Equality outcomes and mainstreaming report 2019

Permanent Secretary's Statement

The Scottish Government is committed to public service, improving outcomes for the people of Scotland and aspiring to be an exemplar in all that it does.

Our role as civil servants is to deliver the Scottish Government's Purpose - to focus on creating a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through increased wellbeing and sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

In order to achieve this ambitious aspiration, we need to be fully representative of modern Scotland and the public and communities we serve. In 2017, our Graduate Development Programme - a fast-track programme to senior leadership - attracted nearly 12% of applications from minority ethnic candidates. I am pleased to see progress - but remain impatient for further change. So we have signed up to Business in the Community's Race at Work Charter to sharpen our resolve on achieving race equality in Scottish Government. In 2018 we had the opportunity to improve the diversity of our workforce through external recruitment. Increased diversity was a key success indicator for that campaign - our successful group appointed was made up of 7% minority ethnic candidates, 8% declared disabled and 12% identified as LGBT.

The Scottish Government also wants Scotland to be a world-leading Fair Work Nation by 2025 where everyone has a right to equality of opportunity and able to fulfil their potential, free from the barriers that limit ambition. We are committed to ensuring Scottish Government workplaces are environments where everyone feels respected and supported, demonstrating equal opportunity in the workplace, both in principle and in practice.

Tackling poverty and inequality in Scotland is a central aim of the Scottish Government. Work is progressing to tackle the gender pay gap, to halve the disability employment gap, to move more minority ethnic people into employment, and to ensure they are employed in jobs appropriate for their level of skills, qualifications and experience. The Scottish Government as an employer is playing its part in these ambitions.

The opening of the new social security agency, Social Security Scotland, marks a fundamental shift in the delivery of social security as a human right, underpinned by the values of dignity, fairness and respect. The agency's recruitment strategy engages with equalities groups, stakeholders, local communities and partners, to raise awareness of available employment opportunities and to build a workforce which reflects Scottish society and the people they serve.

Scotland is a rich and diverse tapestry of peoples and cultures and there should be no barriers to talented people building a career in Scottish Government. I continue to strive for a diverse workforce in order to gain broader insights, increase challenge, engage more fully with all of our stakeholders and ultimately support Ministers better to make decisions that will benefit the whole of Scotland.

Leslie Evans
Permanent Secretary