CCPS Staff
Our staff bring a wide range of expertise, skills and experience to their roles. On this page you can read about their professional backgrounds and areas of focus at CCPS and in our hosted units, HSEU and CJVSF. For details of how to contact staff, please go to the contacts page. For information about our Board, click here.
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Yvette Burgess
DIRECTOR, HOUSING SUPPORT ENABLING UNIT
Yvette joined CCPS in 2004 to set up the Housing Support Enabling Unit (HSEU) and has led the service ever since. The HSEU is jointly hosted by the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) and is funded through the Scottish Government’s Better Homes Division.
Yvette’s background is in housing management in the social rented sector, having worked in London and Bristol for housing associations and for a London borough.
Rachel Cackett
CHIEF EXECUTIVE
Rachel has been CEO of the Coalition of Care and Support Providers in Scotland since July 2022, leading the work of the organisation to represent not-for-profit providers nationally.
Much of her work to date has focused on realising the Fair Work agenda and influencing much needed sector reform.
She has been part of Scottish social justice organisations for over 20 years and has a particular interest in working in membership organisations to develop a collective voice to influence.
Nadine Cassidy
ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCE OFFICER
Nadine joined CCPS in 2019 as part of the admin team and has a focus on finances. She feels privileged to be able to support the work of her colleagues across the organisation in improving not-for-profit social care.
Nadine has worked in the third sector for over 15 years. She was previously an Advocacy Worker supporting parents of children with exceptional healthcare needs and is particularly passionate about disability issues.
Alison Christie
POLICY PROGRAMMES LEAD (WORKFORCE)
Alison joined CCPS as a Policy and Development Officer in 2016 and took up the position of Policy Programme Lead in April 2021.
She has a background in healthcare, changing careers in 2014 following a period of study at the University of Strathclyde.
Alison has worked in policy roles since 2014, previously in drug and alcohol policy.
Catherine Garrod
PROGRAMME MANAGER, COMMISSIONING & PROCUREMENT PROGRAMME
Catherine has worked for CCPS since 2012, delivering a variety of change projects to improve social care policy and implementation at national and local level.
She now works to promote the ethical commissioning and procurement principles and progress towards a more collaborative, outcomes-based model of commissioning.
Catherine is passionate about improving social care policy and implementation, enabling rights for individuals and sustainability of third sector organisations.
Kyle Hylan-Corcoran
POLICY AND PROJECTS OFFICER – WORKFORCE
Kyle joined CCPS in July 2023 as part of the Workforce Development Team. He is currently involved in several working groups and projects related to workforce recruitment and training.
Prior to joining CCPS, Kyle received an MSc. Programme in Public Policy and Management from the University of Glasgow and a BA in Political Science/Justice and Law from American University in Washington, D.C.
Kyle is excited to deliver meaningful work to help CCPS members and the people they support.
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Kristy Lambert
POLICY AND PROJECTS OFFICER – WORKFORCE
Kristy joined CCPS in August 2023 as part of the Workforce Development team, supporting voluntary sector social service providers to improve the experiences and outcomes of the workforce and people who use services.
She previously worked in a policy role supporting the fundraising workforce within the voluntary sector. Prior to this, Kristy co-founded a policy initiative which campaigns for improved contraceptive care in Scotland.
Olivia Mann
POLICY AND PROJECTS OFFICER (COMMISSIONING & PROCUREMENT)
Olivia joined CCPS in July 2023 and has been supporting the team in various ongoing projects within the Commissioning and Procurement programme, promoting change across the social care sector and policy implementation.
She has previously worked on co-producing and commissioning person-centred social care initiatives with local authorities in England and has a background in social policy.
Olivia is keen to ensure ethical commissioning principles remain at the heart of social care.
Emma Mathews
HSEU POLICY AND INFORMATION OFFICER
Emma joined the Housing Support Enabling Unit (HSEU), which is hosted by CCPS, in July 2022. Her role involves supporting housing support providers to understand policy developments and put forward their views and interests.
