Meet the FASD Hub team

Barbara Ogston
FASD Services Manager

Barbara is an adoptive parent to 2 young people in their teenage years, one of whom has an FASD diagnosis. She started working for Adoption UK in September 2019, moving over to the FASD Hub in June 2020 where she has held a variety of roles and now manages the project and supports the development of FASD services across Adoption UK.  Prior to a lengthy adoption leave, Barbara’s background was in working with children in education and the Third Sector, with a particular focus on supporting children affected by parental drug and alcohol use. Barbara graduated from the Open University in 2017 with a B.A. Hons in Childhood and Youth Studies, and in 2020 with a M.A. in Childhood and Youth. Barbara enjoys crafts of all kinds, in particular sewing, jewellery making and card making. 

Jo Garofalo
FASD Lead Advisor

Jo is adoptive mum to a son aged 16, and a daughter aged 12 who has a diagnosis of FASD, ASD & ADD. Jo has been working to raise awareness for adoption and fostering for the past 15 years, through her company Voice In A Million staging large annual events at Wembley Arena. AUK attend every year raising much needed vital funds. Following her daughters diagnosis Jo immersed herself in the world of FASD to support her family and has volunteered for the hub for the past six months. Jo is delighted to have now joined the hub team and looks forward to being able to help others supporting and parenting individuals with PAE. Jo’s passion is musical theatre !

Gemma Manning
FASD Community Advisor

If you call the helpline, it’s likely that it is Gemma you will speak to first.  Gemma is a parent to a 7 year old girl who has a diagnosis of FASD and ADHD.  Gemma first joined the team as a parent partner, and since May 2021 has been working as our Admin Support and Helpline Advisor.  Before working for FASD Hub she worked as a music therapist for 12 years in schools and hospices.  In her spare time she likes to do cross stitch, reading and walking. Gemma graduated from Glasgow University with a BMus in 2004, and completed her MSc in Music Therapy from Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh in 2006.

Lindsay Slater
FASD Helpline and Admin Officer

Lindsay is a step, birth and adoptive mum to four girls. One of whom has a diagnosis of FASD. Lindsay also has a granddaughter who was prenatally exposed to alcohol. In 2020, following years of volunteering with Adoption UK, Lindsay became a Parent Partner.  Initially working with TESSA families, then transferred to work with FASD Hub families. Lindsay also provides admin support and answering our helpline. Prior to adopting her daughter, Lindsay was a foster carer for 10 years.  Mainly fostering babies and young children, many of whom had been exposed to trauma prenatally, including alcohol and substances.

Lindsay doesn't have much spare time as she has many volunteering roles, one being a Panel Member for Children's Hearings Scotland.  Lindsay is very passionate about advocating for children/young people, raising awareness of FASD and providing peer support relating to her lived experiences. In her free time, Lindsay loves spending time with her family, especially her young granddaughter and attending to her allotment beds. 

Silvia Juravic
Services Administrator

Hello! I am very excited to start the role of Service Administrator at Adoption UK in Scotland. I will be working across different projects including FASD Hub Scotland. My role entails offering administrative support to the Adoption UK team and to make sure that delivery of services like events and training is running smoothly. I just completed a course at University of Glasgow and my dissertation focuses on the lived experiences of caregivers of children with PAE and FASD, so I am really looking forward to working on all the amazing projects that Adoption UK has to offer.