Hate Crime Strategic Partnership Group minutes: January 2025

Attendees and apologies

Siobhian Brown MSP – Minister for Victims and Community Safety (Chair)

Equality Network

BEMIS

SHRC

Police Scotland

COPFS

COSLA

CEMVO

Respectme

Equality and Human Rights Commission

YouthLink Scotland

 

Scottish Government Officials

Hate Crime Team 

 

Apologies

Age Scotland

Education Scotland

Glasgow Disability Alliance

Interfaith Scotland

Items and actions

Welcome

The Minister welcomed all attendees to the meeting of the Hate Crime Strategic Partnership Group and thanked members for their ongoing support and contributions.

 

Hate Crime Strategy Delivery – Reflections on activity since June 2024 

A discussion paper, shared with members ahead of the meeting, outlined a range of activity since June 2024, including:

• marking National Hate Crime Awareness Week in October 2024
• undertaking two research projects into tackling the barriers to reporting, and prevention and community cohesion
• engagement and development of resources to support education practitioners and local authorities
• commencing development of a calendar of community cohesion and cultural events
• engaging with partners to discuss the development of clear, positive and accessible communications activity on our work to tackle hatred and prejudice

 

Hate Crime Strategy Delivery – Proposed activity until June 2025

A discussion paper, shared with members ahead of the meeting, outlined delivery activity for the next six months, including actions to:

• publish and raise awareness of resources for education practitioners and local authorities
• publish the impact evaluation of the ‘Hate Hurts’ campaign
• prepare to publish and share research findings relating to barriers to reporting and community cohesion
• develop the first annual report on police recorded hate crime since implementation of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021
• continue development of the calendar of community cohesion and cultural events
• continue to review third-party reporting
• identify actions to be taken to ensure the development of clear, positive and accessible communications activity on our work to tackle hatred and prejudice
• activity to support victims and witnesses’ understanding of the reporting methods and processes available to encourage reporting with Police Scotland and COPFS

Members highlighted the need to involve young people in the development of activity to encourage reporting hate crime. Members also commented that it would be beneficial to engage with partners in relation to the upcoming data publication.

Members were content to sign off the paper outlining delivery actions until June 2025.

The group agreed to meet again in June 2025, to measure progress and agree new activity until January 2026.

 

Any Other Business

COSLA highlighted that there will be a session on Hate Crime at the Scottish Community Safety Network (SCSN) conference in March 2025.

Police Scotland raised the upcoming development of equality outcomes and advised they would be in contact for members’ feedback.

 

Actions:

• Officials to arrange date for next meeting of the Hate Crime Strategic Partnership Group in June 2025
• Officials to consider opportunities for engagement in relation to the first annual publication of police recorded data since implementation of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021
• delivery partners and officials to consider engagement with young people on the development of activity to support understanding of reporting hate crime
• Officials and delivery partners to progress activity outlined within the discussion paper, as agreed by the Hate Crime Strategic Partnership Group