Fair Work Action Plan: intersectional impacts 2025

2. Wider Government Actions

Action: Asylum and Refugee Integration: Refugee Integration Strategy

The Scottish Government, COSLA (Convention of Scottish Local Authorities) and Scottish Refugee Council are working together to support refugees to access work through our new Refugee Integration Strategy. The accompanying delivery plan contains actions to provide information and advice on employability rights and options; develop opportunities for refugees to build their skills; support development of skills recognition; and improve access to English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).

Information and guidance

The New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy.

Delivery

A range of partners is involved in implementing the New Scots Integration Strategy: Delivery Plan 2024-2026. The Delivery Plan outlines specific actions, who will undertake them and when they will be undertaken. The Scottish Government leads on some actions and is involved in others, with some actions led by external organisations.

Exploration

New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy: Delivery Plan 2024-2026

Impact of action

The New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy: Delivery Plan 2024-2026 will be reviewed annually to reflect changing context, new actions required and progress.

Action: National Events Strategy

The Scottish Government will review the National Events Strategy, including Fair Work considerations, with meaningful Trade Union representation. The outcome of this review will set the long-term vision for the events sector over the next 10 years, ensuring Scotland remains ‘The Perfect Stage’ for events.

Information and guidance

Research from the refreshed National Events Strategy and accompanying Equality Impact Assessments (EQIAs) shows that a diverse and inclusive workforce is key to the success of the events sector as a whole, and that there are lots of potential opportunities for people with protected characteristics and intersectional identities to participate in work.

Fair Work practices and addressing the identified gender pay gap help make these ambitions real.

Delivery

The Strategy Delivery Sub-Group, overseen by the industry-led Events Industry Advisory Group, is looking at a specific action plan to deliver on the 36 recommendations in the refreshed National Events Strategy, and this will include actions to ensure an inclusive workforce. Best practice and case studies will be published on the event industry-facing Visit Scotland Business Support Hub.

Exploration

An Equality Impact Assessment was undertaken as part of the refresh of the National Events Strategy.

Action: Digital: Connecting Scotland

Include Fair Work throughout all aspects of the next iteration of Connecting Scotland and in particular in the development of a Full Business Case. The programme has targeted groups to date including young care leavers and people seeking support with employability as well as disabled persons. Through the evaluation undertaken so far, there has been a conclusive link between the device, connectivity and skills support being provided, and the Fair Work agenda.

Information and guidance

While the Connecting Scotland Programme continues in its aim to enable digital access for all, the refreshed approach includes some changes in recognition of the need to maximise efficiency of budget spend. Rather than a single one-to-one model where kit is gifted to recipients, the new Connecting Scotland will focus on developing a series of one-to-many models where kit and connectivity benefit more than one individual. These models will take a targeted approach with three specific groups identified for intervention:

• Six Priority Family Groups to tackle child poverty. Family types identified as being at highest risk of child poverty: lone parent families, minority ethnic families, families with a disabled adult or child, families with a younger mother (under 25), families with a child under one, and larger families (three or more children).
• People who are unemployed or who need to enhance their skills sets. People that are currently seeking employment looking to upskill themselves to compete in a digital world or those that are seeking to complete education to a specific level.
• People who are substantially above average users of public services. People that currently do or would benefit from actively engaging in online public services, e.g. people with underlying health conditions, older individuals or those on low/fixed incomes.

In addition to direct delivery interventions, the refreshed Connecting Scotland will develop collaborative work within the Scottish Government and also reach out across public, third and private sectors. Connecting Scotland is building a longer-term strategy through the Digital Inclusion Alliance (DIA), working with partners to establish joint outcomes, leverage buying power and centrally share resources as well as developing resources to direct people to existing support. A Minimum Digital Living Standard for Scotland will be developed providing a benchmark to measure progress towards becoming a digitally inclusive nation.

Delivery

Phase 3 (June-December 2021) of the Connecting Scotland programme had a specific focus on employability. Devices, connectivity and support were provided to 23,000 households to help people secure work, or access activities that would improve their employment prospects, such as working towards a qualification.

39 grant funded Digital Inclusion Projects are running over 2024-26:

• 19 lending library projects, which support digitally excluded people unable to afford a device and/or internet connection
• 15 social housing projects, which provide devices and connectivity to homeless people and those in temporary social housing
• Five place-based digital inclusion initiatives, which provide digitally excluded people with in-person access to devices, skills, training and support

Scotland's Digital Inclusion Charter supports, guides and recognises the work of organisations across all sectors tackling digital inclusion.

• 42 signatory organisations to date, including large businesses, public sector organisations and local community projects
• The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) ran a promotion campaign from November 2024 to March 2025, with examples of best practice and case studies from existing signatories.

Research into a Minimum Digital Living Standard (MDLS) for Scotland has been commissioned.

Exploration

The Digital Inclusion Charter will provide a useful source of data on the different activities being undertaken across all sectors to tackle digital exclusion. When organisations renew their pledges after a two-year period they will be asked to demonstrate progress made.

The Minimum Digital Living Standard could be used as an indicative national threshold of digital capacity that all households should meet. This would allow government to build an accurate understanding of where targeted support for digital inclusion is required across the country, including for specific equality groups.

Impact of action

Phase 3 Evaluation for Connecting Scotland has been published.

The new evaluation strategy for Connecting Scotland is due to be published in 2025-26. This latest tranche of evaluation will include consideration of the impact of digital inclusion initiatives and the support they offer in relation to the drivers of poverty (income from employment, income from social security or benefits in kind and the cost of living).

Action: Digital: Scottish Tech Ecosystem Review

Take forward the Scottish Tech Ecosystem Review (STER), which aims to broaden the talent pipeline and supports initiatives to raise awareness of gender bias with parents, families and teachers at all stages of the education process. Deliver the £1m Ecosystem Fund, which supports a diverse range of meet ups, events and projects many of which support women and minorities into tech.

Information and guidance

The £42 million Techscaler programme is underway, which was a key STER recommendation, supporting people into entrepreneurship and widening the pipeline for high-growth entrepreneurship. One of Techscaler's principal aims is to help address barriers to access and opportunity to improve representation in the Scottish tech ecosystem. Achieving this ambition will help to build more sustainable and innovative businesses in Scotland by incorporating diverse perspectives and experiences, and creating inclusive environments that attract and retain diverse professionals.

