Increasing employment of disabled people in public sector: our response to consultation

Summary of activity the Scottish Government will be undertaking

1. We will set a disability target for workers within Scottish Government and its core agencies, which we will outline in our Disability Recruitment and Retention Plan.

2. We have already undertaken, and continue consultation and engagement with stakeholders - internal as well as external - around the content and priority action for inclusion in the Recruitment and Retention plan during spring 2019.

3. We intend to undertake a review of the Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) (Scotland) Regulations 2012 during 2019. These regulations apply to listed public authorities and include the gathering and use of employee information. Assuming Parliamentary approval, any amendment regulations will be made in April 2020, and affect the reporting regime from 2021 onwards (that is, after the end of the current reporting cycle). We will use the learning from the review to shape our own efforts to improve data collection, and to support progress in delivering equality and a fairer Scotland.

4. We will engage closely with other public sector bodies (for example potentially through the Public Sector Network, and public sector HR networks) to support them to develop more inclusive workplaces and create a supportive work environment where disabled people feel comfortable sharing information with regards to their impairments and long term health issues, and the support they require.

5. We will share our learning around target setting, improved data collection and self-reporting of disability, and managing reasonable adjustments. We will work with partners, including the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), to promote existing resources and address any identified gaps in guidance and practical support.

6. We will publish the Scottish Government’s ambitious Disability Recruitment and Retention Plan during 2019, which will make a real difference to Scottish Government’s workers in the first instance. In addition, we will share learning from this experience with other public sector bodies and work with and challenge them to take similar steps to improve the employment experience of their workers.