Gypsy/Travellers action plan 2024-2026: Equality impact assessment

Key Findings

We recognise that there is a lack of comprehensive research and data on Gypsy/Travellers in Scotland, this issue is reflected across the UK. As a result, evidence is limited outside the scope of the Scottish Government’s Gypsy/Travellers Action Plan 2024-2026 listening exercise with communities and engagement with key stakeholders. The Scottish Government has accounted for this gap by including data as one of the policy’s areas to focus on in the Gypsy/Travellers Action Plan 2024-2026.

Age

Scotland’s Census 2022 revealed that Scotland’s population is ageing, and that people aged 65 and over outnumber people under 15. In comparison, the opposite is the case for the Gypsy/Traveller population where people under 15 outnumber people aged 65 and over. Additionally, 42% of the Gypsy/Traveller population is aged 29 or younger while only 33% of Scotland’s entire population is aged 29 or younger.

Feedback on the draft policy included the following themes in relation to age: essential to ensure all Gypsy/Traveller sites are fit for people with mobility issues, including due to age; essential to support people with health issues, including due to age. Further details on education and engagement with young Gypsy/Travellers can be found in the Child Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment.

Eliminating unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation

Positive impact – The Gypsy/Travellers Action Plan 2024-2026 recognises that at various ages, different barriers may be in place for Gypsy/Travellers. For example, an older Gypsy/Traveller may have more health-related issues and require improved access to health and social care. The Gypsy/Travellers Action Plan 2024-2026 also offers the flexibility to adapt and address these barriers accordingly, for instance via the Community Health Worker project or the Gypsy/Traveller Interim Site Design Guide.

Advancing equality of opportunity

Positive impact - The Gypsy/Travellers Action Plan 2024-2026 has the long-term goal to ensure Gypsy/Travellers will have access to information and services they need to live active, healthy lives, and to make informed choices at every stage of their lives. For instance, work will be done on a co-developed guide to planning aimed at the community to help make the planning system more accessible to them. Actions are included to update the Interim Site Design Guide with additional information based on learning from delivery of the demonstration projects to date, as well as to support Gypsy/Travellers to take up their devolved social security entitlements.

Promoting good relations among and between different age groups

No impact - The Gypsy/Travellers Action Plan 2024-2026 is applicable to all Gypsy/Travellers in Scotland regardless of their age. However, no specific action is taken in this sense.

Disability

Scotland's Census 2022 data captured that a total of 40% (1,323 of 3,343) Gypsy/Travellers reported experiencing a disability that limited their day to day activities a lot or a little. When comparing the prevalence of disability in the Gypsy/Traveller ethnic group to all people in Scotland, the proportion of those with a disability is higher for Gypsy/Travellers across all age groups.

Feedback on the draft policy included the following themes in relation to disability: essential to ensure all sites are fit for disabled people or people with mobility issues; LA and those working on sites in any capacity should engage in cultural competency training to minimise any issues arising around assumption/prejudice; attention to be given to health and social security actions to take into account specific needs in relation to disability.

Eliminating unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation

Positive impact – Examples: the Gypsy/Travellers Action Plan 2024-2026 includes an action to update the Interim Site Design Guide with additional information based on learning from delivery of the demonstration projects to date. The Interim Site Design Guide requires that local authorities provide accommodation that meets the needs of disabled people, including children and young people.

Advancing equality of opportunity

Positive impact – Examples: the Gypsy/Traveller Action Plan includes a series of actions to support Gypsy/Travellers to take up their devolved social security entitlements. The Scottish Social Security system supports individuals across a number of groups and includes specific payments to support disabled people with the additional costs associated with having a disability.

Promoting good relations among and between disabled and non-disabled people

No impact - The Gypsy/Travellers Action Plan 2024-2026 is applicable to all Gypsy/Travellers in Scotland regardless of disability. However, no specific action is taken in terms of promoting good relations among and between disabled and non-disabled Gypsy/Travellers.

Sex

Data has recently been published showing the breakdown of ethnic groups by sex from Scotland Census 2022 data. For both the Gypsy/Traveller population as well as all of Scotland, there is a roughly even split of the sexes.