Following the publication of STER, Scottish Teachers Advancing Computing Science (STACS) was created and funded by the Scottish Government in direct response to the education recommendations to improve Computing Science provision in Scotland.

Delivery

Techscaler

• Techscaler has joined the Pathways Pledge initiative, championing female founders by promoting equitable access to networks, resources and funding
• Six meetups and two hackathons in partnership with AccelerateHER
• New partnership with Black Professionals UK, supporting The Black Scottish Awards and co-hosting Black History Month Celebration event
• Collaboration with The DataKirk to sponsor their Scottish Minority Ethnic Talent Summit and host a Fringe event
• Collaboration with Radiant & Brighter
• New partnership with Scottish Asian Business Chamber sponsoring their 'Propel' and 'Zyn Women's Spotlight' series of events.

Ecosystem Fund

• Phase I: In 2021-22, as part of delivering STER, a £1 million Ecosystem Fund made strategic investments in organisations and activities cultivating the best environment for startups to succeed.
• Phase II: In 2023-24 the redesigned £1.6 million Ecosystem Fund offered expanded eligibility, new strategic pillars and potentially larger grant sizes to inspire innovation. The five new pillar areas were: Social Infrastructure, International Spotlight, Sustainable Impact, Widening Participation, and Entrepreneurial Education.
• Phase III: The next phase of the fund launches in 2025-26, in collaboration with Inspirent.

Computing Science

STACS actively supports diversity across all its activities. In carrying out its duties STACS will help ensure that computing science is accessible and appealing to all genders, help break down stereotypes and encourage a wider range of perspectives. STACS is making a difference by featuring videos showcasing exceptional female role models throughout their extensive 200+ hours of teaching materials. By equipping educators with high-quality resources and ensuring that talented female role models are woven into the fabric of Computing Science from day one, they are fostering a brighter, more inclusive future.

Exploration

Techscaler website.

Scottish Enterprise administered the Ecosystem Fund on behalf of the Scottish Government. The proposal Guide for Phase II of the fund confirms that awardees must follow Fair Work First criteria as well as a commitment to net zero.

The Scottish Teachers advancing Computing Science website and accompanying annual report.

Impact of action

Techscaler

The number of women founders in Techscaler has increased by 260% from 184 to 475 members over the past year, now representing 34.7% of total membership, higher than the industry average (c.20%).

The proportion of Techscaler applicants who identified as non-white European was 37%. This group comprises 4% of the Scottish population as a whole, indicating that Techscaler has been effective in reaching, and enabling access for, people from non-white European backgrounds.

Ecosystem Fund

• Phase I: Over 30 awards were made across initiatives like founder skills training, large-scale conferences and events fostering connections
• Phase II: Total funding of £1.6 million across 42 projects. Thirteen awards were within the widening participation pillar, accounting for 23.2% of applications. The total number of direct beneficiaries was 13,305. There were 919 female participants, 621 ethnic minority participants, and 9,761 participants under the age of 30. 38% of proposals came from outside Edinburgh and Glasgow areas.

Action: Early Learning and Childcare: Early Learning and Childcare Expansion Programme

Continue to implement our strategy for evaluating the impact of the early learning and childcare (ELC) expansion programme to 1140 hours. This is an outcomes-based evaluation strategy, and the primary focus is on measuring outcomes for children, parents and carers, and families.

Action: Early Learning and Childcare: School Age Childcare Delivery Framework and Strategic Childcare Plan

A School Age Childcare Delivery Framework alongside a Strategic Childcare Plan. The Framework will outline current and future activity to pave the way for a sustainable school age childcare system. It will set out the approach and principles that we will apply to designing the future system.

Information and guidance

A number of the Scottish Government funded projects have produced information relating to supporting access to childcare for families facing multiple challenges.

Access to Childcare Fund summary

Access to Childcare Fund 2020-2022: Final evaluation report

Access to Childcare Fund: phase 2 - evaluation report

School Age Childcare Delivery framework

Scottish Football Association 'Extra Time' Evaluation Report June 2025

Scottish Football Association 'Extra Time' Annual Impact Report November 2024

Early Adopter communities process evaluation

Early Adopter Communities Evaluability Assessment

Early Adopter Communities process evaluation research findings

Video case study from one of the projects supported through the Early Adopter Community in Clackmannanshire.

Delivery

The ‘Best Start: Strategic early learning and school age childcare plan for Scotland 2022-26’ was published in October 2022. It sets out the vision that, through access to rich and nurturing early learning and school age childcare experiences, children, families, and their communities are enabled to reach their full potential and the poverty-related outcomes gap narrows. Delivering our vision of a high quality, affordable and accessible system of children is crucial to our national mission to tackle child poverty, to promote family wellbeing, drive greater gender equality and to ‘Keep the Promise’ to care experienced children.

The ‘School Age Childcare (SACC) Delivery Framework’ was published in October 2023 and sets out our commitment to build a system of school age childcare. It defines our action areas for the next three years, describes our transformational approach - centred around people and place - and considers how we will measure and evidence the impact of early delivery.

Work is focused on supporting low-income families, particularly those within the six priority family groups most likely to be living in poverty.

• Minority Ethnic families
• Large families (3+ Children)
• Families with a baby (aged <1)
• Mothers aged <25
• Families with a disabled adult or child
• Lone Parents

The SACC programme Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) identified an under-representation of minority ethnic families in engagement work, which is consistent with under-representation of these families in relation to childcare provision generally. It also highlighted the additional challenges in accessing childcare for families with disabled children and/or children with additional support needs.

The EQIA identified the need for further focused engagement, in particular to understand and meet the needs of families with a disabled adult or child, and Black and minority ethnic families. Therefore, we have undertaken targeted engagement with marginalised women and girls, including Black and minority women, disabled women and women with disabled children through our work with the National Advisory Council on Women and Girls' (NACWG) Empowering Women Panel. This has highlighted additional barriers and complexity in accessing childcare alongside wider challenges experienced by marginalised women in accessing public services. The findings will inform ongoing policy development.

Exploration

Out of school care in Scotland - draft framework: consultation

Analysis of Consultation Responses for Out of School Care in Scotland: A Draft Framework 2019

The Scottish Government will work with internal and external gender equality experts to support the development of intersectional data collection, analysis and outcomes reporting linked to the next phase of evaluation.

