My mother, Sheila Scott, who has died aged 74, was chief executive of the National Care Association (NCA) for 26 years. She will be remembered for her inspiring leadership at a time of huge growth in the sector as community care was being expanded.
In 1987 she was appointed chief executive of the NCA, which represents small and medium-sized providers. She served on several government taskforces, including one that oversaw the implementation of the 1993 community care reforms to move people out of long-stay hospital wards. In 2007 she was appointed OBE.
