Equally Safe draft delivery plan consultation 2017-2021: response analysis

How organisations can contribute

Q25. What role could your organisation have in contributing to this delivery plan?

Respondents identified a number of ways in which they could contribute to Equally Safe, as detailed in table A16 in Annex 1. These ranged from the direct provision of services to those affected by VAW, to being willing to engage with the SG on the matter, to providing training, or contributing to the knowledge base around VAW. The most commonly suggested roles included:

• Providing training /guidance (20)
• That co-ordinating/contributing to work on VAW/ GBV at a local level is a key part of what they do (18)
• Awareness raising/Promoting key messages from Equally Safe to members and wider society (16)
• Developing the evidence base /knowledge base, sharing good practice, improving practice (15)
• Providing support/delivering services to women, children, families affected by VAW (14)
• Willing to engage with SG/Participate in stakeholder discussion (12)

How respondents said they could contribute

A wide range of organisations who responded to this consultation have areas of specialist expertise. A number mentioned providing training and guidance across a wide range of professions, service providers and individuals on a variety of issues. Respondents spoke of providing training in relation to: stalking; internet safety; housing rights; "gender and domestic abuse competent employer and employability policy and practice"; LGBTI inclusive and transgender inclusive training; professional guidance for nurses, including around domestic abuse, FGM, child protection and modern slavery; domestic abuse within BME communities and honour based violence; identifying and responding to gender based violence; gender based bullying and learning disability awareness training.

A number of responses, particularly those from Local Authority Violence Against Women or Gender Based Violence Partnerships noted that co-ordinating and contributing to work around violence against women was a core part of their role, and as such they would be central to delivering Equally Safe at a local level. A number also said that within this capacity they would also be involved in local level measurement frameworks.

"As a local GBV partnership, we should have a pivotal role in achieving Equally Safe's priorities through the development of a local action plan which appropriately reflects the activities required to achieve the actions listed in the national Delivery Plan."

- Violence Against Women / Gender Based Violence Partnership

"Additionally, our Gender-Based Violence Partnership will play a key role in collecting performance data to help measure, understand and demonstrate whether the actions in the delivery plan are achieving their intended outcomes, and identifying where improvements may be required."

- Violence Against Women / Gender Based Violence Partnership

A number of organisations saw a role for themselves in raising awareness and promoting the key messages from Equally Safe, both to their own members and to wider society. Specific awareness raising targeted at professionals such as teachers, social workers, fire fighters and early learning and childcare workers was mentioned. As was awareness raising amongst children and young people, school pupils, students, women, workers and trade union members, and members of the general public. Key elements of awareness raising mentioned were, professionals would be better able to spot violence against women, women and young people would have a greater awareness of their rights and feel empowered to speak up and that negative societal attitudes would be challenged, with an aim to improving society's attitudes to gender equality and violence against women.

"Last year we ran a successful campaign ( WOWwoman) to help girls identify positive female role models. This year we will be promoting the WAGGGS Voices Against Violence Resource… This resource helps children and young people learn how to talk about violence, understand its root causes, identify different forms of violence, recognise their rights and develop the skills and confidence to access those rights for themselves and others. It will have empowered girls and boys, young women and young men to be leaders, to speak out and take action."

– Third Sector

"[Our organisation] has recently run a number of workshops/events for Children and Families social workers. Our event 'The Social Work Role in Domestic Abuse' in Edinburgh - which came 2 days after the publication of the Domestic Abuse Bill - was very well attended,... [Our organisation] will contribute to this delivery plan by utilising events like these to disseminate information, promote awareness and facilitate reflection and learning."

- Representative Body for Professionals/Trade Union

"The SFRS, and firefighters in particular, have a reputation as community role models and this is particularly effective amongst young people. The reinforcement of positive attitudes towards all community groups and the intolerance of gender-based violence can contribute to the ongoing improvements in social attitudes."

- Other Public Body, including Executive Agencies, NDPBs, NHS etc.

"Our work will specifically be focused on the following outcomes: Public understanding of men's violence against women is increased and tolerance of it is decreased."