Prior to joining HSEU, Emma studied Social Policy and Politics, completing an undergraduate dissertation in 2022 focusing on community investment activity undertaken by Scottish housing associations.
While Emma was a student, she also co-directed a student project focussed on action for housing justice in Edinburgh.
Laura Mulcahy
POLICY PROGRAMMES LEAD, CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Laura works with members of CCPS’s hosted unit, the Criminal Justice Voluntary Sector Forum (CJVSF) and other stakeholders to improve policy and practice for people affected by Scotland’s justice system.
Prior to joining CCPS, she worked and volunteered with a range of organisations spanning different sectors and geographical areas. This led to an interest in the connections between local, national and international policy developments and the cross-cutting nature of many social, economic and environmental issues.
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Caroline Scott
RESOURCES MANAGER
Caroline has worked for CCPS since May 2010 and heads up our administrative function.
She is responsible for providing HR, governance, financial and secretarial support to the senior management team and other colleagues. She also services the board and supports the treasurer.
Before joining CCPS, Caroline had nine years’ experience working in museums, heritage and the arts.
Eilidh Shearer
POLICY AND PROJECTS OFFICER– CRIMINAL JUSTICE VOLUNTARY SECTOR FORUM AND CCPS
For Eilidh’s CJVSF role, she supports forum members to advocate for improvements in justice policy, legislation, and practice. Within CCPS, Eilidh carries out research and advocacy for wider social care reform.
Prior to joining CCPS, Eilidh worked in policy and engagement in the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Directorate in the Scottish Government. Eilidh also has experience in the third sector, supporting families and young people in difficult circumstances.
Chris Small
HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS & ENGAGEMENT
Chris leads our communications work, with responsibility for CCPS’s campaigns, member engagement, parliamentary brief and brand.
Chris started his career as a journalist at the Scotsman newspapers before taking on various communications roles, including at the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland, the University of Edinburgh and the Times Educational Supplement Scotland.
Prior to joining CCPS he was Communications Manager at national charity Children in Scotland, where he led their rebrand and communications influencing work.
Anna Tully
COMMUNICATIONS & PARLIAMENTARY OFFICER
Anna joined CCPS in May 2023 as part of the newly created Communications and Engagement team.
She previously worked as a communications planning executive on Scottish Government marketing campaigns, with experience across various government portfolios.
Anna has a passion for making sure the voice of not-for-profit social care is heard.
Simon Webster
DIRECTOR OF POLICY PROGRAMMES
Simon took up the post of Director of Policy Programmes in November 2022. He directs our programmes on Commissioning and Procurement, Workforce, Children, and Digital, and is the CCPS member on the executive of the Criminal Justice Voluntary Sector Forum.
He has an interest in human rights, particularly disability rights and children’s rights. Simon has experience of third sector management, local authority policy development, direct provision of not-for-profit social care, policy management at a public body, and has worked at Scottish Government.
Fraser White
BETTER FUTURES AND INFORMATION OFFICER (HSEU)
Fraser joined the Housing Support Enabling Unit in December 2021. His role focuses on managing and supporting use of Better Futures, Scotland’s only dedicated outcomes-monitoring and management tool for housing support providers.
His work helps housing support providers and services deliver positive outcomes for people they support.
Fraser previously worked in local authority and consultancy research roles, before undertaking self-employed projects in cultural and social sectors in Scotland.
Megan Williams
POLICY PROGRAMME LEAD – DIGITAL AND CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE, CCPS
Megan took up her current role in July 2023.
Her work on digital and data for social care builds on her two years of prior experience in our Workforce policy team. Megan has an interest in evaluation, measurement, and the puzzle of how to demonstrate social care’s impact while limiting reporting requests for the people working in and leading our social care services.
She previously worked for a variety of third sector organisations on mental health, poverty, and girls’ education.