New chief social worker

Shetland Islands Council’s executive manger for children and families, Martha Nicolson, has been appointed the local authority’s chief social worker.

Nicolson, from Lerwick, has worked in Aberdeen and Orkney, before returning to Shetland in 1998.

Married with a grown up family, she originally trained as a children’s nurse then went on to qualify in social work.

She said: “I am coming into this post at an exciting time as health and social care begin to integrate, and I look forward to developing the opportunities that will emerge from this.

“I am also looking forward to supporting our social work teams, in particular the children and families team, for which I have specific responsibility.”

Her appointment was welcomed by councillor Vaila Wishart, the chair of the education and families committee.