A former Highland police officer, whose career has taken her from Caithness to Cornwall, has been welcomed to a new role at Aberdeenshire Coucil.
Susan Maclaren is the local authority’s new chairwoman of its child and adult support protection committees.
She will bring together colleagues from social work, health, the police and voluntary organisations to help benefit hundreds in the region.
Ms Maclaren, who grew up in Badenoch and Strathspey, started life as an aircraft mechanic in the Women’s Royal Naval Service, then became a police officer and later a social worker.
Now, she joins Aberdeenshire Council after a stint at Moray Council as chief social work officer and from the Highlands’ childcare and learning alliance.
She said: “As a young police officer I became involved in a number of child protection cases and worked closely with the local social work department, which brought me into contact with a number of highly skilled and dedicated social workers.
“Their commitment to working with families and children to make things better had a lasting impression, and I was lucky to be one of the first police officers to gain a child protection diploma – more than 30 years ago.
“There has never been a more important time to look out for the most vulnerable and the most important thing we can do is to listen to those we are there to protect, and to work in partnership with parents, carers, children, young people and families.”
Aberdeenshire Council’s chief executive, Jim Savege added: “While these are very different circumstances to those we were expecting to welcome Susan in to, teams are adapting well and Susan will be a great asset.”
Anyone looking to report a child protection concern can contact local social work teams using the details on Aberdeenshire Council’s website:
https://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/social-care-and-health/children-and-families/children-and-families-team-offices/
The main telephone number is 01467 537111 during working hours Monday to Friday and Out of Hours after 5pm and at weekends is 03456 081206.