Anti-racism Action Plan for the Scottish Social Work Sector What we are going to do to make social work actively anti-racist

The Anti-racism Action Plan for the Scottish Social Work Sector

Aims of the National Anti-racism Action Plan for Social Work

To build on the foundation of the statement of intent, the Anti-racism Oversight Group is publishing this cross-organisational anti-racism action plan to foster a collective approach to addressing racism in social work. This plan outlines the actions we will take to fulfil our commitments. It provides advice and resources to help employers cultivate an anti-racist workplace culture and to support social workers and those who use services who have experienced racism.

The Anti-Racism Action Plan for the Scottish Social Work Sector will create lasting change by improving incident management, embedding anti-racist policies, breaking workforce barriers to ensure a more inclusive profession and promoting cultural competence. The plan will enable meaningful progress across the sector by fostering a culture of zero tolerance for racism, supporting diverse leadership representation, and refining recruitment and retention practices.

Reporting on progress of actions and assessing effectiveness

The Social Work Anti-Racism Implementation Group will submit regular progress updates to the National Social Work Agency on a quarterly basis. To inform these quarterly reports, the chair of the Implementation Group will regularly seek progress reports from the members of the Group, as well as from other sector partners as required. As part of this action plan, appropriate timescales and measures are provided to gauge and record progress. For example, a bi-annual survey will be conducted regularly to assess the progress and ensure the experiences of those involved in its delivery continue to inform implementation of the plan.

Success will be measured through increased representation of ethnic minority professionals in leadership roles, improvements in incident reporting and resolution, strengthened workforce inclusivity, and enhanced engagement with stakeholders. Regular engagement, monitoring and data analysis will ensure accountability and track progress toward a more equitable social work sector.

Strategic outcomes

By August 2027, the Anti-racism Action Plan for the Scottish Social Work Sector will deliver the following four outcomes:

Improve incident management: enhance systems for reporting, recording, and addressing racist and discriminatory incidents, while providing support for those affected.

Foster anti-racist workplace cultures: offer guidance and resources to employers to cultivate anti-racism within workplace cultures across the sector.

Advance racial equity in social work leadership and workforce development: tackle obstacles in recruitment, retention, and career progression to create a workforce that represents the diversity of the population it serves.

Promote cultural competence: promote cultural competence in social work as an effective vehicle to redressing institutional racism and ensure fair and equitable outcomes for ethnic minorities in Scotland.

What We Will Do from 2025 to 2027

Outcome 1: Improve Incident Management

Racist incidents have a profound impact on social workers from ethnic minority backgrounds, leading to poor mental health, increased absenteeism, lower morale, and reduced productivity. These effects undermine the effectiveness of teams. To address this, management must acknowledge these harms, foster a culture of inclusion, and ensure all staff understand the serious consequences of racist behaviour.

Actions:

• Support the development and implementation of a framework for reporting, recording, and addressing racist incidents.
• Create mechanisms to capture the voices of staff and service users to evaluate progress and change.
• Embed strategies for addressing racist incidents within oversight group members’ plans, focusing on both immediate responses and long-term systemic change.
• Collaborate across social work organisations to actively challenge racism and embed anti-racist practices.

Outcome 2: Foster Anti-racist Workplace Cultures

A zero-tolerance approach to racism must be upheld, supported by continuous education, accessible support systems, and a commitment to a safe and respectful workplace for all.

Actions:

• Partner with chief social work officers and Third Sector leaders to establish visible anti-racist leadership across Scotland.
• Promote unconscious bias training and support leaders in adopting a zero-tolerance stance.
• Ensure anti-racism and equality are embedded in recruitment, retention, and promotion processes within local authorities.
• Develop communication and engagement strategies to promote anti-racism initiatives and events.
• Provide education and career-long learning opportunities to embed anti-racist training at all levels, from pre-qualifying education to advanced practice.

Outcome 3: Advance Racial Equity in Social Work Leadership and Workforce Development

The social work workforce should reflect the diversity of the communities it serves, from students and trainees to senior leadership. A representative workforce enhances cultural understanding, trust, innovation, and equity in service delivery.

Actions:

• Collaborate with chief social work officers and Third Sector leaders to increase ethnic minority representation in leadership roles, using baseline data to assess progress.
• Review and revise recruitment, retention, and promotion processes to ensure they support anti-racist workforce development.
• Diversify student intake into social work education.
• Develop a strategy to embed equality, diversity, and inclusion within organisational structures, informed by lived experiences.
• Engage stakeholders to share best practices and support the adoption of inclusive workforce initiatives across the sector.

Outcome 4: Promote Cultural Competence

Cultural competence is vital for delivering inclusive, respectful, and responsive services. It involves awareness of one’s own biases, knowledge of different cultural practices, and the skills to apply this understanding effectively.

Actions:

• Embed the three spheres of cultural competence—awareness, knowledge, and skills—into the design and delivery of social work services.
• Collaborate with universities to ensure cultural competence is part of the curriculum.
• Assess the availability and adequacy of cultural competence skills and learning resources within social work teams.
• Support the development of new learning resources to enhance cultural competence.