21 November

Inspirational hospice leader lands second award

Photo opportunity: 1.45pm on Thursday, 21st November at City Square Dundee. Ros will be available for pictures before attending her graduation ceremony.

An 'inspirational leader', who last month received a Lifetime Achievement Award for her contribution to the hospice movement, will graduate from the University of Dundee today.

Ros Scott, former Director of Organisational Development at Children's Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS), will receive a Professional Doctorate in Education at the University's Winter Graduation ceremony on the afternoon of Thursday, 21st November.

Her research for the Doctorate saw her explore the link between volunteering and the sustainability of hospices. This aligns with the work that saw her receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the third annual Help the Hospices Awards, which recognise stand-out projects that demonstrate innovation in hospices, as well as honouring dedicated individual hospice volunteers and staff.

Throughout her career, Ros has been a leading voice on volunteering across the UK in both adult and children's services. She joined CHAS in 1996 and implemented a programme of recruitment, training and motivation, which saw the number of volunteers grow from 80 to 800 by the time she left the organisation to work independently in August.

Ros, who lives in Dunblane, will continue to work with a variety of organisations and is currently co-Chair of the European Association on Palliative Care Task Force on Volunteering in Hospice and Palliative Care.

'I had previously undertaken a Masters degree and developed a passion for research and wanted to continue this by carrying out research into volunteering in hospice and palliative area to demonstrate its importance and hopefully help influence practice and policy,' she said.

"Throughout my career I have been inspired and motivated by the amazing work of volunteers who gave give their time, skills, commitment and enthusiasm freely and from whom I have learned much. I have also been privileged to work with colleagues who were open to being creative in trying new ideas and approaches - not to mention tolerant of my endless conversations about volunteering.

"Volunteers are vital to the work of hospices in so many ways, not least in the difference that they make to the care and support of patients and the ongoing sustainability of the organisation. Volunteers have been hugely important throughout the history and development of hospices and will have a significant role to play in the development of hospice care in the future."

The high standard of volunteer support and management led to CHAS being the first voluntary organisation in Scotland to achieve the Investing in Volunteers Award and subsequently being reaccredited three times since. More recently CHAS received the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Volunteering Award 2012, in recognition of the organisation's commitment to volunteering.

Speaking at the time of Ros's award in October, CHAS chief executive Maria McGill said, 'The contribution of Ros Scott has made a real and lasting impact at CHAS and in the wider voluntary sector. During her time at CHAS Ros brought inspirational leadership to volunteering and it's thanks to her passion that volunteering continues to grow from strength to strength.'

For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
Head, Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
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E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk
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