About Us
What We Do
We are a coalition of carers and local carer organisations and work to promote the voice of carers in the development of services, policy and legislation. Our aim is to improve carers’ rights and recognition in Scotland, and we do this through:
- our regular meetings that bring carers and key decision makers together to discuss issues affecting carers in Scotland.
- our engagement work and campaigning for better rights, support and recognition for carers in Scotland
- responding to enquiries from carers and organisations about carer policy and practice.
Our Vision
It is our vision that carers in Scotland will achieve full recognition as equal partners in care. Carers will have the right to quality services and access to personalised support at every stage in their caring role to ensure they enjoy good health and a life outside of caring. Our Guiding Principles underpin much of the policy and campaigning work we undertake.
Our Staff
Claire Cairns
Director
Claire has worked in the third sector for the last 25 years and has been the Director of the Coalition of Carers in Scotland (COCIS) since 2005. Before joining COCIS, Claire managed a local Carers Centre in Glasgow. She also established a young carers service offering peer support groups, educational support and mentoring to young carers. In her free time Claire likes to enjoy the beautiful Scottish countryside either walking, cycling or paddleboarding.
Shubhanna Hussain-Ahmed
Partnership Development Officer
Shubhanna joined the organisation in 2018 and keeps local carer organisations and carers up to date on national carer policy. Over the last two decades Shubhanna has worked in various research and policy roles across the third sector in the UK. Shubhanna also has an extensive caring role at home and so understands firsthand many of the challenges experienced by carers across Scotland.
Jaynie Mitchell
Rural and Islands Engagment Worker
Jaynie joined the organisation in 2022 and leads on the engagement work with carers in rural and island locations in Scotland. Her role is to engage and empower carers in some of the most rural and remote parts of Scotland to have a voice in local and national decision making groups. For the last twenty years, Jaynie has worked in various roles to support people to become involved in local and national policy, and influence change for themselves and others.
Shazia Ali
South Asian Carers Engagement Worker
Shazia joined the organisation in 2023 and leads on the engagement work with carers from South Asian Communities. Shazia works in partnership with local carers centres and community organisations to help them to support carers from South Asian Communities. Shazia will also be supporting carers from South Asian communities to engage with local and national policy makers and to ensure that services and support for carers meets the needs of the diverse communities in Scotland.
Our Committee
Jess Wade
Joint Convenor
Jess is currently Chief Executive Officer at Carers of East Lothian; supporting people who care for family and friends throughout the area. She has worked in the Scottish voluntary sector since 2004, when she graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a degree in Mental Philosophy. Jess has previously held a range of roles in the sector, including in fundraising, volunteering and campaigning; most recently working as part of the Independent Living Movement as Manager of Self Directed Support Scotland. She has a Masters of Public Administration from the University of York, is a Trustee of both Home-Start Edinburgh West and Wheatley Care, and is a Board Member of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR).
Kimberley Swan
Joint Convenor
Kimberley has worked and managed in the third sector for nearly 20 years. Her current role for over ten years is as Chief Executive Officer at FAIR (Family Advice Information Resource) an information and advice charity for people with learning disabilities and their carers. Kimberley became a parent carer over 4 years ago to her son Frankie who has complex neurological and physical care needs. He attends special needs nursery. Kimberley (with Frankie) enjoys baking and can normally be found in the kitchen at the weekend
Geoff Mohamed
Treasurer
Geoff has been a carer for about 15 years, while holding down a full time job for most of that time. As his caring role evolved and reduced, Geoff wanted to give something back and help those following to be better understood and supported. Geoff is the carer representative on the Integration Joint Board in East Renfrewshire. As a carer rep and executive member he feels able to improve carer support at both local and national levels.
Anne MacDougall
Board Member
I was a carer for my husband for 15 years before he passed away. I met with a lot of pitfalls along the way, trying to get service. I also all worked in the health service for 35 years, as a district nurse, a nurse manager and finally as a senior manager. I am now the carer representative on the Integration Joint Board in West Dunbartonshire
Emma Miller
Board Member
Emma is based part-time at the University of Strathclyde. Her research and knowledge exchange work focus on the outcomes important to people who use services and unpaid carers. She facilitates the Personal Outcomes Network in Scotland.
Morna Fleming
Board Member
Morna has been the carer representative on the Integration Joint Board of Fife's Health and Social Care Partnership since 2017, now in her second three year appointment. She is also a member of the Partnership's Strategic Planning Group, the Carers' Strategy Group and the Mental Health Dementia Steering group. She is currently working with Fife voluntary Action on the recruitment of carer representatives for the 7 Fife localities.
Raymond Jamieson
Board Member
Raymond is the Carers Centre Manager at Perth and Kinross Association of Voluntary Service (PKAVS). Raymond has worked at PKAVS for just over 11 years now always in different roles in the carers hub and says he has enjoyed just about every minute of it. Raymond also chairs the Carer Centre Managers Network. Out with work he enjoys travel and so far he has been to 50 countries and is waiting patiently to make it 51. He also enjoys reading especially autobiographies and sport (mostly watching though and not participating in)
Sebastian Fischer
Board Member
Sebastian contributes to the work of four carer organisations in Europe: • VOCAL (Voice of Carers Across Lothian), a carer-led social enterprise in Edinburgh and Midlothian • Coalition of Carers in Scotland • Wir pflegen – Interessenvertretung und Selbshilfe pflegender Angehöriger - the German carer organisation • EUROCARERS, the European Carers Network based in Brussels -