 years and will run from 17 February 2025 to 16 February 2028.

These appointments are regulated by the Ethical Standards Commissioner.

Remuneration

These appointments are part-time and attract a remuneration of £248 for a time commitment of up to 20 days per year.

Other ministerial appointments

Lorraine Gillies is a Member  is Co-Chair of The Independent Working Group on anti-social behaviour for a time commitment of one day per week post January 2025. She does not receive any remuneration for this role.

Keith Rosser is a Non-Executive Member on the Board of Disclosure Scotland, for which he receives remuneration of £250.34 per day for 1 day per month. He is also  a Non-Executive Member of the Board of SEPA, for which he receives remuneration of £250 per day, for a time commitment of 2 days per month and a Non-Executive / Chair of GLAA (UK Home Office), for which he receives remuneration of £270 per day for a time commitment of 1 day per month.ome

Helen Wollaston is a Non-Executive Member on the Board of Zero Waste Scotland, for which she receives remuneration of £272.92 per day, for a time commitment of 24 days per year.

Henry Acres does not hold any other public appointments.

Political activity

All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process.  However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity within the last five years (if there is any to be declared) to be made public.   

Henry Acres, Lorraine Gillies, Keith Rosser and Helen Wollaston have had no political activity within the last five years.

Background

Community Justice Scotland, established in April 2017, plays a central role in the continual improvement of Scotland’s justice system. Its role is key to Scottish Ministers’ wider approach to justice and penal policy. Community Justice Scotland is responsible for monitoring, promoting, and supporting improvement in the provision of community justice services (its functions are set out in full in Section 4 of the Community Justice (Scotland) Act 2016. It provides advice to Scottish Ministers and local government leaders to strengthen how public services, third sector and other partners work together to prevent and reduce further offending.