Warm Scots Welcome programme: equality impact assessment

The Scope of the EQIA

The Equality Act 2010 places a duty (known as the Public Sector Equality Duty, or PSED) on public authorities to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation; advance equality of opportunity; and promote good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. The Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) (Scotland) Regulations 2012 (Regulation 5) require public authorities to assess and review policies and practices against these three needs of the PSED.

This EQIA considers the possible impacts on people with protected characteristics of a range of policy changes that have come into effect between December 2022 and May 2025 relating to the welcome offer for displaced people from Ukraine sponsored by the Scottish Government under the Super Sponsor scheme.

In developing these policies, the Scottish Government is mindful of the three needs of the PSED. Where any negative impacts have been identified, we have sought to mitigate or eliminate these. We are also mindful that the equality duty is not just about preventing or mitigating negative impacts, as we also have a positive duty to advance equality.

In developing these policies and the possible impacts on people with protected characteristics, and in considering impacts since policies were implemented, a range of both qualitative and quantitative data were considered and are reflected in the drafting of this EQIA.

The Scottish Government did not gather data relating to protected characteristics and displaced people staying in welcome accommodation and therefore data referenced in this EQIA relating to protected characteristics is from a range of sources, and may represent the Ukrainian population as a whole, or Ukrainian arrivals to the UK under the Homes for Ukraine scheme more generally, where available.

Other quantitative data includes statistics published by the Scottish Government, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (now the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government), the Home Office and the Office for National Statistics.

Qualitative data gathered through engagement with a wide range of stakeholders including with displaced people themselves has provided invaluable insight. These stakeholders include COSLA, local authorities, Scottish Refugee Council and third sector organisations, as well as internal stakeholders from across Scottish Government with policy expertise in safeguarding, housing, homelessness, New Scots, refugee and asylum integration and migration.