Impact of action

The Scottish Government is investing up to £16 million over two years in six local authority areas participating in the Early Adopter Community (EAC) projects, expanding access to childcare services to tackle poverty and improve outcomes for children. Investment in the projects enables the Scottish Government to work with local authorities and communities to understand what it takes to deliver local childcare systems that support families with children from the early years (including beyond 1140 expansion) to the end of primary school, and the difference this can make in ending child poverty.

A key focus of the EAC approach is to test change locally and to consider how to apply the learning nationally. The EACs will be a leading source of evidence, data and insights relating to the approach and outcomes associated with place-based, people-centred systems of childcare. In August 2023 Ipsos Scotland, an independent research organisation, carried out an early evaluation of the four original school-age childcare EACs (see above in Information and Guidance section).

Ipsos Scotland is now conducting the next stage of EAC evaluation, which will evaluate impact on short- to medium-term outcomes, process, and spend. Women in Scotland experience inequality in a wide range of areas, and mothers face additional, specific forms of disadvantage (in relation to employment, for example). It is therefore important that the next phase of evaluation considers gender wherever possible. Gendered and intersectional analysis has been included as a requirement for the next phase of evaluation. This will include a focus on families, parents/carers, or children who fall into more than one of these groups:

• Minority ethnic families
• Families with children with Additional Support Needs (ASN)
• Single parents
• Disabled parents

Existing work with and knowledge of key family groups for the EACs has informed the selection of groups for intersectional analysis.

Action: Early Learning and Childcare: Strategic Framework for Scotland’s Childcare Profession

Continue to work with partners to develop a package of actions for Scotland's Childcare Profession. This will include actions to build on the good practice we have seen across the childcare sector to diversify the workforce in the context of the 1140 hours workforce expansion in recent years. This includes work to increase the number of men, racialised minorities and disabled people in the childcare workforce. We will continue to consider an approach to treat investment in childcare and social care as economic infrastructure.

Action: Economic Development: Develop Community Wealth Building legislation

Develop Community Wealth Building (CWB) legislation during this Parliament. The internationally-recognised CWB model of economic development is designed to tackle long-standing systemic challenges facing local economies. The Workforce pillar places a focus on increasing Fair Work and developing local labour markets that support the wellbeing of local economies and the communities within them. The legislation will consolidate changes in practice and enable local anchor organisations to use their economic leverage to deliver more for local people and communities under devolved powers.

Information and guidance

As part of the development of the CWB Bill Scottish Ministers will publish guidance to assist CWB partnerships and specified bodies to identify and implement CWB actions that will encourage them to consider how they can further embed Fair Work practices. This guidance will also provide further advice on how to monitor the impact of these actions.

Delivery

The Bill has been designed to offer CWB partnerships flexibility in discharging their duties. The Bill does suggest measures that could be included which would support the advancing of equality of opportunity. CWB partnerships will be supported to identify issues and opportunities within their localities via guidance that would enable the development of targeted approaches to tackle compounded inequality. As the CWB statement and CWB action plans are developed, the responsible authority will be required to undertake all relevant impact assessments to ensure they are addressing inequalities.

Exploration

CWB partnerships and Scottish Ministers are required to report on progress and review their respective CWB statement or CWB action plan on a 5-year cycle. The guidance produced will encourage organisations to build their evolving evidence base to be able to demonstrate impact.

Impact of action

Reports from CWB partnerships and Scottish Ministers will include the impact of actions across the economy, including on inequalities.

Action: Economic Development 2: Local Authorities to develop a Community Wealth Building strategy and action plan as part of Covid-19 recovery

Enable all 32 of Scotland's local authorities to develop a CWB strategy and action plan as part of our Covid-19 Recovery Strategy. This begins the process of mainstreaming the support provided to our five CWB pilot areas (Clackmannanshire, South of Scotland, Western Isles, Tay Cities/Fife and Glasgow City Region) to develop and deliver bespoke CWB action plans, all of which set out action across all five pillars (including Workforce), with commitments to work with local anchors to apply a Fair Work lens to workforce policies and practices through development of anchor and/or employment charters.

Information and guidance

As part of the development of the CWB Bill Scottish Ministers will publish guidance to assist CWB partnerships and specified bodies to identify and implement CWB actions that will encourage them to consider how they can further embed Fair Work practices. This guidance will also provide further advice on how to monitor the impact of these actions.

Delivery

The Bill has been designed to offer CWB partnerships flexibility in discharging their duties. The Bill does suggest measures that could be included which would support the advancing of equality of opportunity. CWB partnerships will be supported to identify issues and opportunities within their localities via guidance that would enable the development of targeted approaches to tackle compounded inequality. As the CWB statement and CWB action plans are developed the responsible authority will be required to undertake all relevant impact assessments to ensure they are addressing inequalities.

Exploration

CWB partnerships and Scottish Ministers are required to report on progress made and review their respective CWB statement or CWB action plan on a 5-year cycle. The guidance produced will encourage organisations to build their evolving evidence base to be able to demonstrate impact.

Impact of action

Reports from CWB partnerships and Scottish Ministers will include the impact of actions across the economy, including on inequalities.

Action: Economic Development: Sectoral Approach to Community Wealth Building

Take a sectoral approach to CWB. We are engaging with a number of sectors (NHS, National Care Service and Housing) to help integrate CWB principles into their wider strategies, embracing their role as anchors and the wider contribution they can make to reduce inequalities by taking a progressive and local approach to procurement, asset management, recruitment and other workforce-related policies.

Information and guidance

As part of the development of the CWB Bill Scottish Ministers will publish guidance to assist CWB partnerships and specified bodies to identify and implement CWB actions that will encourage them to consider how they can further embed Fair Work practices. This guidance will also provide further advice on how to monitor the impact of these actions.

Delivery

The Bill has been designed to offer CWB partnerships flexibility in discharging their duties. The Bill does suggest measures that could be included which would support the advancing of equality of opportunity. CWB partnerships will be supported to identify issues and opportunities within their localities via guidance that would enable the development of targeted approaches to tackle compounded inequality. As the CWB statement and CWB action plans are developed, the responsible authority will be required to undertake all relevant impact assessments to ensure they are addressing inequalities.

Exploration

CWB partnerships and Scottish Ministers are required to report on progress made and review their respective CWB statement or CWB action plan on a 5-year cycle. The guidance produced will encourage organisations to build their evolving evidence base to be able to demonstrate impact.

Impact of action

Reports from CWB partnerships and Scottish Ministers will include the impact of actions across the economy, including on inequalities.

