Integration Joint Board

Gordon Johnston, NHS Forth Valley (Chair)

Gordon has held senior roles in the public and voluntary sectors in areas including community development, managing a local community engagement organisation, and co ordinating the distribution of National Lottery and European funding. He is now active in many third sector mental health organisations in Scotland, has considerable leadership and governance experience through his past and present work with Bipolar Scotland, Healthcare Improvement Scotland, the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland, and the Scottish Government’s Mental Health Strategic Delivery Board.

Councillor Fiona Collie, Falkirk Council (Vice Chair)

Councillor Fiona Collie is Councillor for the Denny & Banknock ward and is Portfolio Holder for Health & Social Care. Fiona has worked in both paid and volunteer roles within the third sector for most of her career in a wide range of roles including policy development, campaigning, advice and support. She combines her council role with employment with the charity Carers Scotland and volunteer roles.

Councillor Anne Hannah, Falkirk Council

Councillor Hannah has extensive experience working in local government, covering Inverclyde, Lothian, City of Edinburgh and now serving as a member for Lower Braes. Holding a degree in Social Policy from Edinburgh University and a Diploma in Legal Studies from Edinburgh Napier University, Anne has a career working in Welfare Rights, working to support older people, those living with a disability, and families to access support.

Councillor Jim Flynn, Falkirk Council

Councillor Flynn is the elected Member for the Carse, Kinnaird and Tryst Ward. Prior elected office, he has worked in various roles within the pharmaceutical industry,  working with health boards, hospitals, GP practices and with healthcare professionals across Scotland. In the third sector Jim volunteered as Young Befriender for over 10 years with Central Carers Trust and served as a Board Member of Carers Trust for around 5 years.

Stephen McAllister, NHS Forth Valley

Stephen is a former senior Police Officer, with extensive experience in leadership, governance and performance management. During his career, Stephen was a Police Hostage and Crisis Negotiator, which allowed him to develop excellent active listening skills and influencing skills. Stephen was the Police Divisional Commander in Forth Valley prior to retiring, providing a good perspective on the delivery of a unitary service across multiple local authorities and a firm understanding of the geography and demographics of the local area.

Voting Member, NHS Forth Valley

Position awaiting appointment

Gail Woodcock, Chief Officer, Falkirk HSCP

Gail has over 30 years’ experience working within public sector and community health and social care settings, with significant expertise in managing transformation projects involving social care, primary care, mental health and digital services. She joined the the Partnership in the summer of 2021 as Head of Integration before her appointment as Chief Officer in April 2024. Her career has included senior leadership positions within Aberdeen City Health and Social Care Partnership and Bon Accord Care, Aberdeen City Council’s Social Care delivery organisation. She is also a former chair of the Health and Social Care Scotland Strategic Commissioning Group.

Marie Keirs, Chief Finance Officer

Joining from Inverclyde Health and Social Care Partnership in May 2024, Marie brings experience from senior finance positions in Inverclyde and South Ayrshire and an understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing integration boards and local authorities across Scotland.

Sara Lacey, Chief Social Work Officer

Sara is Falkirk’s Chief Social Work Officer and Head of Children & Families Social Work Services and Justice Services. A qualified social worker since 1996, Sara has worked in a variety of practice and leadership roles within local authority, third and independent sectors. Prior to Falkirk, Sara was the Managing Director of a national residential child care organisation and spent time overseas developing home based nursing services for people with critical health issues and at end of life.

Andrew Murray, Medical Director, NHS Forth Valley

Andrew is a founding member of the Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management and has led the redesign of a wide range of medical services. He has also developed and implemented new models of care across community and acute hospitals. He has worked in both Scotland and New Zealand until 2001, when he moved to NHS Ayrshire and Arran as a Consultant ENT surgeon, Clinical Director, Associate Medical Director and then Medical Director with NHS Borders before taking his current post of Medical Director at NHS Forth Valley.

Professor Frances Dodd, Nursing, Midwifery and AHP Representative

Frances is the Executive Nurse Director for NHS Forth Valley, professionally leading and supporting nursing, midwifery and AHP staff across the local area. Bringing extensive experience in pre-hospital, acute, and primary care services, Frances’s nursing career began at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s Victoria Infirmary, she then held a range of senior management and professional leadership roles with NHS Lanarkshire and the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Dr David Herron, GP Clinical Lead, Falkirk HSCP

David graduated from Manchester in 2002 and has been a GP Partner in a practice in Polmont since 2006. He is also involved in training medical students and GP Trainees and arranging educational events for GPs across Forth Valley. David chair’s NHS Forth Valley’s GP Subcommittee which provides advice on a wide range of issues affecting General Practice.

