Fair Work action plan: becoming a leading Fair Work nation by 2025

6. Support for people to prepare for, access and sustain fair work

The following section focuses on improving the employability, pre-employment, and in-work support and opportunities that are available across Scotland – especially for people furthest from the labour market for which often a multi-faceted approach is needed. These actions therefore focus on ensuring that collaboration with and between partners (including trade unions, Social Security, Employability providers, Education (including Further and Higher Education), business, Public Health Scotland, third sector and equalities organisations) reflects the aims and delivers the benefits of Fair Work. It sets out what we will do around support available to workers as well as prospective workers.

Fair Work supports those who face barriers to accessing, retaining, and progressing in work. This includes knowing their rights and entitlements and being supported to access and thrive in fair workplaces. We will help employers across all sectors by providing targeted support to embed fair work practices to create diverse and inclusive workplaces by reducing barriers which restrict employment opportunities for those who are marginalised in the labour market, particularly women, people from racialised minorities, disabled people, and the over 50s.

As shown in table below, disabled people with a degree are less likely to be employed than non-disabled people without one.

NSET also recognises the importance of providing people with the opportunities to develop skills, irrespective of who they are and where they live as key to ensuring everyone has the opportunity to participate fully in the labour market. As we develop and implement a Lifetime Skills offer to help individuals throughout their working lives, we will ensure more support is available for those who face the greatest barriers to sustained work. Tackling child poverty is also a central pillar of our new Lifetime Skills Offer, which targets support for upskilling and reskilling to those who need it most, including the six priority family types, all of which are at greater risk of poverty.

Social Security Scotland, our executive agency delivering social security benefits devolved to Scotland, continues to support the Fair Work agenda by offering employment opportunities in the agency for people who have struggled to find sustainable work, as well as linking to employability provision when appropriate. This includes, for example, for people who are currently out of work, disabled, racially minoritised, young people, and those who are care experienced. In addition, we will continue to work across government to deliver actions in the social and financial inclusion chapter of our National Carers Strategy, including engaging with unpaid carers of which 59 per cent are women, with lived experience of barriers to employment and employers. We will also continue to fund and promote increased uptake of the Carer Positive employer accreditation scheme, working with employers to support flexible, agile and inclusive workplaces that benefit workers with caring responsibilities.

Recent activity to increase the representation of racially minoritised staff in Social Security Scotland includes redesigning its recruitment process, putting values of Dignity, Fairness and Respect at the centre, to eliminate bias in volume recruitment campaigns. Equality Impact Assessments (EQIAs) have been carried out for the introduction of each new Scottish Social Security benefit. The EQIA carried out for the regulations coming into force on 14 November that will extend Scottish Child Payment to 6-16 year olds found that they were likely to benefit women as they are more likely to be in poverty, more likely to receive benefits and more likely to be lone parents. Programmes of evaluation are planned across Scottish Social Security benefits covering low-income, early carer and disability benefits. These evaluations draw on data from multiple sources, including management information and official statistics which provide information on the delivery of benefits and characteristics of clients, including their membership of equality groups.

Equally important to developing skills is recognising existing skills. We know that the employment and pay gaps faced by migrant groups can be disproportionately higher than those who have settled and been educated in the UK. One reason behind this could be that qualifications and skills obtained overseas are often not fully recognised or utilised resulting in unemployment and under-employment of migrant workers.

The Scottish Government is therefore encouraging and supporting employers to recognise the skills and experience of internationally qualified migrants, so that they can access and sustain Fair Work.

Fair Work can provide important benefits for people’s mental health and wellbeing. We also know that creating workplaces which support and promote good mental health, benefit both individuals and employers. Evidence shows that one in four people are likely to experience a mental health problem; poor mental health costs Scottish employers over £2 billion every year; and for every £1 spent on mental health interventions, employers get £5 back.

Case study: Mental health and wellbeing digital platform

As part of our Mental Health Transition and Recovery Plan we are supporting employers to support and promote mentally healthy workplaces. In August 2022, the Scottish Government, in partnership with Public Health Scotland, launched a new mental health and wellbeing digital platform to help Scottish employers actively support and promote mental health at work. The platform, which is hosted on Public Health Scotland’s Healthy Working Lives website, signposts employers to free and reputable mental health and wellbeing resources.

This also aligns with our work on tackling economic inactivity, which focuses not only on supporting people with ill health – whether that be their physical or mental health – who want to get back into the labour market, but keeping people in the labour market, and supporting people to get into work for the first time. As part of NSET, we will also establish a cross-policy Health Equality and Economic Inactivity workstream to systematically address Scotland’s labour market inactivity challenges, including addressing any evidence gaps.

See Me is a key stakeholder in our work to tackle stigma and discrimination and to promote mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.

The Scottish Government has supported the development of a digital portal for employers focused on addressing mental health stigma and discrimination in the workplace. This will expand their See Me in Work programme to a digital offer, giving more employers access to the programme with greater flexibility to manage their engagement in it.

Headline Action 4:

We will work collaboratively to develop resources to support workers to access, remain and progress in fair work.

What we will do

4.1. Work with enterprise agencies and Business Gateway to promote Fair Work and deliver wider conditionality, and:

4.1.1 By end of 2023 undertake a review of the Business Gateway website, utilising analytical and tracking techniques to ensure that disabled people find the website accessible, and are able to utilise the advice given to overcome the barriers they face.

What this provides

Equitable and tailored access to support (including financial) when moving into self-employment.

Intended outcomes

People from all backgrounds receive appropriate advice and support to be able to consider if self-employment is the right route for them.

Increase the diversity of self-employed people.