Feedback on the draft policy included the following themes in relation to Sex: more needs to be done to raise awareness on hate towards gender, and internal hate within communities as well; more actions within women’s health plan, Community Health Workers concentration on screening and bridging the gap between community and health services.

Eliminating unlawful discrimination

No impact – The Gypsy/Travellers Action Plan 2024-2026 supports the long-term goal for Gypsy/Travellers to have access to the information and services they need, and to make informed choices at every stage of their lives. This wide scope would include sex. However, no specific action is taken in this sense.

Advancing equality of opportunity

Positive impact – Examples: we will organise regular community conversations between Gypsy/Travellers communities, the Minister for Equalities and COSLA’s Spokesperson for Community Wellbeing to give a platform to raise concerns directly with leaders.

Promoting good relations between men and women

No impact – The Gypsy/Travellers Action Plan 2024-2026 is applicable to all Gypsy/Travellers in Scotland regardless of sex. However, no specific action is taken in terms of promoting good relations among and between men and women in the Gypsy/Traveller communities.

Pregnancy and maternity

It was not possible to collate data pertaining to Gypsy/Travellers and pregnancy and maternity at the time of this EQIA. This is not covered in the Scotland Census 2022.

Feedback on the draft policy included the following themes in relation to pregnancy and maternity: more training for health services providers to know culture of Gypsy/Travellers (especially GP receptionists); there is a lack of health services (e.g. paediatrician).

Eliminating unlawful discrimination

Positive impact – Examples: the Gypsy/Travellers Action Plan 2024-2026 supports the long-term goal for Gypsy/Travellers to have access to the information and services they need to live active healthy lives, and to make informed choices at every stage of their lives, for instance through the Community Health Worker programme. This wide scope would include pregnancy and maternity.

Advancing equality of opportunity

Positive impact – Examples: the Gypsy/Traveller Action Plan includes a series of actions to support Gypsy/Travellers to take up their devolved social security entitlements. The Scottish social security system includes specific payments for pregnant persons, such as the Best Start Grant: Pregnancy and Baby Payment and Best Start Foods payment. By targeting activity at tackling barriers to access, including stigma, lack of awareness of eligibility, and lack of support to apply, this has the potential to ensure pregnant community members are able to access financial support they are entitled to.

Promoting good relations

No impact – The Gypsy/Travellers Action Plan 2024-2026 is applicable to all Gypsy/Travellers in Scotland regardless of pregnancy and maternity. However, no specific action is taken in terms of promoting good relations.

Gender reassignment

It was not possible to collate data pertaining to Gypsy/Travellers and gender reassignment at the time of this EQIA as Scotland Census 2022 data outputs which break down ethnic groups by trans status/trans history are not yet available, but are expected by Spring 2025. There is no available data on Gypsy/Travellers and gender reassignment in the UK, so it is not possible to infer the full impact of the Gypsy/Travellers Action Plan 2024-2026.

The Scottish Government and COSLA worked with stakeholder organisations to deliver listening exercise events to offer opportunities for Gypsy/Travellers across Scotland to offer their thoughts, views and opinions in an informed manner. However, there was no specific feedback on the draft policy with reference to gender reassignment.

Eliminating unlawful discrimination

No impact – The Gypsy/Travellers Action Plan 2024-2026 supports the long-term goal for Gypsy/Travellers to have access to the information and services they need to live active healthy lives, and to make informed choices at every stage of their lives. This wide scope would include gender reassignment. However, no specific action is taken in this sense.

Advancing equality of opportunity

No impact – The Gypsy/Travellers Action Plan 2024-2026 recognises the importance of the person-centred approach in public services and endeavours to improve accessibility for Gypsy/Travellers regardless of their gender reassignment. However, no specific action is taken in this sense.

Promoting good relations

No impact – The Gypsy/Travellers Action Plan 2024-2026 is applicable to all Gypsy/Travellers in Scotland regardless of Gender reassignment. However, no specific action is taken in this sense.

Sexual orientation

It was not possible to collate data pertaining to Gypsy/Travellers and Sexual orientation at the time of this EQIA as Scotland Census 2022 data outputs which break down ethnic groups by sexual orientation are not yet available, but are expected by Spring 2025.

