Scott Watkin BEM
Head of Engagement, SeeAbility
Scott Watkin has focused his career on working to improve representation of people with learning disabilities. Scott is a visiting Lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire, working with the learning disability nurses.
In May 2009, Scott took a national role within the Department of Health as the Co-national Director for Learning Disabilities. After leaving the Department of Health in July 2011, he joined Mencap as a National Learning Disability Consultant. Scott also became a SeeAbility eye2eye Ambassador in the summer of 2011. He later joined the organisation as an Eye Care and Vision Development Officer from July 2013. In 2019, Scott became Head of Engagement at SeeAbility and now leads a programme of work to give the people the organisation supports a louder voice.
Scott was the Co-Chair of the Learning Disability Partnership Board on the Isle of Wight and chaired the Partnership Board for six years. In October 2015, Scott became Co-Chair of Transforming Care Assurance Board to reduce the number of people with learning disabilities staying in hospital. Since September 2017, Scott has represented organisations and professionals on the representative body for Learning Disability England.
In 2017 Scott won the making a difference award at the national learning disabilities awards. The same year he was named on the New Year’s Honours List and awarded the British Empire Medal. In 2019, Scott was named on the Shaw Trust Disability Power 100 as one of most influential disabled people in the UK.
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“I have had to overcome many barriers to get this far; I was always told by my teachers I would never get a job, never live independently and never have a family. But despite this I now campaign for and with people with learning disabilities and autism talking to government ministers and creating the next generation of leaders.”