Obituary - Olivia McLeod, civil servant and former director for children and families in the Scottish Government

Died: August 3, 2018

OLIVIA McLeod, who has died aged 41, was a gifted civil servant with a powerful determination to improve the lives of disadvantaged children and young people. One of the youngest ever directors in the Scottish Government, she was responsible for the children and families division, and had an acute concern for looked-after children. She was considered by colleagues to be a future candidate for Permanent Secretary.

Olivia McLeod’s dizzying ascent through the ranks of the civil service was driven by an extraordinary work ethic and an unshakeable will to deliver transformative change. An energetic and optimistic leader, she never compromised on honesty, including in her advice to ministers, and challenged those around her to work in new ways. She wore her seniority lightly and was known for listening with respect to everyone.

Her formidable intellect and determination – she never let colleagues off the hook in the pursuit of high standards – was matched by a warm, upbeat nature and a gift for getting along with people. Family, friends and colleagues alike cherished her kindness and joyous sense of humour (loved ones remember laughing with her until they cried, the jokes often directed against herself).

The mother of two young girls, she had a busy personal life, pursuing pastimes such as playing netball with the Bass Rocketeers, while also volunteering for charities such as East Lothian Action for Refugees, to which she devoted many hours following her cancer diagnosis.

She was also a committed Buddhist, giving at least an hour a day to her religious practice.

Olivia McLeod was born in Edinburgh, the youngest child of Emma, a physiotherapist, and Roderick, who worked in Edinburgh University’s computing service.

When she was five, the family moved to Orkney, where Emma established the community physiotherapy service. Roderick took prime responsibility for the care of Olivia and her two elder brothers, Nick and James, then gradually set up a computing business (later becoming a councillor on Orkney Islands Council). Olivia’s work ethic was shaped by seeing her mother work hard in a job she was passionate about, and her egalitarianism by the division of roles between her parents at home.

She learned to read before starting school, and devoured books. She also loved being read to, and – sometimes to the surprise of visiting friends – would still ask her father to read to her by the fireside in her 30s.

After St Andrew’s Primary in Tankerness, she moved to the local comprehensive, Kirkwall Grammar, where she excelled.

She was challenged by the childhood experience of being overweight, once commenting that her leadership journey had begun as “a fat child trying to avoid being bullied”, adding that “I had to take control of the situation, realise that despite difficult circumstances, I had agency.”

The threat of bullying did not hold her back. She was sporty and musical, and joined the pupil council at Kirkwall Grammar, as well as Stromness Ladies Debating Society, in which she was the only teenager in a group of mainly middle-aged women.

From early childhood onwards, she showed extraordinary self-confidence, epitomised by her decision to drive from Scotland to Cambridge in driving rain the day after she passed her driving test.

She talked Cambridge University into accepting her to read English at 17, instead of 18, and embraced college life, taking up rowing and rugby.

After graduating from New Hall in 1997, she worked for Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Jim Wallace in the House of Commons. However, realising that policy interested her more than politics, she joined the civil service fast stream, starting in the Home Office and quickly moving to the No 10 Policy Unit, focusing on issues such as asylum policy. From there, she went to Washington, to research American criminal justice – work that led to the establishment of a community court service in England and Wales.

Returning to the UK, she was desperate to “get out there and do something ‘real’,” as she put it. She was proud of her father’s involvement in Orkney Council and told him enthusiastically that “local government is where the real action is”. In that spirit, she joined Tower Hamlets borough council, which had the highest level of unemployed young people in England, to work on crime policy.

It was a baptism of fire, as she soon found herself doing her boss’s job. As she put it, “in my mid twenties, having never managed more than three people, I was suddenly leading crime reduction for Tower Hamlets – serious front line services”.

The work was rewarding but intensely stressful. A job back in central government followed, working on climate change, but she disliked it and left. During this unsettled period, she discovered Buddhism.

Home beckoned, and in 2007, she transferred to the Scottish Government, as deputy director for Children, Young People & Social Care. (In typical style, she took up volunteering in Edinburgh as a counsellor for the Samaritans, fitting in all-night stints alongside the day job.)

But on that occasion, the move north proved temporary. Olivia had met her future husband James Lowes, an IT specialist, in 2005. They started a relationship just before she moved to Edinburgh. After two years, she decided to move back to London (to become director of early years in the Department of Education) and they moved in together, marrying in 2011.

The couple lived in Tooting Broadway. The house’s proximity to St George’s Hospital proved useful when Olivia went into labour with her first child, Iris, in July 2011. Mr Lowes’ plans to call a taxi were abandoned as he chased his rapidly-marching wife down the road and into the maternity ward. Edith, a sister for Iris, arrived in 2014.

Having children thrilled and delighted Olivia. She adored the girls and proved to be a parent with boundless patience.

In 2015, the family moved to Scotland and Olivia, aged 38, returned to the Scottish Government as a director, pioneering a job-sharing arrangement. They settled in North Berwick, so that the girls, like Olivia, could grow up near the beach.

Faith was central to Olivia McLeod’s life. As a child, she worshipped mainly as a Quaker, like her mother, and occasionally attending Church of Scotland services. In Buddhism, she found a way of living that supported her desire to make a difference in the here and now. She believed strongly in people’s capacity for self-development.

Her faith helped her when she was diagnosed aged 40 with advanced bowel cancer. She saw her mission as being to inspire others who were facing adversity.

She was a person of great generosity, both with her money and her time. Alongside the string of high-pressure jobs, and the tireless volunteering, she always made time for her children, loved ones and wide circle of friends. She did her utmost to live according to her principles, becoming vegan because she opposed animal exploitation and going to great lengths to avoid using cars or planes. Drawing on her Buddhism, she always encouraged others to be “the best person they could be”.

Olivia McLeod was a much-loved sister. She was close to her brothers and supported them when needed, as they supported her following her diagnosis.

She adored her parents, husband and children.

Olivia McLeod is survived by her daughters, husband, parents and brothers.

REBECCA MCQUILLAN