Scotland's National Strategy for Economic Transformation Programme 5: A Fairer and More Equal Society Equality Impact Assessment (Record and Results)

Recommendation and Conclusion

Our vision for 2032 is for Scotland to be a wellbeing economy, thriving across economic, social and environmental dimensions. To be truly transformational and ensure that Scotland's economy benefits all of Scotland's people, achieving this vision will require to be done in a way that tackles inequality and advances equality for people with protected characteristics, as well as other disadvantaged groups, in our society.

The evidence and stakeholder feedback presented in this EQIA have informed the development of NSET Programmes of Actions, and Projects that underpin them. We will continue to use, build and understand the evidence on equalities to support policy development as we finalise the detailed NSET delivery plans and implement the strategy over the next 10 years. EQIAs will be progressed for the individual policies put in place to deliver the NSET as they are developed by policy teams.

Recommended actions:

• Build on lived experience, by engaging with a variety of individuals, with a focus on those with protected characteristics, during the design stages of deciding how to allocate funding based on local need.
• Target eligibility criteria for funding to support those who experience the greatest barriers to employment to enable them to obtain, sustain and progress in employment.
• Ensure that all communications are accessible (including use of British Sign Language).
• Review labour market action plans and publish them as a single Refreshed Fair Work Action Plan (RAP) in Autumn 2022.
• Publish our new Anti-racist Employment Strategy alongside the RAP. This will be an all-encompassing strategy, setting out our approach for employers in addressing racial inequality in the workplace to improve labour market outcomes for racialized minorities.
• Engage with Scottish Government colleagues to ensure activity aligns with the refreshed Fair Work Action Plan and forthcoming actions (including disability employment, gender pay gap, and new ethnicity pay gap strategy) and The Promise delivery plan.
• Support employers to adopt and embed fair and inclusive workplace practices.
• Continue to support the adoption of the Fair Work Framework to address gender inequality across all dimensions of work – opportunity, security, fulfilment (including skills acquisition and deployment), respect and voice.
• Help to support delivery partners' knowledge and skills around intersectional gender analysis and gender sensitive service development.
• Support employers to provide flexible working, which is particularly crucial for young people with caring responsibilities (which is more prevalent for women).
• Local Employability Partnership support should be person-centred and consider the issues faced by all equalities groups in the labour market including women, people of colour, lone parents, LGBTQI+, with support tailored to meet the individual needs.
• Provide particular support for young pregnant women and mothers at a local partnership level.
• Support employers to in turn support employees, with opportunities to make use of resources from expert organisations including those representing disabled people, women, people of colour, lone parent families, care experienced and LGBTQI+.
• Apply Fair Work criteria to public sector contracts and grants to ensure that government funding serves to tackle in-work poverty and low wages by raising the incomes of the lowest paid and improving terms and conditions for all.