Equality and human rights mainstreaming: Fairer Scotland Duty summary

Fairer Scotland Duty Summary

Equality and Human Rights Mainstreaming Strategy and Action Plan.

Specific considerations relating to the Action Plan are addressed in Annex A.

Summary of aims and expected outcomes of strategy, proposal, programme or policy

The proposed Strategy will serve as an overarching framework to support the Scottish Government and public sector in driving further progress in mainstreaming equality and advancing rights. It aligns with ongoing initiatives such as the ongoing development of a Human Rights Bill, improvements to PSED and the integration of equality and human rights into Scotland’s National Performance Framework. Collectively, they aim to position Scotland as a leader in equality and human rights, with the Strategy providing the structure to support actions across government and public bodies.

People across Scotland, particularly those from marginalised and disadvantaged groups, will benefit from more inclusive and fairer public services if this strategy delivers it’s aims. This specifically includes inequality of outcome caused by socio-economic disadvantage

The Strategy’s broader aim is to create long term positive changes across these groups by addressing inequalities and therefore aligns with several of the National Outcomes of the National Performance Framework including:

• Human Rights: "We respect, protect and fulfil human rights and live free from discrimination". This is the most directly relevant outcome for an equality and human rights mainstreaming strategy.
• Communities: “We live in communities that are inclusive, empowered, resilient and safe”. The Strategy aims to contribute to creating more inclusive communities.

The Strategy aims to:

• Remove systemic barriers that prevent equality and human rights being realised
• Improve how policy decisions are made and delivered, ensuring they are informed by lived experience and evidence
• Establish the leadership, capability, capacity, culture, and practice needed to embed equality and human rights in Government and public sector policy and service delivery
• Embed transparency, making it easier for those affected by decisions to hold Scottish Government and the wider public sector to account
• Improve cross-sectoral collaboration to ensure the effective sharing of resources, information and best practice
• This includes informing the direction and development of policymaking at all stages, especially early stages of influencing and shaping planning and outcomes.

Summary of evidence

Evidence suggests significant inequality of outcome caused by socio-economic disadvantage across various areas:

• People on low incomes face barriers in accessing public services, including healthcare and education
• Individuals in deprived areas experience poorer health outcomes, lower educational attainment, and reduced employment opportunities
• Those with no/low wealth or in debt are more likely to experience poor mental health and face challenges in accessing housing
• People in material deprivation often struggle to meet basic needs, impacting their overall well-being and life chances
• Different social classes experience disparities in access to power and decision-making processes, perpetuating systemic inequalities

The Equality and Human Rights Mainstreaming Strategy is expected to have positive impact on inequality of outcome by:

• Improving the consideration of socio-economic factors in policy-making and service delivery
• Enhancing data collection and analysis to better understand and address inequalities
• Promoting targeted interventions to support the most disadvantaged groups
• Strengthening accountability to the public as well as stakeholders for how the Scottish Government carries out its work, including regular reporting on realising and protecting equality and human rights.
• Fostering collaboration between public bodies and diverse stakeholders to develop more robust impact assessments. This enables learning from lived experiences and supports policies that improve outcomes of all communities in Scotland.

Some identified evidence gaps include:

• Limited data on the intersectionality of socio-economic disadvantage with other protected characteristics
• Lack of longitudinal studies on the long-term impacts of mainstreaming approaches on socio-economic outcomes
• Insufficient evidence on the effectiveness of different capacity-building approaches in public bodies

Summary of assessment findings

Overall, this strategy aims to have a positive impact on reducing inequalities of outcome caused by socio-economic disadvantage.

Options to strengthen the Strategy include:

1. Developing specific guidance on addressing socio-economic disadvantage within future iterations of the associated toolkit
2. Suggestion within the Toolkit to create Champion roles (including socio-economic) within each public body to drive forward this agenda

Adjustments could include:

• Developing targeted guidance for addressing inequalities faced by specific groups that experience socio-economic disadvantage (e.g., lone parents, people with disabilities in deprived areas).
• The Strategy communications plan will provide information in clear, plain language and multiple formats to address socio-economic barriers, in line with the Equality Act 2010 and Public Sector Accessibility Regulations.
• Establishing/joining various diverse working groups including groups with stakeholders, to continue engagement on the strategy as appropriate. This will include representation from a diverse range of stakeholders, including those with lived experience of socio-economic disadvantage.

Based on this assessment, the following changes will be made to the Equality and Human Rights Mainstreaming Framework:

1. Identification and inclusion of specific practical materials on addressing socio-economic disadvantage will be made to future iterations of the Strategy's toolkit
2. Ensuring diverse input to provide ongoing input on the Strategy's implementation and impact

These changes are being made to strengthen the Strategy's focus on addressing socio-economic disadvantage and to ensure that it has a meaningful impact on reducing inequalities of outcome. The expected outcomes include improved consideration of socio-economic factors in policy-making, enhanced accountability, and more effective targeting of interventions to support disadvantaged groups.

Sign off

Name: Nick Bland

Job title: Deputy Director Mainstreaming and Inclusion

Date: 18 Nov 2025