The Northern Ireland Social Care Council (the Social Care Council) has appointed its Director of Registration and Corporate Services Declan McAllister as interim Chief Executive, as Patricia Higgins, current Chief Executive, finishes her tenure in the role at the end of October.
Acting Social Care Council Chair Gerry Guckian welcomed the appointment saying:
“The Social Care Council is undertaking a recruitment process for a new Chief Executive, and in the meantime, we are delighted Declan has stepped up to guide the organisation as interim Chief Executive. The Social Care Council’s Board looks forward to working closely with him, the Senior Leadership Team and all of our colleagues throughout the organisation as we strive to maintain the Social Care Council’s long-held reputation as a respected and innovative regulator.”
Mr McAllister is an experienced senior executive, who has held a range of roles across the private and statutory health and social care sectors and has been in his Director role with the Social Care Council since 17 July 2017.
His interim Chief Executive position commenced on 14 October 2024.
Speaking about Patricia Higgins’ tenure as Chief Executive of the Social Care Council, Mr Guckian added:
“Patricia has made an enormous contribution to the Social Care Council and to social work as a profession. She brought her considerable talents to bear both inside and outside the organisation for the benefit of the public we serve. Her work bringing people together over social care reform has been highly valued across the sector and beyond, with her exceptional leadership recognised by the regulatory bodies around the United Kingdom and right across health and social care in Northern Ireland. Patricia has exemplified the values of the Social Care Council and of compassionate leadership throughout her career.”
For more information:
Rita McCullagh, Head of Strategic Communications and Engagement