General Social Care Council

Spokespeople biographies

Spokespeople

Below is a list of our spokespeople along with their biographies. They are available for interview and comment. Please submit your interview bid providing as much detail possible to media@gscc.org.uk

Rosie Varley OBE is the GSCC Chair and took up the role on November 2008. She is also Chair of the Public Guardian Board, Chair of Skills for Health Eastern Region and of the Mental Health and Disability Living Allowance tribunals. She was Chairman of the General Optical Council until the end of December 2008 and continued on its board until 31 March 2009 as a lay member.

She was Acting Chair of the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE - which oversees all health regulatory bodies) until December 2008. During 2008-09 Rosie chaired a DH working group on the governance arrangements for the new General Pharmaceutical Council. She has been an Appointments Commissioner, an NHS regional chairman, and an NHS trust chairman. Rosie is also a governor of the Priory School for children with special needs in Bury St Edmunds, and President of West Suffolk MIND.

You can view a list of the full set of Council Board members.

Penny Thompson is the Chief Executive of the General Social Care Council (GSCC). A trained social worker, Penny has over twenty years experience in social care and local government, including as Chief Executive of the London Borough of Hackney, and Social Services Director of Sheffield City Council.

Sherry Malik is the Executive Director and Deputy Chief Executive. She is a qualified social worker is joining the organisation as Director of Strategy and Social Work Education. She leaves her post as Corporate Director of Strategy and Performance at the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), where her brief included business planning, service user engagement and quality assurance. Prior to Cafcass, she held positions at the Audit Commission, NCH (now Action for Children) and managed children's services in a number of local authorities, including Hertfordshire County Council where she was Head of Children's Services.