Action: Economic Development: Women in Enterprise

Publish the Women in Enterprise Review, focusing on areas including education, access to finance, support and mentoring for women in business. The report will recommend short-, medium- and longer-term interventions aimed at helping to address any barriers facing woman in enterprise, and make recommendations on any perceived gender gaps in business ownership and opportunity in Scotland. Resilient and relevant data will inform the review and act as a template for the measurement beyond.

Information and guidance

The Pathways Funds have supported a range of organisations working across intersectional groups. Organisations funded include:

• Dechomai - working with social entrepreneurs from ethnic minority backgrounds
• Growbiz - working with rural and island entrepreneurs
• Wevolution - working with women from a range of backgrounds, including minority ethnic groups and women with experience of the criminal justice system

The South of Scotland regional pilot led by South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) has worked with Business Gateway, Local Authorities and other regional and national partners to support early-stage entrepreneurship.

Delivery

The Pathways report focuses on the gender gaps in entrepreneurship - in startup, business growth and access to finance and investment. The report authors consulted a range of stakeholders in developing their recommendations and explicitly highlighted intersectional issues including:

• Age of entrepreneurs
• Location and socio-economic background
• Ethnicity
• Carer status
• Primary carer responsibilities

The projects supported to date through the Pathways Funds and the design of the SOSE led regional pilot have reflected these intersectional challenges.

Exploration

Disaggregated data on business participation is not consistently recorded or reported. Improvements are expected as a result of cross-agency work on customer records.

Sources of available data include:

Gender Index

Global Entrepreneurship Monitor survey on entrepreneurship

Scottish Small Business Survey

Other reports include:

Access to finance for ethnic minority entrepreneurs

Disabled entrepreneurs

Impact of action

Initial results of SOSE pilot evaluation demonstrate good participation across a range of characteristics, with monitoring of age, gender, and ethnicity.

All funded projects have provided information on participation rates, and the Office of the Chief Economic Adviser is developing plans for evaluating impacts.

Action: Education: Gender Equality Taskforce in Education and Learning

Continue to support and implement the recommendations of the Gender Equality Taskforce in Education and Learning (GETEL) to identify measures to address the lack of gender equality which remains evident in education and learning settings. The taskforce will advise on potential changes in practice and actions to support a gender-competent experience of education and training for all girls and women.

Information and guidance

Relationships and behaviour in schools: national action plan 2024 to 2027

Delivery

The Taskforce ensures that its membership and resulting discussion and decision-making spaces:

• Take an intersectional approach, with a diverse and representative group of experts
• Draws on lived experience as required (including but not limited to groups and individuals, academic research, and data), taking forward actions which are evidence-based.

Exploration

The theory of change model developed for the Gender Equality Taskforce in Education and Learning was developed through an intersectional lens.

Action: Education: Instilling a Fair Work ethos in our future workforce and business leaders.

Instilling a Fair Work ethos in our future workforce and business leaders. Continue to support our Unions into Schools and Developing the Young Workforce programmes to develop a Fair Work ethos in our future workforce and business leaders.

Delivery

As part of the focus on discrimination at work, pupils may also have opportunities to learn about intersectionality.

Exploration

Research undertaken for this action takes an intersectional approach, with a diverse and representative group of experts, and draws on lived experience as required, taking forward actions which are evidence-based.

Impact of action

The Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) provides regular progress reports as part of the grant monitoring process and regularly meets with Scottish Government officials to discuss progress.

Action: Education: National Transitions to Adulthood Strategy to support disabled young people.

Introduce Scotland's first National Transitions to Adulthood Strategy in this parliamentary term to support disabled young people as they make the transition to adult life. We will also provide them, and those who look after them, with joined-up guidance and support to unlock better educational and employment opportunities and health outcomes.

Delivery

The National Transitions to Adulthood Strategy aims to support young disabled people who may have intersectional identities by promoting a person-centred approach to supporting young disabled people through transitions. To support development of the strategy, we have engaged with a number of young people's groups. These include ARC Scotland's Divergent Influences, Scottish Youth Parliament, Children in Scotland's Inclusion Ambassadors, Independent Living Fund Scotland's Ambassadors for Inclusion. We have also attended the Young Carer Festival and worked with Glasgow Disability Alliance's younger members.

Exploration

To support the development of the strategy, the Scottish Government published a literature review of existing Scottish, UK and international evidence in February 2023. The review was intended to develop a more comprehensive picture of the experiences of disabled young people in their transitions to adulthood, to support the development of the strategy and to inform future stakeholder engagement. This review noted a lack of suitable intersectional data.

An Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) has been undertaken and will be published alongside the strategy. The EQIA acknowledges that some disabled children and young people may experience complex and interconnected issues related to disadvantage at any one time - including age and disability, and could also encompass race, sex and other protected characteristics. This exercise also highlighted gaps in specific intersectional data for young disabled people.

Impact of action

Research gathered through the EQIA highlights the impact of the strategy on specific equality groups. This research, alongside wider policy work and engagement to date, has been invaluable in shaping the National Transitions to Adulthood Strategy.

Action: Employability: Fair Work Apprenticeship Co-ordinator for the Construction Sector

Continue to provide grant funding to Unite to support the role of a Fair Work Apprenticeship Co-ordinator for the Construction Sector. The post was set up in part to encourage and promote Fair Work practice in relation to apprenticeships in the sector. The Fair Work Convention's Construction Inquiry recommended that the Scottish Government continues to fund this post.

Impact of action

The Scottish Apprenticeship Advisory Board set up a Gender Commission to develop recommendations and proposals that would:

• Offer business-ready, practical solutions to what employers can do now, and in the future, to address any real or perceived barriers to improving gender diversity in the workforce.
• Develop businesses' knowledge of what works to improve the diversity of their workforce through apprenticeships.
• Identify how businesses can more easily engage with, and benefit from, the range of support services offered in a way that suits their own needs and company circumstances.
• Inform the Scottish Government of how to better assist businesses of all sizes through policy and practice.

Action: Employability: Improve outcomes and impacts for the 6 priority family groups

Improve the outcomes and impacts of our investment in employability and skills for the 6 priority family groups by collaborating across government and with stakeholders and users.

Information and guidance

As well as the Employability in Scotland website, the Parent Club website provides parents with evidence-based tips and advice. All information on the website has been approved by professionals, including midwives, nurses, child psychologists, mental health professionals and organisations like the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), Barnardo's, and Citizen's Advice Scotland.

