Appointment of Chair and Non-Executive Member to the Northern Ireland Social Care Council
Date published:
The Health Minister, Robbie Butler, has announced the appointment of a Non-Executive Chair and a Non-Executive Lay Member to the Northern Ireland Social Care Council (NISCC).
Sean Holland has been appointed as the Non-Executive Chair, with Lisa Morrison appointed as a Non-Executive Lay Member. Both appointments will commence on 1 September 2026 and will end on a date not later than 31 August 2030.
The Non-Executive Chair position attracts remuneration of £20,358 per annum with a time commitment of 2 days per week. The Non-Executive Member position attracts remuneration of £7,404 per annum with a minimum time commitment of 2 days per month.
These appointments are made in accordance with the Code of Practice issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland.
The Social Care Council’s purpose is to raise standards in the social care workforce by registering social workers, social care practitioners and social work students, setting standards for their conduct and practice and supporting their professional development.
NISCC Board Members are appointed in accordance with Schedule 1 of the Health & Personal Social Services Act (Northern Ireland) 2001. The Board is made up of a Chair and 8 Non-Executive Members. The Members represent a wide range of interests in the field of social care. Board membership is split equally between Lay, Stakeholder and Registrant Members.
Notes to editors:
- Professor Sean Holland qualified as a Social Worker from Ulster University in 1986 and has an LLM in medical law. He worked in a variety of social work roles before joining the Department of Health in 2002. Seán was appointed Chief Social Worker in 2010 and was promoted to Deputy Secretary with responsibility for the Social Services Policy Group in 2012. In addition to his work in Northern Ireland, Seán has undertaken work on social services in Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East. He was Director of NI Co-operation Overseas, a development non-profit agency, for ten years and has served as a Trustee of the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE). He is currently Deputy Chair of TUSLA, the Child and Family Agency, in the Republic of Ireland. In January 2021, Seán was made a CBE and in 2022, he joined the Department of Justice as Deputy Secretary for Access to Justice. He has also served on advisory groups including the Advisory Committee for the Nuffield-funded Child Welfare Inequalities Project and is currently visiting Professor in Social Work at Ulster University.
- Mrs Lisa Morrison is a self-employed trainer, consultant and public speaker who draws on her lived and professional experience to promote trauma-informed, rights-based health and social care. She is passionate about breaking down barriers between those who deliver and those who need services, and is committed to ensuring people’s experiences meaningfully influence practice. She has a keen interest in staff wellbeing. Lisa worked as a campaign organiser with Participation and Practice of Rights, advocating for rights-based, trauma-informed mental health care. As an associate trainer with 4 Mental Health in Wales, she delivers suicide prevention education. Previously, as Lead Peer Trainer at the Southern Health and Social Care Trust’s Recovery College, Lisa supported local and regional initiatives, including embedding co-production within the Regional Towards Zero Suicide Programme. Lisa holds an MSc in Co-production of Health and Social Care Research and believes it is relationships that heal and change lives.
- These appointments to the Northern Ireland Social Care Council were made by the previous Health Minister, Mike Nesbitt.
- 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 appointees have declared that they have not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.
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