The Scottish Adoption & Fostering team have a wealth of experience in the adoption and fostering fields which means our adopters and foster carers get the best service from the moment they apply to the agency to the support service which is available to all our families once their children arrive into their care.
Sue Brunton
Sue joined Scottish Adoption as our CEO in March 2022. Before coming to us Sue worked for Barnardo’s heading up their family placement services across the UK and prior to that looked after their fostering and adoption teams in Scotland. Over her career as a social worker, Sue has spent around 25 years working in services to looked after infants, children and young people and care experienced adults including working in Local Authorities Children’s Services, CELCIS and BAAF.
Stevan Blackwood
I joined Scottish Adoption as a Parent Practitioner in 2019 offering peer support to other adoptive families. My role grew quickly and then I became a support worker with the after adoption team in 2022 skilling up with techniques in Theraplay and NVR. I have worked in the care setting for over twenty years and myself and husband adopted our sons through Scottish Adoption and we have also been approved as a foster carers taking in children for short breaks.
Leasa Bleteau
Leasa is one of our Practice Managers for the After Adoption Team. Leasa has been working at Scottish Adoption since 2010. She has been a qualified social worker since 2002 and prior to coming to Scottish adoption Leasa was a social worker within a children and families area team.
Kath Bruce
Kath was delighted to take up a permanent post with Scottish Adoption in 2018 after six years as a freelance therapist with the organisation. Kath’s background includes mental health and learning disabilities services with trauma and attachment as her primary focus. Kath is also a clinical supervisor and a freelance musician.
Tina Clark
Tina joined the Scottish Adoption and Fostering team in 2023 as Marketing and Communications Coordinator. She has over ten years of experience working in various marketing roles and industries. Her responsibilities include managing communications, events and brand awareness for Scottish Adoption and Fostering.
Polly Cowan
Polly has worked as a part-time Senior Practitioner at Scottish Adoption since 2015. She began her career in Children and Families statutory social work settings in 2006 in London and then moved to work in Edinburgh in 2013. She completed her PhD in 2022 (at University of Edinburgh) the complexity of adoption breakdown in 2022. She is an Associate Trainer/Consultant at AFKA and an Associate Tutor at Stirling University.
She also sits as a Tribunal member for Additional Supports Needs Tribunals in Scotland and for Medical Practitioners Tribunals across the UK.
Julie Forsyth
Julie has been a qualilfied Social Worker since 1999 and worked in Statutory Children and Families for 5 years. Julie joined the Barnardo’s Family Placement team in 2004 before joining Scottish Adoption in 2018. Julie works as a Senior Practitioner in the Family Placement Team and is also a qualified Counsellor.
Vickie Foster
Vickie has been at Scottish Adoption since January 2014 and is currently one of the Practice Managers responsible for the Adoption Placement Service. She qualified as a social worker in 1995. Prior to joining Scottish Adoption she worked in a children and families practice team and various residential settings. She is also a practice teacher.
Alison Hanlon
Alison is the Finance/Office Manager at Scottish Adoption. She has worked at Scottish Adoption since 2010, previously in the role of Secretary – After Adoption Support. Prior to this her experience has included working for Skills Development Scotland, Scottish Enterprise and Children 1st.
Naomi Head
Naomi joined the Family Placement Team as a part time Senior Practitioner in 2015. She qualified as a social worker in 2002 and has previously worked in a range of settings within the voluntary sector, including children and families and independent assessment work. Naomi is also a practice teacher.
Morven Jackson
Morven joined SA in June 2019, as a Senior Practitioner in the family placement team. Morven worked in various roles within Barnardos from 2003, qualifying as a social worker in 2007. Morven is in the final stages of working towards an Msc Play Therapy via QMU. She is also a practice educator.
Jette Lemvig
Jette qualified as an Occupational Therapist in 2000 and has 15 years of experience of working in CAMHS in Edinburgh as well as a couple of years of working in the voluntary sector with children affected by parental drug and alcohol misuse. Jette took up a permanent post with Scottish Adoption in 2018 after 3 years of being a freelance therapist with the organisation.
Natalie
Natalie qualified as a social worker in 2014 and has worked in a variety of settings including Children and Families, Fostering and Kinship Care prior to joining Scottish Adoption in 2021 as a Senior Practitioner in the After Adoption team. Natalie has experience of working with children with complex needs including ASD and attachment.
Amanda Steven
Amanda has been a Senior Practitioner at Scottish Adoption since September 2014. She has been a qualified Social Worker since 2008 and has previous experience of working in a Local Authority children and families practice team.
Lynsey Trousdale
Lynsey joined Scottish Adoption and Fostering in 2019 as a Parent Practitioner, she then became a support worker in the adoption support team in 2021. Prior to joining Scottish Adoption and Fostering she has supported children, young people and families for over 20 years.
Karen Watt
Karen has been a Senior Practitioner within the Family Placement Team since June 2019. Qualifying in Social Work in 1994, Karen has worked within a variety of childcare settings over the years. Most recently, Karen worked for the last 11 years within a local authority Children and Families Team in the West of Scotland. Karen is also a Practice Teacher.