Continuing Professional Development (CPD) system in Tier 4 of the Agricultural Reform Programme: Equality impact assessment – Record

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Tier 4, Complementary Support, applies to individuals within a wide range of agricultural and crofting businesses.

The CPD system would apply to particular groups of people (and all individuals within them) including farmers, crofters, land managers, persons who provide relevant advice to them, as well as others who provide advice or services in or for rural communities.

The CPD system would be available to individuals of all ages who are employed in agriculture and crofting in Scotland.

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The CPD system would apply to individuals within particular groups of people in agriculture and crofting, and to all age groups.

A number of CPD activities would be provided through the system, though it would be up to participants to decide what is relevant to their personal and professional development, and where to access these activities. These CPD activities – of which there a wide range that can be undertaken - can be used to promote good relations between younger and older people. For example, a mixture of different age groups is noted at the different events hosted by the Farm Advisory Service, a key provider of knowledge and learning and CPD (for example – fig 9 in 2024-25 annual report).

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See above.

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The CPD system would provide a framework that will enable particular groups of people (and all individuals within them) including farmers, crofters, land managers, persons who provide relevant advice to them, as well as others who provide advice or services in or for rural communities, to undertake CPD.

A number of CPD activities would be provided through the system, though it would be up to participants to decide what is relevant to their personal and professional development and whether to use them or other opportunities throughout the agriculture and crofting sectors.

CPD activities are typically provided in a range of formats and activities and an individual can select the ones that best suit their learning styles and strengths.

Disability is not a barrier to undertaking CPD. CPD is about recognising an individual person’s strengths and development needs, and what learning activities they need to develop personally and professionally in their careers. A person can decide the activities that they want to undertake for their CPD and also their format.

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The CPD system does not distinguish between people with disabilities or treat them in different ways, either directly or indirectly.

The CPD system could help to advance equality, by being inclusive towards individuals who have disabilities, as it would apply to all persons in particular groups in agriculture and crofting. Inclusion in the system would potentially help levels of participation by disabled persons.

CPD activities that are provided through the system can be used to support disabled people (eg through different formats, including easy read). It would be for a person to decide the activities that they want to undertake for their CPD and their format.

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The CPD system would provide a framework that will enable particular groups of people (and all individuals within them) including farmers, crofters, land managers, persons who provide relevant advice to them, as well as others who provide advice or services in or for rural communities, to undertake CPD. It would therefore apply equally to disabled and non-disabled persons and therefore be inclusive towards those with disabilities.

CPD activities can bring disabled people together with non-disabled people in a positive environment and to help promote relations between them. CPD is about identifying strengths and areas for personal development and could potentially be a very useful learning experience for non-disabled people to learn from disabled individuals about their challenges and how they manage their disability. It could also be positive for those with disabilities and have their voices heard.

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The CPD system would apply to particular groups of people (and all individuals within them) including farmers, crofters, land managers, persons who provide relevant advice to them, as well as others who provide advice or services in or for rural communities. The CPD system does not distinguish between males and females or treat them in different ways, either directly or indirectly. It would apply equally to them.

CPD activities can include both males and females and can help to eliminate any unlawful discrimination between them.

It could also help males and females to improve their confidence and develop their knowledge and skills. This would be important in helping to eliminate discrimination, even if indirect or unintentional.

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The CPD system does not distinguish between males and females or treat them in different ways, either directly or indirectly. It would apply equally to them. This could help to advance equality of opportunity.

CPD activities could help to advance equality of opportunity. This may be particularly important where individuals have not previously had the opportunity to participate in CPD. They would be able to access the opportunity of CPD and CPD activities provided in the CPD system as well as from other means and therefore advance equality of opportunity.

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The CPD system could be able to promote good relations between men and women. This could be achieved for example through a wide variety of CPD activities, provided through the CPD system or more broadly within the agriculture and crofting sectors. CPD activities would be expected to be available to both men and women.

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CPD systems from a variety of professions include a dispensation or exemption for pregnancy, maternity and / or paternity leave, to those individuals who wish to apply for it. We intend to ensure that this policy would be included within the CPD system. We recognise that women and men may want to continue with their CPD at this time and in such case they would be able to decide not to apply for an exemption.

We are aware that some women are unable to access training and also potentially CPD activities as a result of their caring commitments. We will consider accessibility for them in the design of CPD activities. This could help to eliminate unlawful discrimination.

The CPD system could enable pregnant and maternal women to be able to choose when they undertake their learning activities as well as the types of activities that they undertake. This could help to eliminate unlawful discrimination.

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The CPD system could give pregnant and maternal women the ability to decide if they want to participate in it. It would be up to them whether they decide whether to participate. It would also enable them to choose when they want to undertake their learning activities. CPD activities can also help to be as inclusive as possible to them.

