Our Executive Management Team (EMT) is made up of the Chief Executive and three Directors.
Maree Allison – Chief Executive
Maree is the Chief Executive, having joined the organisation in 2010. Before becoming Chief Executive, she served as Director of Regulation from 2015, overseeing the registration and fitness to practise aspects of the SSSC’s role. Before joining the SSSC Maree practised as a solicitor.
Hannah Coleman – Director of Regulation
Hannah was appointed Director of Regulation in February 2025 following a period as Acting Director from March 2023. Before that she was Head of Hearings from 2018 and Head of Regulatory Improvement and Hearings from 2021, having joined our Fitness to Practise Department in 2014. Before joining the SSSC Hannah was a solicitor working in private practice and a Children’s Reporter.
Laura Lamb – Director of Workforce, Education and Standards
Laura was appointed Director of Workforce, Education and Standards in February 2025 following a period as Acting Director from January 2021. Before that she was Head of Learning and Development for three years and held several roles in our Fitness to Practise Department after joining us in 2008. Before joining the SSSC, Laura worked as a local authority social worker in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). Her interests are workforce education and training, safeguarding individuals, trauma informed and rights-based approaches to practice.
Laura Shepherd – Director of Strategy and Business Services
Laura joined the SSSC in 2019 as Director of Strategy and Performance, now Strategy and Business Services. With 25 years’ experience in the public sector Laura has worked across education, social work, health and social care, NHS and social housing. During her time with social work Laura had experience of chairing and being a member of a local authority fostering and adoption panel. Her interests are to support the public sector to deliver the best service they can for the people of Scotland.
Our directorates
Regulation
Regulation brings together registration, fitness to practise and hearings as one unified process.
The Registration Department maintains and publishes the Register. The Fitness to Practise Department investigates fitness to practise concerns about registrants or people applying to register. The Regulatory Improvement and Hearings Department provide and administer hearings where Fitness to Practise Panels decide if workers are fit to practise.
Workforce, Education and Standards
The Workforce, Education and Standards Directorate work includes qualifications, learning and development, approval and quality assurance of programmes, leadership, digital learning, workforce intelligence and workforce planning and policy. The Strategic Communications and Policy Department also sits in the directorate.
Strategy and Business Services
Strategy and Business Services consists of Digital Services, Performance and Improvement, Organisational Development, Finance, HR, Legal and Corporate Governance and the Programme Management Office.
Shared services
We have a shared service with the Care Inspectorate for estates, health and safety, recruitment, payroll, procurement and transactions.