The Scottish Government and COSLA worked with stakeholder organisations to deliver listening exercise events to offer opportunities for Gypsy/Travellers across Scotland to offer their thoughts, views and opinions in an informed manner. Feedback on the draft policy did not highlight themes in relation to sexual orientation. However, the need for intersectionality (including LGBTQI+) within communities was raised in one instance, a theme which is very rarely discussed due to cultural and religious barriers.

Eliminating unlawful discrimination

No impact – The Gypsy/Travellers Action Plan 2024-2026 supports the long-term goal for Gypsy/Travellers to have access to the information and services they need to live active healthy lives, and to make informed choices at every stage of their lives. This wide scope would include sexual orientation. However, no specific action is taken in this sense.

Advancing equality of opportunity

No impact – The Gypsy/Travellers Action Plan 2024-2026 recognises the importance of the person-centred approach in public services and endeavours to improve accessibility for Gypsy/Travellers regardless of their sexual orientation. However, no specific action is taken in this sense.

Promoting good relations

No impact – The Gypsy/Travellers Action Plan 2024-2026 is applicable to all Gypsy/Travellers in Scotland regardless of sexual orientation. However, no specific action is taken in this sense.

Race

In the 2022 Census 3,343 people in Scotland identified as belonging to the Gypsy/Traveller ethnic group, representing 0.06% of Scotland’s population.

Feedback on the draft policy included the following themes in relation to Race: need for more work to fight racism and discrimination – Gypsy/Travellers experience high levels of racism and discrimination and are often stigmatised because of their identity; need for better representation – Gypsy/Travellers and their needs should be represented in decision-making forums; need more advocates for Gypsy/Traveller communities.

Eliminating unlawful discrimination

Positive impact – Examples: Training between community representatives and planning authorities on cultural awareness when carrying out engagement in relation to the local development plan will help to ensure that people’s rights are reinforced. We will also promote ethnicity data collection by continuing to disseminate guidance and showcase best practice in collecting, analysing and presenting ethnicity data across policy areas. This would include, for example, through seminars and workshops.

Advancing equality of opportunity

Positive impact – Examples: We will organise regular community conversations between Gypsy/Traveller communities, the Equalities Minister and COSLA’s Spokesperson for Community Wellbeing to give a platform to raise concerns directly with leaders. We will also ensure Gypsy/Travellers needs are reflected in work within the Scottish Government’s Equality, Inclusion and Human Rights Directorate, and we will promote Gypsy/Travellers needs across the organisation, putting in contact policy makers with stakeholders and community representatives when necessary.

Promoting good relations

Positive impact – Examples: We will develop the Local Leaders Network, a cross-party network of local elected members with the shared aim to ‘champion’ work to improve the lives of Gypsy/Travellers. Training between community representatives and planning authorities on cultural awareness when carrying out engagement in relation to the local development plan will help to ensure that people’s rights are reinforced, with the potential to build trust and relationships between the community and planning authorities.

Religion or belief

Scotland’s Census 2022 data provides an overview of religious belonging for Gypsy/Travellers. Close to half of Gypsy/Travellers reported that they belong to no religion (44.8%). In total, more than a third of Gypsy/Travellers reported belonging to a Christian religion (13.8% Church of Scotland, 13.7% Roman Catholic, and 13.7% Other Christian). There was a higher proportion of Gypsy/Travellers compared to all people in Scotland who reported belonging to another Christian religion (13.7% compared to 5.1%) and to a Pagan religion (3.8% compared to 0.4%).

Feedback on the draft policy highlighted no themes in relation to Religion or belief.

Eliminating unlawful discrimination

No impact – The Gypsy/Travellers Action Plan 2024-2026 supports the long-term goal for Gypsy/Travellers to have access to the information and services they need to live active healthy lives, and to make informed choices at every stage of their lives. This wide scope would include religion or belief. However, no specific action is taken in this sense.

Advancing equality of opportunity

No impact – The Gypsy/Travellers Action Plan 2024-2026 recognises the importance of the person-centred approach in public services and endeavours to improve accessibility for Gypsy/Travellers regardless of their religion or belief. However, no specific action is taken in this sense.

Promoting good relations

No impact – The Gypsy/Travellers Action Plan 2024-2026 is applicable to all Gypsy/Travellers in Scotland regardless of their religion or belief. However, no specific action is taken in this sense.