– Third Sector

A number of organisations felt that they contributed to the knowledge base and evidence base around certain aspects of violence against women. Others spoke of developing and sharing good practice, and improving practice around violence against women. Organisations felt that they could add to the knowledge base around their specific areas of expertise such as: stalking; internet pornography; childhood abuse and trauma; and commercial sexual exploitation, as well as in relation to the intersectionality with specific groups of women, such as those who are from a minority ethnic background, identify as LGBTI or have a learning disability. This knowledge base was seen as a platform for sharing and expanding on good practice.

"[Our organisation] has a highly skilled workforce delivering innovative services across the VAW spectrum... This innovative approach, which is common in all [our] services, provides greater insight to different forms of VAW which are not as well understood in mainstream service provision. [Our organisation] is therefore well placed to contribute to the delivery of Equally Safe, especially in relation to different forms of violence against women beyond domestic abuse."

- Third Sector

"As an intermediary body, [we] would be happy to assist with collating and sharing evidence, information and examples of good practice from and to our member organisations and contributing to research and reviews."

- Third Sector

"we are producing lessons learned around best practice for gender and domestic abuse competent employer and employability policy and practice that could be incorporated to inform actions in the Equally Safe delivery plan."

- Third Sector

A number of organisations are involved in providing support and services to women, children and families affected by violence against women, and a smaller number said that they provide services to perpetrators. Respondents spoke of a large variety of services that they provided, these included: legal services; advocacy services; refuge accommodation; support services, including one to one support, crisis support, group support, and helplines; services for children and families, including for children affected by childhood sexual exploitation; support for women at risk of honour based violence; support for women involved in or at risk of prostitution; services for women who are LGBTI, and services for ethnic minority women.

Some respondents said that they would like more opportunity to engage with the SG around Equally Safe, feeling that they could contribute their specialist knowledge on particular issues.

"We are concerned that there is a lack of detail as to how the needs of women who are LGBTI, disabled, Black or minority ethnic or practice a religion will be affected under the actions of this strategy. [We] would urge the Scottish Government to ensure that all elements of this strategy are equality impact assessed with the support of relevant stakeholders… [We] would be happy to contribute their expertise whenever appropriate."

- Third Sector

"In response to the goal 'Hold an event comprising key stakeholder to look how we better tackle online hate and misogyny' [we] would appreciate an opportunity to participate in the discussion. Within our specialist area we have a range of powerful ideas which could contribute materially to tackling online hate and misogyny."

- Third Sector

Some organisations facilitate their members having a voice to contribute to the discussion around Equally Safe. This includes: the voices of women; children and young people; survivors of violence against women; workers, through the Trade Union movement; those from ethnic minorities; those who are LGBTI; those who have learning disabilities, and providing a "national homelessness perspective". It was seen as important that these different voices and perspectives are fed into and can influence Equally Safe.

"We will continue to strengthen the partnerships we have across Perth & Kinross whilst representing the views and experiences of survivors at both strategic and operational forms across P&K."

- Third Sector

"[Our organisation] is funded to engage with women throughout Scotland in order that their views might influence public policy. [Our organisation] uses the views of women to respond to a variety of Parliamentary, Governmental and organisational consultation papers at both a Scottish and UK level."

- Third Sector

A small number of respondents spoke of how they were involved in campaigning for certain legislation and policies, for example, the introduction of the 'Offence of Stalking' sec 39 Criminal Justice & Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010). Some spoke of their role in ensuring that local violence against women policies are integrated with wider policies. Others spoke of capacity building, of engagement work, of their role in funding projects, or their role as an employer to promote gender equality.

What organisations need from the SG in order to be able to contribute

A small number of respondents indicated that in order to be able to fully contribute they needed certain things from the SG to facilitate their contribution. These included: comments that what an organisation could do would be dependent on the funding it receives; the need for a commitment from the SG to recognise and work more closely in partnerships with local organisations to deliver; a call for the SG to be more explicit about the role of certain organisations within the Delivery Plan ( e.g. Higher Education Institutes), and an ask for the SG to provide guidance on what is required at a local level. A couple of respondents again requested more focus on equalities and intersectionality within the Delivery Plan.

"Local VAW partnerships need to be more visible within the Delivery Plan and the Government should work more closely with us, respecting the considerable knowledge and expertise held within local areas."

- Violence Against Women / Gender Based Violence Partnership