Scotsman Obituaries: Alastair Sinclair, Children’s Panel Reporter for the Scottish Borders

The passing of Alastair Sinclair OBE may well mark the end of a golden generation: the first children’s reporters whose integrity, organisational acumen and passionate commitment to care and justice for children quietly but profoundly shaped the ethos of Scotland’s new system of children’s hearings from its inception in 1971. Few, if any, exemplified these values as clearly as Alastair Sinclair.

Born and raised in Edinburgh, Alastair was educated at The Flora Stevenson Primary School and Daniel Stewart’s College. Rather than attend university, on leaving school Alastair embarked on a career in banking, albeit that was quickly interrupted by National Service with the King's Own Scottish Borderers in Korea. There was invariably a twinkle in his eye when he later suggested some causal connection between his promotion to Acting Lance Corporal (Unpaid) and the communists’ surrender the next day.

During five years spent working with the National Bank of Scotland in Leith, Alastair found himself entrusted with additional responsibilities such as collecting cash supplies from headquarters – despite an occasion on which the taxi floor gave way and several bags of coins spilled across Leith’s infamous cobbles.

Alastair Sinclair will be remembered for his warmth and wisdom

But Alastair’s growing awareness of the impact of poverty was heighted by his involvement in church work in West Pilton.

Encouraged to seek advice from a Miss Mary (May) Jardine on the probation service, Alastair and May found they shared common commitments to faith and to supporting those in trouble and need. Romance blossomed over youth camp cooking adventures, resulting in their marriage on 13 June 1959.

By this time Alastair had joined the probation service, deployed first in Glasgow and then Fife, where the family grew with the arrival of sons Colin, Nigel and Bryan. Yet the diligence, the unflappable calm and the personable wisdom of Mr Sinclair the banker were qualities that stayed with Alastair throughout this and all future stages of his life.

Without ever pushing himself forward, Alastair found that others recognised these qualities. He became the social work manager for West Fife. As well as chairing the Scottish branch of the National Association of Probation Officers, thanks to a Council of Europe Fellowship Alastair was able to spend one month of 1968 on a study tour of Norway’s informal, community-based child welfare boards.

That experience was critical to the new direction his career took as the Children’s Hearings System took shape prior to its launch in 1971. Alastair was appointed the first Reporter to the Children’s Panel for Fife County.

Alastair’s involvement in the new national professional body – the Association of Reporters to the Children’s Panels – quickly led to recognition of his qualities by his peers as he was elected to the Association’s council and then as its chair.

In an address to the Reporter’s Association in December 1975, Alastair referred to recent dramatic changes in staffing following local government reorganisation that year. In fact, he understood these changes all too well – despite being the hot favourite for the new post of Fife regional reporter, he found himself overlooked in favour of a dark horse candidate.

Alastair was subsequently appointed regional reporter for the Scottish Borders, a post in which he served with distinction until his retirement in 1990. With his combination of personal warmth, listening skills and pragmatic wisdom, Alastair exercised quiet but powerful influence both locally and nationally throughout the Children’s Hearings system, and acted as a mentor to several younger colleagues.

Even after retirement, Alastair remained in demand. He answered a cry for help from the Shetland Islands Council by serving as interim reporter there for a period in 1991.

Another retirement post that came Alastair’s way was his appointment as bursar to the newly established Sutherland Trust, set up to encourage joint training across social work, education and health fields. A more signal honour was the bestowal of an OBE for services to childcare.

Throughout 50 happy years in Galashiels, Alastair was a committed member of the local Baptist Church, providing wise encouragement and support to generations of pastors. Generous with his time, he was also active in many local groups including Probus, the Gideons and talking newspapers – the latter resulting in several instances of “voice recognition” while out and about.

Always a smart dresser, Alastair revelled in local life and culture, looking every inch the country gent in brogues and bunnets while cheering on local sporting heroes. Better still was to enjoy good food and fine wine with company. Laughter invariably formed part of all such occasions, though Alastair’s perceptive listening provided much-appreciated support to many a friend buffeted by life. Grandchildren blossomed under the patient kindness Alastair bestowed on them.

Following a period of ill-health during which he remained intellectually active – he invariably found The Scotsman’s Word Wheel nine-letter word – Alastair passed away peacefully at home, one day after his 94th birthday.

Alastair is survived by May, their sons Colin and Nigel, and grandchildren Nathan, Matthew and Hannah.

His influence lives on in the many individuals to have benefited, over the years, from his warm and grounded encouragement. More even than that, his impact continues in those values – Alastair’s values – which he and others embedded into Scotland’s unique system of care and justice for children from its very start.

Obituaries

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