I am a member of the Capacity Assessment and Supported Decision Making (SDM) Advisory Group for Scotland's Independent Review of Mental Health Law. My Fellowship focused on learning from evaluated pilots in Australia, which aimed to find effective means to deliver decision-making support for people with cognitive disability. My purpose: to inform the UK Government policy and practice intention to improve compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability, specifically the right to access the legal and civil rights which we all have to make our own decisions.

The Scottish Government accepted my findings and commissioned me to create a national overarching supported decision-making framework in 2018. The Fellowship allowed me to build on over 30 years of experience at a national strategic level and to carry that through in my current role.

Cognitive disability remains invisible and misunderstood by society. It has been key to my practice to create and engage with coalitions and networks to influence major changes and to give a voice to those with lived experience. The Fellowship has enabled a significant step forward in this long but rewarding journey.