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See above.

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The CPD system would apply to particular groups of people (and all individuals within them) including farmers, crofters, land managers, persons who provide relevant advice to them, as well as others who provide advice or services in or for rural communities.

The CPD system does not distinguish between transexual people or other people or treat them in different ways, either directly or indirectly. It would apply equally to all of them.

The CPD system guidance and documentation for users would ensure that it is sensitive to transexual people who use it.

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The CPD system would apply to particular groups of people (and all individuals within them) including farmers, crofters, land managers, persons who provide relevant advice to them, as well as others who provide advice or services in or for rural communities. This would include transexual people who are members of these particular groups.

The CPD scheme does not distinguish between transexual people or other people or treat them in different ways, either directly or indirectly. It would apply equally to all of them, and would therefore help to advance equality of opportunity.

Equality of opportunity could be advanced through CPD activities which would be expected to be available to all persons.

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The CPD system would promote good relations with transexual people as the system will apply equally to all persons.

This would also be achieved through CPD activities which would be expected to be available to all persons.

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The CPD system would apply to particular groups of people (and all individuals within them) including farmers, crofters, land managers, persons who provide relevant advice to them, as well as others who provide advice or services in or for rural communities.

The CPD system does not distinguish between people because of their sexual orientation or treat them in different ways, either directly or indirectly. It applies equally to all of them. This could help to eliminate unlawful discrimination.

We would ensure that the guidance for the CPD system uses gender neutral language when discussing relationships and that it avoids any indirect discrimination through assumptions about people’s relationship or sexual orientation.

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The CPD system does not distinguish between people because of their sexual orientation or treat them in different ways, either directly or indirectly. It applies equally to all of them. This could help to advance equality of opportunity.

Equality of opportunity could also be advanced through CPD activities which will be expected to be available to all persons.

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The CPD system would promote good relations with people with different sexual orientations as it will apply equally to all persons.

The promotion of good relations could also be achieved through CPD activities which would be expected to be available to all persons.

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The CPD system would apply to particular groups of people (and all individuals within them) including farmers, crofters, land managers, persons who provide relevant advice to them, as well as others who provide advice or services in or for rural communities. The CPD scheme would not distinguish between people because of their race or treat them in different ways, either directly or indirectly. It would apply equally to all of them. This could help to eliminate unlawful discrimination.

CPD activities would be expected to be available to all persons and this will help to eliminate unlawful discrimination. They would take into account different ethnic identities and ensure that they do not exclude any.

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The CPD scheme would not distinguish between people because of their race or treat them in different ways, either directly or indirectly. It would apply equally to all of them.

CPD activities would be expected to be available to all persons and would help to advance equality of opportunity. We would consider how we can encourage them to fully participate and get the best out of the CPD system.

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The CPD scheme would not distinguish between people because of their race or treat them in different ways, either directly or indirectly. It would apply equally to all of them and would therefore help to promote good race relations.

Good race relations could be achieved through CPD activities which would be expected to be available to all persons. There is an opportunity to highlight the roles played by different relations in agriculture and crofting, for example within the seasonal workforce.

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The CPD system would apply to particular groups of people (and all individuals within them) including farmers, crofters, land managers, persons who provide relevant advice to them, as well as others who provide advice or services in or for rural communities. The CPD system would not distinguish between people because of their religion or belief or treat them in different ways, either directly or indirectly. It would apply equally to all of them.

CPD activities would be expected to be available to all persons and this will help to eliminate unlawful discrimination in religion or belief. Reasonable adjustments would be made for individuals to allow them to participate in activities.

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The CPD system would apply equally to all persons regardless of their religion or belief.

CPD activities would be expected to be available to all persons and would help to advance equality of opportunity. We would consider how we could encourage them to fully participate and get the best out of the CPD system.

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The CPD scheme would apply equally to all people, regardless of their religion or belief.

There is the potential to promote relations of people of different religions and beliefs through CPD activities which would be expected to be available to all persons. CPD activities could help to develop and promote positive relations between these groups.

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The CPD system would apply to particular groups of people (and all individuals within them) including farmers, crofters, land managers, persons who provide relevant advice to them, as well as others who provide advice or services in or for rural communities. The CPD scheme would not distinguish between people because of their marriage or civil partnership or treat them in different ways, either directly or indirectly. It would apply equally to all of them.

CPD activities would be open to all persons regardless of their marital or partnership status. Data would not be collected on this characteristic as it has no relevance to participation.

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The CPD scheme would apply equally to all persons, irrespective of their marital or partnership status.

CPD activities would be expected to be available to all persons.

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The CPD scheme would apply equally to all persons, irrespective of their marital or partnership status.

CPD activities would be expected to be available to all persons.