Delivery

Devolved employability services take a person-centred approach to delivery, providing key work support to individuals on a relational basis. The policy recognises that some people will experience multiple barriers, including structural barriers.

While all parents on low income are eligible for support, services have a focus on the six priority family types:

• Lone parent families
• Minority ethnic families
• Families with a disabled adult or child
• Families with a younger mother (under 25)
• Families with a child under one
• Larger families (three or more children)

Exploration

The Scottish Government's approach to data reporting for employability services acknowledges that people accessing support may identify with a number of characteristics or experience a number of barriers.

Impact of action

Recognising the significance of the priority family groups to the Scottish Government's strategy for eradicating child poverty, reporting on No One Left Behind allows data on parental reach to be broken down to appropriate levels.

Overall, there have been steady increases in the number of parents receiving support. As per the statistical summary of Scotland's Devolved Employment Services, of the 20,369 parents that have accessed support since April 2020:

• 56% (11,368) were lone parents
• 23% (4,772) had three or more children
• 11% (2,291) were aged under 25
• 21% (4,282) were disabled
• 16% (3,317) have a disabled child or adult in their family
• 8% (1,549) have a child aged under 12 months
• 19% (3,893) were from a minority ethnic background

Action: Environment and Forestry: Fair Work in the Environment Strategy for Scotland

Ensure the principles of Fair Work support the core outcomes of the Environment Strategy for Scotland, namely that our thriving sustainable economy conserves and grows our natural assets, and our healthy environment supports a fairer, healthier and more inclusive society.

Delivery

Consultation on the draft Environment Strategy has been delayed.

Action: Health: Menopause and Menstrual health workplace policy

Deliver the Women's Health Plan action to develop a menopause and menstrual health workplace policy as an example of best practice, starting with NHS Scotland, and promote across the public, private and third sector. This is a medium-term action, to be delivered by September 2024, and a working group has been established to develop this policy.

Information and guidance

Outputs from this action are housed on the National Wellbeing Hub.

Resources are aimed at health, social care and social work staff impacted by menopause or menstrual health issues, their line managers and employers.

Delivery

The policy aims to support employees experiencing the menopause and affected by their menstrual health to minimise the impact these can have on them at work. While the policy currently applies specifically to NHS Scotland staff, it is hoped that it will serve as an example of best practice to be promoted across the public, private, and third sectors.

To support implementation of the policy, the Scottish Government created two supporting guides:

• Line Managers Guide - guidance on how to support employees whose menstrual health or menopause symptoms are impacting on their ability to work comfortably and to enable line managers to promote good menstrual health and menopause awareness.
• Workplace Adjustments Guide - highlights the different symptoms and types of adjustments that could be considered for employees whose menstrual or menopause symptoms are affecting their working life.

All policies and guides were developed with a working group that consisted of NHS staff, union representatives, and subject matter experts, for example University of Glasgow researchers, Endometriosis UK and Close the Gap.

Exploration

The development of the NHS Scotland menopause and Menstrual Health Workplace Policy was informed by research conducted by researchers at the University of Glasgow. Their study was based on the experience of over 6,000 women working across NHS Scotland.

Advancing Menopause and Menstrual Health In Organisations (AMMINO)

Impact of action

Following the release of the policy, further stakeholder engagement will be conducted via attendance at key health, social care and social work groups/forums. Through this engagement, feedback will be tracked from staff and employers. This will include the Ethnic Minority Forum as there is a data gap in the existing survey, literature and data available.

The Scottish Government wants menopause and menstrual health policies to be championed by other sectors, and the release of any new menopause and/or menstrual health policies will be monitored across Scotland. Official correspondence on the policy will be monitored to identify common queries and implementation issues, and to understand how the policy has been received by staff.

Visitors to the National Wellbeing Hub page will be tracked following the launch via a dynamic QR code. Analytics from the website will allow collation of data related to use and accessibility of the policy, and supplement workforce data gathered through national datasets.

The policy will initially be issued as an interim national policy and will then go through the Once for Scotland (OfS) process as part of the managing health at work policies, expected in 2025. This will enable review and improvement of the policy. Monitoring and review of the policy is an ongoing process and a consequence of iterative discussions with NHS Scotland partnership groups. Further engagement with protected characteristic groups through staff networks and forums will form part of the ongoing review to ensure that the conclusions reached in the EQIA meet the needs of these groups.

Action: Health: Build on the ambitions of the Workforce Strategy

Drive a supportive and enabling culture for people working in health, social care and social work across wellbeing, leadership and equalities. This will be informed by a new strategy, collaboratively developed, building on the ambitions set out in the Workforce Strategy, and provides direction and focus to support the workforce.

Information and guidance

Health and social care: improving wellbeing and working cultures

Specific actions are further detailed in Annex B of the Fair Work Action Plan.

Delivery

In July 2024 the Scottish Government published ‘Improving Wellbeing and Working Cultures’ (IWWC), setting out the ambition to enhance working cultures through programmes of work at a national level that focus on the pillars of wellbeing, leadership and equality. When these areas are prioritised, working cultures can improve. The delivery of national interventions under IWWC will support the delivery of wider ambitions within health and social care, including staff retention, improving wellbeing, longer-term recovery and service reform. This also includes creating psychological safety in the workplace where everyone feels heard, respected and valued, and where there is invitation to provide ongoing challenge and improve the status quo.

Further development of the IWWC Action Plan is ongoing, and this will identify interventions and actions that will support and have impact on the workforce.

The Scottish Government supports the IWWC Strategic Board and a number of stakeholder reference groups, to ensure the workforce, including equalities groups are heard from on issues that impact them, for example Wellbeing Champions, Ethnic Minority Forum, Reasonable Adjustments Group.

Impact of action

A number of actions, outputs and outcomes sit under IWWC. Actions are focused on improving the experience of working cultures through wellbeing, leadership, equalities and culture interventions. Improved working cultures will increase staff retention, improving service delivery and long-term service reform and thereby outcomes for service users.

Action: Health: Mentally Healthy Workplaces

Work with employer groups and trade unions to promote mentally healthy workplaces. Building on a range of local and national services, we want mental health and wellbeing to be meaningfully discussed, promoted and supported, and for stigma and discrimination to be addressed.

