Gerard Hart

Since graduating from Glasgow Caledonian University with a Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work in 1994, Gerard Hart has nurtured a prominent career in public protection and safeguarding. Now Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland, his connection to Glasgow Caledonian is a strong as ever.

It was Gerard’s experience at Glasgow Caledonian University that laid the groundwork for his extensive success in social work and policy, culminating in his current leadership role at Disclosure Scotland, a government agency responsible for safeguarding vulnerable groups by providing criminal record checks.

Gerard fondly recalls the supportive and inclusive atmosphere that made him feel at home during his studies and empowered him to envision a career beyond the traditional boundaries he thought might limit him.

“When I got here, I remember being struck by how friendly and warm the academic staff were.

“There was a lot of encouragement and support, and I really found it from day one to be somewhere I felt at home.

“That’s something that stayed with me through the years - that sense of being. I really value Glasgow Caledonian as an organisation where there is a broad inclusivity for working-class people like me to come and be successful, complete their education, and to not have those ceilings.”

Reflecting on his career trajectory, Hart notes his various roles in social work and public service.

“The thread that runs from my time here at Glasgow Caledonian, to my time as a social worker, social work manager, policy civil servant, deputy chief social work inspector, and on to my current role, is really public protection and safeguarding.

“That’s the golden thread that runs through all of those jobs, and it started here.”

That “golden thread” of public protection and safeguarding has been a guiding principle in Hart’s career, one that he attributes to the values and skills he developed at Glasgow Caledonian.

“That balance of rights, responsibilities, kindness and rigour about protecting are all fundamentally the same as the skills I learned as a trainee social worker here.

“Those are the things that I was taught to do, and here they are making an impact on a bigger stage in the policy of a government agency.”

Gerard is eager to shout about the transformative power of higher education, and the practical benefits of postgraduate study.

“A postgraduate degree is a great way to get a specific skill set and a specific accreditation of that skill set that allows you to get access to jobs.”

“I would strongly recommend that route to anyone really, in terms of taking forward their career. It gives you a very specific and focused knowledge base which is really valuable if you put it to good use.”