Diversity and inclusion employer strategy for Scottish Government

Introduction

Public sector equality duties make every one of us responsible for a work environment where everyone feels empowered, valued and able to perform at their best.

Our two employer equality outcomes for an inclusive culture and representative workforce set out our goals for the future. Inclusion is one of our core organisational values. And we are setting a new precedent in our approach to identifying and delivering change where it is needed most. An inclusive work culture will naturally attract and retain the diverse talent we need and that is essential in delivering for all the people of Scotland.

Equality impact assessments should be automatically integrated into decision-making processes. And we have a mandatory diversity and inclusion objective and annual learning for every employee. This sets an expectation that all of us will identify and then take individual action throughout the year.

Delivery and review of previous employer action plans and initiatives which had a single equality group focus, has given us insight into what has and has not worked. And we know there's more to be done. To further identify organisational barriers faced, we've worked to improve our workforce data to better understand:

• different experiences at work of employees sharing the same protected characteristic
• where experiences are common or differ across those characteristics
• how intersectionality of characteristics can compound disadvantage in our workplace

This learning and experience are built into this single diversity and inclusion strategy, replacing all earlier plans. Shifting focus from single equality group action plans to an inclusive and intersectional approach to address areas of poorest employee experience to achieve positive, measurable improvements.

Profile piece: workforce data and insights

Listening to diverse voices for better outcomes

To make this strategy data driven, we broadened and deepened our workforce data. Applying equal weighting to qualitative data we heard directly from employees and quantitative data from workforce statistics.

Our Diversity + inclusion dashboard

A digital dashboard setting out a single set of key performance indicators, to measure progress towards targets.

Drawing on improvement work to join up our qualitative data on workforce and culture. It provides a red, amber and green impact status report for each target.

Updated every six months for review and discussion by our Executive Team. It is supplemented by data and insight now searchable by protected characteristic, business area or aspects of the employee journey.

"Data is an enabler of change, when it creates discussion and can be used to inform meaningful action."

Head of Corporate Analytical Services Team

Our Employee insights series

An initiative to fill gaps in qualitative data for Equality Impact Assessments on employer policies.

Co-designed by diversity staff networks and delivered by the Strategy and Insights Team. Employees from all equality groups used focus groups, surveys and interviews to share experience at work.

They also shared perceptions and expectations around inclusion issues - and what they'd like to see in the future.