Information and guidance

The 'Supporting a Mentally Healthy Workplace' digital platform for employers is a population-level resource helping signpost employers to guidance and resources on supporting and promoting mentally healthy workplaces. While it does not specifically target intersectional groups, it is likely that it will offer support to such groups as part of the whole-population approach.

The Supporting a Mentally Healthy Workplace: National Learning Network for employers has been established to complement the range of advice on the employer platform. The network provides a peer learning space where employers can share experiences of supporting mental health in the workplace. Across the range of employers engaged in the network there is potential for a positive impact on intersectional groups. The Scottish Government also produces a quarterly newsletter following each network event, which contains a recap of discussions from meetings, guest blogs and other relevant information around mentally healthy workplaces.

Delivery

Work on this action is at a whole-population level and will therefore include those within marginalised and intersectional groups. An Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) was undertaken on the Supporting a Mentally Healthy Workplace platform to consider equality issues or potential impact on marginalised groups.

Exploration

A number of research reports have informed work, including:

• Deloitte UK Mental Health Report 2022
• Health.org: Generation Covid 19
• Mental Health at Work 2019: Time to take ownership

Impact of action

The intended impact of this work is to create mentally healthy workplaces by supporting employers to understand the range of advice and support that is available to help them promote and support mental wellbeing in the workplace. The employer platform has received over 33,000 visits since launching and there are over 800 individuals engaged with the employer network across a range of sectors.

Action: Health: Build mental health support into employability initiatives

We will continue to strengthen links between mental health and employability policies, with a particular focus on improving support for those with mental health and wellbeing issues to secure and sustain employment. We recognise the importance of this activity in delivering good mental health for the whole population of Scotland, particularly within the context of the economic impacts of the pandemic.

Delivery

Work on this action is at a whole-population level and will therefore include those within marginalised and intersectional groups. Evidence shows that young people are amongst the most vulnerable to being economically inactive due to a mental health problem and there is anecdotal evidence that there has been an increase in the number of young people presenting to employment support services with mental health issues. It is also likely that people accessing employment support services are facing a number of other factors that may be impacting on their mental health and wellbeing, such as money worries, caring responsibilities and long-term health issues.

While not focused on any particular intersectional group, broader engagement has been undertaken with stakeholders, including the Scottish Local Authorities Economic Development Group (SLAED) and Local Employability Partnerships, working in partnership with the Improvement Service and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) to take forward work in relation to mental health and employability.

Impact of action

The intended impact of work in this area is to ensure that mental health support is embedded within employability services and to remove barriers to accessing employment. The Scottish Government is working in collaboration across government and with stakeholders to ensure that mental health and wellbeing support is provided as part of a holistic package of support in employability services.

Action: Health: Cultural change within NHS Scotland

Drive cultural change within NHS Scotland to nourish a diverse and inclusive workforce. To achieve this ambition, we have a number of work streams currently underway, including: the development of anti-racist training resources, anti-racist objectives and anti-racism plans for health boards. We are continuing to work with the NHS National Ethnic Minority Forum on supporting and developing work, and are looking at the development of national reasonable adjustment guidance and potentially a plan for disabled people.

Information and guidance

Available resources include:

• Leading to Change Allyship Hub
• Leading to Change Equalities Hub
• Anti-Racist statement and board guidance
• Anti-Racism Training resources (to be published)

Delivery

While there are specific actions focusing on key protected characteristics and the barriers to individuals from those groups, the action delivery recognises the presence of intersectional issues. As a result, the Scottish Government engages with equalities stakeholder groups, such as the NHS Ethnic Minority Forum, regularly.

Impact of action

Actions are intended to support diversity and inclusion within the workforce, which will support improved outcomes for service users, including those from protected characteristic groups, due to a better representation of diversity within service providers.

Action: Marine Scotland: Seafood Trade Strategy

Publish a Seafood Trade Strategy in 2022 which includes reference to and recommendations around Fair Work practices, and existing initiatives that support this, as being fundamental to the success of the Seafood sector. This builds on the Blue Economy Vision for Scotland, published on 31 March 2022, which includes a social-focussed outcome in respect of equal access to employment opportunities as well as outlining the benefits of Fair Work.

Action: Procurement: Fair Work and Procurement statutory Guidance

Build upon our updated statutory guidance, published in May 2022, by reviewing and refreshing our Fair Work and Procurement non-statutory guidance. We will also support local upskilling and implementation of policy through e-learning.

Information and guidance

The sustainable procurement tools website contains both the Fair Work First in Procurement practical guidance and the Fair Work First in Procurement e-learning.

Delivery

In March 2024 the Scottish Government published updated guidance on the practical application of Fair Work First in Procurement. In December, this was supplemented by Fair Work First in Procurement e-learning. Both products are primarily aimed at public bodies but are available free of charge for all. Uptake of the e-learning will be monitored on a quarterly basis.

Action: Skills: Work with SAAB to realise outcomes of the Gender Commission report

Work with the Scottish Apprenticeship Advisory Board (SAAB) to realise the outcomes of the Gender Commission report and recommendations into occupational segregation within apprenticeships. This will include working with partners on wider gender stereotyping issues that impact on subject choices.

Information and guidance

The 2022 Gender Commission report highlighted that women are under-represented in apprenticeships overall, with particularly low participation in STEM related qualifications. These fields often offer better career opportunities for progression and higher financial returns, making gender gaps in these areas concerning.

Delivery

The Scottish Government is committed to improving gender balance and participation. It will take into account the recommendations from the Gender Commission and ensure they are embedded in the wider programme of post-school reform.

Exploration

Gender Commission - Skills Development Scotland

Impact of action

Appropriate measures to support gender balance and participation improve access to better career opportunities, strengthen workforce diversity, and ensure long-term measurable progress through effective monitoring.

Action: Social Security: Review of Social Security Charter

Undertake a review of the Social Security Charter due to be completed by the end of 2023, in line with the principles of equality and non-discrimination in the Social Security (Scotland) Act. This will involve a co-design process with equalities groups to ensure that the views of groups such as disabled people, women, racialised minorities and workers over 50 are reflected in the charter.

Information and guidance

Research carried out with Client Panel members, partner stakeholder organisations and seldom heard groups.

New revised Social Security Charter

Delivery

Research with people who have experience of social security was central to the original design of the Social Security Charter and its measurement framework in 2018 and 2019. A key difference for the review was that research focused on the involvement of clients who have experience of the Scottish social security system. Research with clients was conducted using Social Security Scotland Client Panels.

