A WOMAN who helped to devise national standards for Scotland’s Children’s Panel has been employed as director of a centre for vulnerable youngsters in Bishopton.

Alison Gough will soon be steering the ship at the Good Shepherd Centre – and has described her appointment as “an honour.”

Ms Gough, who is currently secure care national advisor with the Centre for Youth and Criminal Justice at Strathclyde University, qualified as a social worker in 1991.

She has since held social work roles within Scottish local authorities and was head of service at a residential school care resource in the voluntary sector.

Ms Gough then joined Children’s Hearings Scotland as the director of panel and area support, where she was part of the executive team which introduced national standards for the Children’s Panel.

She said: “I know I am joining a team who are committed to ensuring everything we do across our services has the best interests of young people we care for, and keep safe, at its heart.”