Robert Clark, NHS Forth Valley

Robert began his career in NHS Forth Valley in 1985 working as a relief Plaster Technician and then moved to Theatres as a Theatre Orderly. He then undertook the Operating Department Practitioner course, qualified in 1989, and has worked in Theatres since then. He has been involved in the Trade Union movement since 1985 and became a Unison steward in 1990. He has also served as Branch Secretary for the Stirling Royal Infirmary and latterly the Forth Valley Health branches of Unison.

Roger Ridley, Falkirk Council

Roger is the union representative from Falkirk Council. Roger has worked in social work for more than thirty five years. Working in children and families social work as a social worker and manager most of that time but moving to adults services as a mental health officer. Thus, Roger feels the values that brought him in to social work all those years ago still motivate him both in his work with Unison but also his role as representative on the board, trying to see individuals and communities holistically.

David McNiven, Service user representative

David is a retired health and social care professional with a keen interest in the effective planning, delivery and modelling of health and social care. He has a particular focus on ensuring the patient journey is timely, appropriate and with informed outcomes. Initially qualified as a Physiotherapist he subsequently gained an MBA at The University of Strathclyde after which he held a range of Executive and Board roles in the charitable and independent sectors across the UK.

Elaine Beveridge, Carers Representative

Caring responsibilities have come and gone throughout Elaine’s life, supporting her dad, mum, and husband at different stages. This has provided a range of experiences accessing local services and advocating for loved ones’ support and care. Professionally, Elaine is a retired Police Inspector, with 30 years’ experience working in the local area, bringing strategic expertise and an understanding of multi-agency approaches to supporting people in Falkirk.

Sharon Mwale, Substitute Carers Representative

Sharon is an enthusiastic member of the local community, using her experience of caring for her own children to support other carers in the local area. As a member of the local Carers Centre for 7 years; representative on the Partnership’s community-led support programme board; and treasurer for carers charity RISE Forth Valley, Sharon is well accustomed to being a voice for people with caring responsibilities. She also brings an understanding of the public sector landscape, through more than 20 years’ working as a qualified accountant in range of settings, including at a local authority.

Ian Dickson, Third sector representative

Appointed CEO of Falkirk’s Mental Health Association (FDAMH) in 2021, Ian also represents the third sector on the Falkirk Community Planning Partnership’s mental health group. FDAMH is an independent charity providing bespoke one-to-one and group mental health and wellbeing support to people in the Falkirk and District Community. In his previous role as Operations Manager, he played an integral part in ensuring community services remained available throughout the pandemic.

Victoria McRae, Third sector representative

Appointed as CEO of CVS Falkirk at the end of 2020, Victoria has extensive experience in both the private and third sector, working with the organisation since 2010. CVS Falkirk & District is the third sector interface for the Falkirk area, with a primary role in ensuring the continuation and development of a vibrant local third sector. Victoria and the CVS team support local partners in creating change and making a lasting, valued, difference to the communities of Falkirk.

Martin Thom, Head of Specialist Services

With a strong commitment to working in partnership, Martin has over twenty years experience working as a practitioner and manager within Social Work and Social Care. His experience spans a range of services covering residential care for adults with learning disabilities, support for people affected by alcohol-related brain injury, criminal justice social work services, and offenders with problem drug use. Prior to joining Falkirk, Martin held senior roles at Fife Council as Head of Older People Services and for Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council, where he was appointed Head of Community Care Partnerships.

Caroline Doherty, Head of Community Services

Caroline joined the senior leadership team in May 2024, having led the Partnership’s central locality team since August 2023. She brings experience from previous roles with the Care Inspectorate as a Strategic Inspector and East Renfrewshire HSCP within Adult Support and Protection.

Tom Cowan, Head of Strategic Planning and Transformation

Tom has extensive leadership experience at two of Scotland’s largest health and social care partnerships and has undertaken consultancy work across the UK to support change and redesign projects in the primary care sector. He has acted as Deputy Chief Officer for both Aberdeen and Edinburgh Partnerships, where he was responsible for the delivery of all community health and social care services – including Primary Care. His 40 years of experience is founded upon his background as a social worker in North Lanarkshire, where he progressed through various management positions within local authority social work before reaching Operational Head of Service level in 2007.

Amanda Croft 

Andrew Murray

Anne Hannah

David Herron

David McNiven (pending upload)

Elaine Beveridge

Fiona Collie

Frances Dodd 

Gail Woodcock

Gordon Johnstone

Ian Dickson

Jim Flynn 

Marie Keirs

Michele McClung

Robert Clark

Roger Ridley

Sara Lacey

Sharon Mwale (pending upload)

Stephen McAllister

Victoria McRae