Researchers carried out a review of existing evidence to identify the known needs of seldom heard groups and prominent issues. The second strand of research involved primary research with clients from seldom heard groups. This research was designed to assess barriers participants face when engaging with organisations like Social Security Scotland.

It also explored what clients need the social security system to be like, and how these needs are, or could be, represented within the Charter.

Recruitment of members of seldom heard groups to participate in the review was conducted through two channels. Invitations were sent to around 600 Client Panel members to take part in an interview or focus group discussion. Using information previously provided by panel members, invitations were sent to clients with the following characteristics: being digitally excluded; having a first language that isn't English; Gypsy/Travellers; refugees; and veterans.

Exploration

To ensure that seldom heard groups have a voice in the design and development of social security in Scotland, the Seldom Heard Voices research programme was carried out between 2020 and 2023. This research was used as part of the review to identify any known needs from seldom heard groups.

Impact of action

The commitments in the new revised Charter reflect the priorities identified by Social Security Scotland clients, including those from seldom heard groups, colleagues and partner organisations, while adopting more inclusive language. The revisions also reflect experience gained now that Scotland's social security system is operational.

Action: Social Security: Target benefit take-up and maximisation of income

Develop policy and solutions that specifically target benefit take-up and the maximisation of income, and continue to explore options to best direct Social Security Scotland’s clients to outside organisations or services for other types of support. This will include the potential for signposting and referral arrangements within Social Security Scotland. Using lessons learnt from this work, we will look to identify opportunities to tailor approaches to specific groups of people to ensure they are supported to access their social security entitlements.

Information and guidance

Communications activity plays a vital role in helping people get the financial support they are entitled to. Activity raises awareness of benefits that Social Security Scotland delivers and drives applications by communicating key information such as eligibility criteria, payment values and how to apply. It also aims to encourage take-up by breaking down barriers to applying (such as stigma) and communicating the positive difference the benefits can make to people's lives.

Social Security Scotland is committed to embedding inclusive communication principles across all activity. This includes proactive translation of information about benefits in accessible formats, including in 12 community languages. Furthermore, people can request translation support for more than 100 additional languages. All letters, information and guidance are available in braille, easy read and large print.

Delivery

The Fair Work Action Plan approach to delivery suggests that targeted interventions to address compounded inequalities should be adopted. Recently commissioned evidence into seldom heard groups across the devolved social security systems found that, in the absence of concrete data to reach these groups effectively, and given the high intersectionality of seldom heard communities, approaches developed to improve benefit take up for these groups should seek to tackle common barriers such as stigma and lack of awareness and accessibility of information as a whole, rather than interventions targeted at a single group.

Exploration

The Scottish Government will develop a seldom heard group action plan setting out the ways that the Scottish Government and Social Security Scotland will support seldom heard groups to access their entitlements. This will include involvement of Social Security Scotland analysis and insights teams that will allow exploration of options to improve data reporting around intersectionality.

The action plan will consider ways to tackle barriers to take up for intersectional groups. It will inform the next iteration of the Benefit Take-Up Strategy, which will explore the themes of intersectionality when considering barriers to take up.

Impact of action

An intended outcome of this action is improved benefit take up rates, which will be published on a yearly basis to allow officials to identify trends, analyse progress and develop interventions based on data.

The most recent updates on the take up rates of Scottish benefits were published by the Scottish Government in November 2024.

Action: Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls: Refresh the Equally Safe and delivery plan

Refresh Equally Safe, Scotland’s Strategy for preventing and eradicating violence against women and girls, and its accompanying delivery plan, during the course of 2023. Extensive stakeholder engagement will shape the refresh and ensure a robust and ambitious strategy meeting societal challenge. The refresh will provide an opportunity to explore and strengthen links between Equally Safe and Fair Work.

Information and guidance

Equally Safe Delivery Plan.

Delivery

The key objectives of the delivery plan are:

• Prevention of Violence: the plan emphasises a proactive approach to prevent violence against women and girls by addressing the underlying attitudes and systems that perpetuate such violence.
• Support for Diverse Communities: the plan recognises the need for tailored support for various communities, including those facing culturally specific forms of violence, such as honour-based abuse. The plan aims to improve access to support services and education about healthy relationships.
• Collaboration Across Sectors: the plan highlights the importance of collaboration among public sector partners, third sector organisations, and communities to effectively tackle gender-based violence.
• Robust Justice Response: ensuring that the justice system responds effectively to incidents of violence is a critical component of the plan. This includes improving support services for survivors and ensuring that justice processes are accessible and sensitive to the needs of victims.

Impact of actions

The Equally Safe Strategy promotes an intersectional approach to preventing, recognising, and responding to the compound inequalities and risks that some women, children, and young people experience as a result of their ethnicity, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or immigration status.

Action: Transport: Accessible Travel Framework

Continue to develop and deliver the Accessible Travel Framework to ensure disabled people and other groups can travel safely, get support if and when needed to travel, and know where to find support.

Delivery

Transport Scotland's Accessible Travel Team is engaging with stakeholders to ensure disabled people are supported to travel safely and get the support they need.

Work to date includes engaging with the Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence (LDAN) team to ensure greater representation; supporting grant funded partners to consider geographical, age, and disability representation in their surveys; and developing both digital and non-digital communications, including Easy Read.

Preparations are underway to launch a trial to extend free travel on rail services for companions accompanying eligible Blind Persons Concessionary Travel cardholders. This will improve the accessibility of rail travel for eligible cardholders and bring particular benefits to eligible cardholders with intersecting identities, including women and girls.

Exploration

The accessible Travel Team funds member polls, undertaken by Disability Equality Scotland (DES), to provide a snapshot of disabled people's views to help inform policy making. DES is supported to increase the diversity of the sample base by working with other Disabled Person's Organisations, Regional Transport Partnerships and additional stakeholders.

Transport Scotland continues to work closely with colleagues to develop greater LDAN awareness and inform our approach to delivering the Accessible Travel Framework. This includes valuable insights from a lived experience board and lived experience stakeholders, including the National Involvement Network's 'Getting out and About' report (2023).

Impact of action

Adopting an intersectional approach to improving the accessibility of Scotland's transport network will benefit both disabled and non-disabled people from a range of backgrounds. Transport Scotland recognises that barriers to accessing transport are complex and can intersect. Working with policy teams and stakeholders representing people with protected characteristics allows for the approach to be well-informed and refined to tackle barriers.

