Mental health and wellbeing strategy, delivery plan and workforce action plan: human rights impact assessment (HRIA)

1. Human Rights PANEL Principles (underlying principles in applying a human rights based approach)

Participation

Everyone has the right to participate in decisions which affect their human rights.

Participation must be active, free, meaningful and give attention to the issues of accessibility, including access to information in a form and a language which can be understood.

The Strategy outcomes are intended to be for the whole population of Scotland. People will have different starting points and require different kinds of support to get them where they want to be. For example, the needs of children and young people will differ from those of adults. So, too, will the needs of someone with severe and enduring mental illness when compared to someone struggling with their mental wellbeing.

The needs of those who experience social and structural inequality and discrimination, such as those with protected characteristics, will also vary. We know these groups are at a higher risk of having their rights impacted.

The outcomes we aim for are the same for everyone, although the actions we need to take to get there will likely differ for different groups. We have tried to reflect this in both plans. We will use these outcomes to help monitor and evaluate progress as this Strategy is implemented.

To deliver the changes we want to see, we will need to encourage collaboration from a wide range of partners across Scotland. This will include putting the voices of lived experience at the heart of implementing the Strategy. It will require working in partnership with our colleagues in Health Boards, Integration Joint Boards, and Health and Social Care Partnerships. It will mean moving forward in lockstep with the third sector.

To show how this Strategy is making a real difference to people's lives, we have set out the outcomes we wish to achieve so we can be held to account for our progress. Our Delivery Plan and Workforce Action Plan therefore detail the work we will take forward to progress these outcomes. This requires local and national leadership as we collectively work towards key national outcomes whilst maintaining local flexibility. We will robustly review, monitor and evaluate the Strategy, the accompanying Delivery Plan and the Workforce Action Plan to ensure we are committed to the right actions.

• We will ensure governance structures and decision-making processes are clear and transparent, and that people taking part in governance arrangements are supported to understand their role in the process.
• We will ensure policymaking is informed by the voices of those with lived experience of accessing support and services, and the workforce, including those with experience of developing and delivering services. We will ensure there is space for challenge, with access to a wide range of evidence and expertise.
• We will ensure there are opportunities for both national and local leadership, with key national outcomes that the entire system can work towards, whilst maintaining local flexibilities.

There is a commitment to having our current Equalities and Human Rights Forum, and lived experience as part of the governance structure surrounding the implementation of the Strategy. This will help provide a space for a feedback loop with a wide range of stakeholders and the groups that they represent. Monitoring and evaluation will be a key part of the implementation of the Strategy and these groups will also be part of this process, ensuring that we can share progress and make sure actions are still relevant, giving space to adjust as necessary.