What we will do

4.2 Scottish Government Employability Delivery will continue to work with Fair Start Scotland providers, within the timescales of the current contract, to implement a continuous improvement approach to enhance delivery and outcomes for disabled people and those furthest from the labour market, including people from racialised minorities and women. This will include drawing upon learning from Pathfinders/ test and learn projects being delivered by Disabled People’s Organisations and the pilot project on community engagement being delivered by CEMVO Enterprises CIC in 2022/23.

What this provides

Appropriate and tailored access to support for disabled people, women, the over 50s, and people from racialised minorities to enter employment.

Better data is collected and analysed on employability programmes and their impacts, including for those experiencing labour market inequalities. Where data and sample sizes allow, there is improved consideration of intersectional data.

Provide relevant information and evidence on the effectiveness of programmes.

Direct input to development of employability support from those with lived experience (e.g. of disability), ensuring person-centred services.

Intended outcomes

People from all backgrounds receive appropriate advice and support to be able to consider what route to employment is the right route for them, and employment outcomes are improved.

Better data enables employability programmes to be tailored appropriately to deliver tailored support.

What we will do

4.3 Scottish Government to work with stakeholders to develop a Delivery Plan 2023-26, outlining the next phase development of No One Left Behind from April 2024.

This will: 4.3.1 Build Fair Work outcomes into the design of No One Left Behind by taking account of the lived experience and needs of disabled people, people from racialised minorities, women and the over 50s

4.3.2 Draw upon the findings and recommendations of the following:

Health and Work Strategy Review (2019)

Supported Employment Review (2022)

Health and Work Support Pilot final evaluation (2022)

Individual Placement and Support Review (2022 – forthcoming)

What this provides

Appropriate and tailored access to support for disabled people, women, the over 50s, and people from racialised minorities to enter employment.

Better data is collected and analysed on employability programmes and their impacts, including for those experiencing labour market inequalities. Where data and sample sizes allow, there is improved consideration of intersectional data.

Provide relevant information and evidence on the effectiveness of programmes.

Direct input to development of employability support from those with lived experience (e.g. of disability), ensuring person-centred services.

Intended outcomes

People from all backgrounds receive appropriate advice and support to be able to consider what route to employment is the right route for them, and employment outcomes are improved.

Better data enables employability programmes to be tailored appropriately to deliver tailored support.

What we will do

4.4 Skills Development Scotland (SDS) and Scottish Funding Council (SFC) will, on an annual basis, review disaggregated management information including the newly disaggregated Learning Disability statistics and take action where required where poorer outcomes or underrepresented groups are identified. This will include:

4.4.1 Review the equality incentives for disabled people in relation to Work Based Learning (WBL) and make recommendations by end March 2024 with regard to impact on participation and achievement rates for disabled people.

What this provides

Improved evidence, overview and understanding on which to develop recommendations, tailor skills and training courses, and further actions to improve provision to be able to better support disabled people in relation to what they need and want.

Intended outcomes

Those accessing apprenticeships and Work Based Learning Further Education (FE) opportunities have improved knowledge and understanding of Fair Work and specifically effective voice and are able to make informed and supported choices. More disabled people take up and complete Apprenticeship opportunities/FE opportunities by continuing or going into suitable employment which supports decreasing DEG.

Providers have better knowledge and understanding and are able to provide learning and support which have a real impact on labour market outcomes.

What we will do

4.4.2 Review learning from pilot projects for Foundation Apprenticeships for disabled pupils and mainstream lessons learned by October 2023.

4.4.3 Use intelligence from training and learning providers and participants to develop and deliver disability equality-focused continuous professional development to build the capacity of learning providers to support disabled individuals and ensure a continuous development cycle is implemented by 2023.

What this provides

Improved evidence, overview and understanding on which to develop recommendations, tailor skills and training courses, and further actions to improve provision to be able to better support disabled people in relation to what they need and want.

Intended outcomes

Those accessing apprenticeships and Work Based Learning Further Education (FE) opportunities have improved knowledge and understanding of Fair Work and specifically effective voice and are able to make informed and supported choices. More disabled people take up and complete Apprenticeship opportunities/FE opportunities by continuing or going into suitable employment which supports decreasing DEG.

Providers have better knowledge and understanding and are able to provide learning and support which have a real impact on labour market outcomes.

What we will do

4.5 Skills Development Scotland (SDS) will:

4.5.1 Implement Scotland’s Career Review recommendations and develop a model to ensure future career services across sectors provide meaningful and accessible support for disabled people that is both tailored to their needs and available when they need it. The implementation phase of the Career Review is due to be completed by the end of 2022.

4.5.2 Continue to implement the Principles of Good Transitions across our Career Information Advice and Guidance (CIAG), through targeted Continuous Professional Development for all customer-facing CIAG colleagues and managers by the end of March 2023.

What this provides

We have implemented careers advice and guidance to enable disabled people to meet their ambitions and needs.

Intended outcomes

More disabled people are aware of their options; careers advisors are able to support disabled people into options suitable to their skills and needs; more disabled people enter options they want and need, helping to decrease the DEG.

What we will do

4.6 Health and Work: Aligning with the Scottish Government’s Fairer and More Equal Society (FMES) Programme by December 2023, Public Health Scotland (PHS) to:

Collaborate with NHS Boards to develop the NHS Scotland contribution to achieving fair and healthy work outcomes for people across Scotland; and

Work with Scottish Government, Local Government and NHS Boards to define the health offer to enable those with health conditions to secure, sustain and progress in work.

What this provides

Greater alignment and integration health and work policy offering improved access and support for people to access and sustain labour market outcomes.

Intended outcomes

Our economy is re-orientated towards wellbeing and fair work, delivering higher rates of employment and wage growth, reducing structural poverty, particularly child poverty, and improving health, cultural and social outcomes for disadvantaged families and communities.