Intersectional communities will benefit in a variety of ways from a more accessible transport system. For example, improving accessibility may support disabled young people to access education; as well as support disabled older people, people from a minority ethnic community and LGBTQI+ people to access their community and reduce the likelihood of social isolation and loneliness.

Action: Transport: Impact of transport policy on gender pay gap

Provide further advice on how transport policy impacts on the gender pay gap when updating the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG). This follows the publication of the STAG 'Manager's Guide' in January 2022, where issues such as how transport infrastructure investment impacts on the ethnicity pay gap and intersectionality were considered, and appropriate guidance on Equality Impact Assessments was undertaken.

Information and guidance

Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance.

Delivery

As part of ongoing Equality Impact Assessments (EQIA) and the Budget process, analysis of the impact of transport policy decisions on gender is considered and feeds into relevant updates to the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG). This includes intersectionality with gender and socioeconomic factors. Updated guidance published in 2022 reiterates the need for gender and socioeconomic consideration and wider economic impacts as key criteria for the STAG process. Monitoring and reporting must also be part of any options appraisal and therefore gender pay gap issues should be highlighted.

Impact of action

The National Transport Strategy outlines reducing inequalities as one of its four priority areas. As such, consideration must be shown and reported on at various stages of the transport policy making process. This includes via the STAG criteria as highlighted. It also runs through other processes including the EQIA, Budgeting and research and evaluation.

Intersectional issues are routinely highlighted through these processes. Transport Scotland has also re-established the Transport Equalities Network, comprising a number of stakeholder groups representing people with protected characteristics, to consider and advise on key equalities issues relevant to transport policy.

Action: Transport: Recommendations on women and girls' safety on public transport

Undertake research on women and girls' safety on public transport. The analysis from this research will be published before the end of 2022, with work to address the research recommendations taken forward in 2023. This follows evidence that safety concerns impact on how women and girls use public transport, and this has implications for accessing work. This is a particular issue for women and girls engaged in shift work or who work in industries that operate during unsociable hours when the availability of public transport is reduced or not available.

Delivery

The research report was published in March 2023 to coincide with a parliamentary debate on the topic of women and girls' safety on public transport. It contains a number of recommendations for improving safety on public transport.

Exploration

Following the publication of the research report, in December 2023 Transport Scotland organised an event attended by the Minister for Transport to discuss the research recommendations on women's experiences of using and working in public transport. A women’s safety on public transport report from this event was published and includes a set of principles, designed to support collaboration between organisations with a role in ensuring women's and girls' safety on public transport.

In addition, in response to one of the actions, additional research on women’s safety on public transport was undertaken to raise awareness of existing technology to enhance the safety of women and girls on public transport.

Impact of action

In November 2024, Transport Scotland launched a dedicated webpage that provides links to Transport Scotland's research and engagement, as well as how violence against women and girls is being tackled by the Scottish Government.

Transport Scotland continues to work with the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) to support sharing of best practice among bus operators, including on data, education and driver training. In addition, Transport Scotland is developing actions to tackle antisocial behaviour on the bus network, which includes the development of a behaviour code for using the National Concessionary Travel Schemes and a process for temporary suspension or withdrawal of concessionary travel entitlement.

On the rail network, ScotRail, Network Rail and British Transport Police (BTP) are working with stakeholders to deliver activities to reduce anti-social behaviours. The BTP's 'Text 61016' service allows all passengers to discreetly report any incidents they witness on trains or at stations directly to BTP. ScotRail is reviewing its existing processes for responding to customer reports of anti-social and unacceptable behaviour, and in February 2025 further expanded its 'Travel Safe Team'. To further improve joint working and reporting, BTP has established a Strategic Safer Transport Group, which ensures partnership working between organisations to create a safer transport network across Scotland.

ScotRail must have a member of staff other than drivers on all train services, and it is reviewing changes to ticket office opening hours to allow more staff to be present at train stations. ScotRail has piloted conflict management training for front-line staff with a view to rolling this out further. Transport Scotland's SQUIRe team inspects trains and all stations in Scotland over a four-week period, ensuring that aspects such as CCTV, station help points and lighting are all working appropriately.

Action: Trauma-Informed Workforce: National Trauma Training Programme

Through our National Trauma Transformation Programme (NTTP), we will continue to raise awareness of the benefits of adopting trauma-informed and responsive approaches in the workplace, which includes improved mental health and wellbeing of the workforce and the potential to increase equality, diversity and inclusion. A Roadmap for Creating Trauma-Informed and Responsive Change is also in development. All members of the workforce can access freely available evidence-based trauma training resources, developed by NHS Education for Scotland (NES) and informed by experts with experience.

Information and guidance

The design and delivery of the NTTP is shaped by people with lived experience of trauma, and NTTP resources are informed by lived experience. For example, the Roadmap for Creating Trauma-Informed and Responsive Change: Guidance for Organisations, Systems and Workforces in Scotland draws extensively on what people with lived experience of trauma have said would help improve access to support, reduce re-traumatisation, recognise resilience and support recovery.

Involving people with lived experience of trauma is central to the implementation of trauma-informed approaches. The Scottish Government works closely with the Resilience Learning Partnership, an expert by experience-led social enterprise that has trauma-informed practice embedded throughout the organisation.

Delivery

The NTTP has the potential to increase equality, diversity and inclusion, including for people with intersecting identities.

The impact of psychological trauma, including Adverse Childhood Experiences can place some people at a higher risk of experiencing negative outcomes at all stages in life, including physical and mental health, education and access to employment. The Scottish Government takes a wide approach to the definition of adverse and traumatic experiences, and includes racism, bullying and gender inequalities. Many settings can unwittingly provoke strong reminders of the trauma some people have experienced and create invisible barriers to many services and opportunities in life, such as access to employment, discrimination and stigma related to protected characteristics.

Exploration

Evidence Narrative to inform the Scottish Government Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy

Mental Health Equality Evidence Report 2023

Impact of action

Both trauma-informed practice and Fair Work principles are fundamentally aligned with protecting human rights and, in particular, the right to the highest possible standard of physical and mental health, and the right to work in just and favourable conditions. Being trauma-informed means that principles of safety, trust, choice, empowerment and collaboration are threaded throughout organisational policies, practice and communications, to help enable organisations and services to avoid discrimination and bias. Involving people with lived experience of trauma is central to the implementation of trauma-informed approaches.