Solicitor appointment to Mental Welfare Commission
26 Jun 06
Legal Services Agency's Deirdre Hanlon takes up part-time post
A solicitor has been appointed as one of three part-time commissioners to the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland.
Deirdre Hanlon is a solicitor at Legal Services Agency. Working in the Mental Health Legal Representation Project, she provides legal advice, assistance and representation to individuals with mental disorder, their families and their carers. She also sits as a director on the board of Advocacy Matters within Glasgow. She does not hold any other ministerial appointments.
The other commissioners are James Connechen, until recently the director of Mental Health Services in NHS Dumfries and Galloway, and Dr Ian Clark, a former consultant psychiatrist with the Western Isles Health Board.
The Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland is an independent statutory body which protects mentally disordered people who are not able to look after their own interests.
The part time appointments last from 12 June 2006 to 30 June 2010 and the pay is currently £2,191 for an annual commitment of 15 days, plus £201 for each additional day devoted to Commission business.