ERSKINE is delighted to announce the appointment of Derek Barron as the new Director of Care. 

Derek joins Erskine from North Ayrshire Health & Social Care Partnership where he was the Lead Nurse and Associate Director of Mental Health Services in NHS Ayrshire and Arran.

Previously Derek worked in Greater Glasgow and Clyde for over twenty years in a variety of roles, latterly as the Nurse Director in the Mental Health Partnership.

Erskine residents and staff waved a fond farewell at the end of June to the previous Director of Care, Sue Robinson, when she retired from the charity after five years.

Two months into his new post, Derek said: "I genuinely feel it is a privilege to be appointed Director of Care at Erskine and the more I walk around and talk to people the more this is emphasised.

"We have fantastic staff who care about our residents and want Erskine to be the very best it can be – care staff, our support teams, our fundraisers and our volunteers.

"I have enjoyed meeting the residents and staff and am excited about being part of delivering on our development plans for the next few years.

"I’d also like to share a message with nurses out there – come and find out about what a care home, such as Erskine, can do for your career and experience.

"I guarantee you will be impressed with the range of nursing skills and knowledge you need to use on a daily basis."

Erskine Chief Executive Steve Conway added: "Derek has already made a significant impact demonstrating that Erskine will benefit from his extensive experience in the NHS mental health service provision, especially with his recent focus on dementia care.

"He has a proven track record of leadership in change environments and I look forward to working with him to develop Erskine's services to meet the changing needs of our veterans."