The Department of Health today announced the appointment of Mr Simon Rogers and Mr Gerard Guckian, as Non-Executive (Lay) members of the Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland (SBNI). The appointments commenced on 26 February and run for a maximum period of 4 years.
The remuneration for the position of non-executive member is £6,367 per annum and carries a time commitment of 2 days per month.
The SBNI was established in 2012 under the Safeguarding Board Act (NI) 2011. It is sponsored by the Department of Health and is a multi-agency partnership, which is independently chaired. SBNI members are drawn from key children’s agencies both statutory and voluntary. Members are required to work together to safeguard children in Northern Ireland and to promote their welfare.
All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland requires the political activity of appointees to be published. Both Mr Rogers and Mr Guckian have declared that they have not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.
Notes to editors:
Details of Appointee:
1. Simon Rogers is a former Senior Civil Servant. He spent over thirty years working in a range of posts in the justice arena. Most recently he was Head of Protection and Organised Crime Division in the Department of Justice for five years. Prior to that he was Principal Secretary to three Lord Chief Justices of Northern Ireland spanning a period of nine years. Outside work he was involved for a number of years in coaching children in various sports.
Gerard Guckian is a partner in a firm of solicitors in Derry/Londonderry, having qualified in 1985. As a member of the Children Order Panel of the Law Society of Northern Ireland since its inception, Mr Guckian has represented children in public law proceedings for over 20 years. He is a former Chairman of Altnagelvin Hospital (2004-2006) and former Chairman of the Western Health and Social Care Trust (WHSCT) from 2006-2016. Within those roles Gerard chaired the Trusts’ Governance and Remuneration and Terms of Service Committtees. Having served as a Non-executive Director before those appointments, Mr Guckian has a lengthy experience of leadership in HSC in Northern Ireland. He served on the representatives group of the Northern Ireland Confederation for Health and Social Care (NICON) for 11 years, chairing that organisation for two terms. He is currently a Trustee of Foyle Hospice. Gerard lives in Derry and is married with 3 children.
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