Committee Membership

Isabel Paterson - Chair

Isabel and her family live on the Black Isle. She is a freelance musician and music tutor. Isabel joined the Highland Children’s Forum and its management committee in 2001, whilst working in the voluntary sector for PAMIS, working with people with profound learning disabilities and their carers. As a parent-carer herself she is passionate about the rights of children with disabilities and their families. Isabel has been Chair of the Highland Children’s Forum since January 2005.

Isabel sits on the Highland Adaptations and Equipment Project Team and Play Highland Committee.

Katie Adam - Treasurer

Katie has worked in Finance in some form since her first employment. She states that she feels "privileged to be Treasurer of a very committed professional team" and "I was delighted to sign up to the positive ethos and determination of HCF to listen to and represent children's views". She has been committed to developing Quality Childcare since 1992.

Andrew Nixseaman

Andrew is employed by The Calman Trust as its Operations Manager.

Calman is a service for young people in the Highlands who are leaving home and moving on. They describe themselves as:
"Young people can approach us for 1-1 support with their housing needs; advice and information on leaving home or housing issues; to improve their literacy skills; or to join in various training activities as preparation for work.

We have become an organisation that reaches out to involved the whole community in serving the needs of young people in this area.

We aim to raise awareness of youth homelessness and to involve young people in all that we do and enable them to share their stories and experiences and be heard - for their own benefit and also for the benefit of others."

Andrew describes his role as:

"I try to link up with other agencies, and the Local Authority to make sure that the work that we do meets the needs of the people using the service, as well as fitting into the wider environment." Andrew is also a foster carer.

Catriona Burns

Catriona is a young person who has experience of being a young carer. She was Youth Convenor in Highland in 2009/2010.

Gemma MacKintosh

Gemma is a young person with a visual impairment. She is a student at Inverness College. She is active in Haggeye, the youth forum of the Royal National Institute for Blind People.

Les Hood

Les is Highland Service Manager with CHILDREN 1ST, providing Abuse Recovery, Family Group Conferencing, Kinship Care Support and Mediation in Education services. He previously worked with Action for Children Inverness Family Project, and has worked in services for children, young people and families for over 20 years.

Les works on the “Getting It Right For Every Child” Voluntary Sector Reference Group; the Highland Violence Against Women Strategy Group; "Keeping Children Safe" and the Steering Group for the Family Group Conferencing service “Family Solutions”.
 

Clare Dyker

Clare worked for 20 years as a Staff Nurse in Raigmore Hospital before taking early retirement. She lives with her family in Inverness and is a parent/carer. She has a keen interest in trying to ensure that children with additional needs can access all the support that they require.

Christian Maclean

Christian has worked in the voluntary sector for thirty years, in a variety of roles but always involved with children and young people, their families and their communities. As Chief Executive of CHIP+ she is committed to ensuring that all families have easy access to reliable and helpful information.

Frances Nixseaman

Frances, from Highland Carers Project, coordinates For Highland’s Young Carers, a strategic framework to support young carers across Highland. Frances has been a Children’s Panel member and a foster carer, as well as working with children and young people for the past 15 years. She is keen to support the inclusion of children’s voices from a diverse range of experiences.