Duncan Dunlop
Candidate for Lothian East
Duncan was born in Kinloch Rannoch on the edge of the Scottish Highlands. After studying at Edinburgh University, he lived in many places across the world and the UK. In 2008 he returned to Scotland and in 2019 moved out to Dunbar in East Lothian to bring up his young family. He is a keen rugby enthusiast and coaches mini rugby.
Professionally Duncan is a qualified youth worker and an experienced chief executive who specializes in care system reform. Duncan has a wealth of knowledge, expertise and over 25 years’ experience of working with and for vulnerable young people in the UK, New Zealand, West Africa, post-communist Lithuania and post-conflict Western Balkans. He has always worked to support vulnerable young people to develop as individuals, but to also help them grow their societies, whether transitioning out of communism, conflict or in poverty.
For nearly a decade he was the Chief Executive of Who Cares? Scotland, which he transformed into a globally respected advocacy organization, refining its focus to boldly represent care experienced voices and champion their rights. He was the chief advocate with overall responsibility for over 2000 advocacy cases for children in care every year.
Duncan enabled people who had been in all types of care, to come together and understand the lifelong impact of their experiences. This resulted in them recognising their shared experiences and led to them defining and embracing a new, care experienced identity. This is an identity group that is increasingly recognised across the globe.
Duncan led the case for reforming care in Scotland which created the Scottish Care Review (2017). He was the expert independent adviser to the English Care Review (2022) and New Zealand Review (2015). Alongside care experienced people, he engaged political leaders to make sure the reform of care became a political priority on a par with climate change.
Duncan continues to support organisations from New Zealand to the UK, to hold governments to account and refine their practice so children have the best chance to form life-long loving relationships.
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