Human Rights Capability Building Working Group minutes: March 2026

Attendees and apologies

Members and Deputies

• Amnesty International
• Black Ethnic Minority Infrastructure in Scotland (BEMIS)
• Care Inspectorate
• Equality Network
• Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (the ALLIANCE)
• Human Rights Consortium Scotland (HRCS)
• Improvement Service (IS)
• NHS Education for Scotland (NES)
• Poverty Alliance
• Scottish Council Equality Network
• Scottish Human Rights Commission (SHRC)
• Scottish Public Services Ombudsman
• Society of Local Authority Lawyers and Administrators in Scotland (SOLAR)
• Third Sector Equality Human Rights and Equalities (THRE)
• Together (Scottish Alliance for Children’s Rights)
• University of Edinburgh (UoE)

Scottish Government

• Deputy Director, Human Rights and Disability Equality Division
• Officials from the Human Rights Division
• Officials from the Mainstreaming and Inclusion Division

Apologies

• Audit Scotland
• COSLA
• Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland (ERCS)
• NHS Healthcare Improvement Scotland
• Public Health Scotland
• University of Glasgow (UoG)
• University of Strathclyde (UoS)

Items and actions

Welcome

The Chair welcomed attendees and noted the apologies received. The meeting objectives were outlined as the following:

• to provide a reflective space to review progress made in human rights capability building throughout 2025–26
• to consider learning gathered through engagement with partners and members, and to look ahead to the priorities for 2026–27

It was also acknowledged that this meeting marked the conclusion of the current iteration of the Capability Building Working Group, and the Chair expressed gratitude for the commitment and expertise members had contributed over the past year.

Looking back at 2025–26

Scottish Government reflections

Officials from the Scottish Government reflected on the progress made across the year and described how collaboration between sectors had strengthened the overall capability building programme. They emphasised that the work had not been carried out in isolation but had instead been shaped by contributions from members who brought a breadth of practical experience and contextual understanding from across public, third and academic sectors. They highlighted that the programme had deliberately avoided duplicating existing civil society resources and had instead focused on enhancing and building upon the materials already available. The Mainstreaming Strategy, Action Plan and Toolkit, alongside the International Human Rights Tracker, were presented as examples of cross‑cutting tools that had contributed to more consistent and transparent human rights practice throughout Scotland.

Officials reiterated that the Working Group had played a pivotal role in supporting a shared vision for capability building aligned with Programme for Government commitments. Through regular engagement, members contributed feedback that directly influenced Scottish Government deliverables and helped develop a clearer understanding of the challenges faced by organisations seeking to embed human rights into everyday practice.

Officials provided a high-level summary of public sector capability building work delivered by partner organisations. This included significant engagement with local authorities, development of tailored learning materials, and delivery of events designed to support the practical application of human rights across services. Officials noted that this work had strengthened awareness and supported early cultural change across public bodies. 

A brief update was also given on capability building work with the third sector. Inspiring Scotland completed a survey of Equality and Human Rights Fund organisations which showed a varied understanding of economic, social and cultural rights, with lower familiarity around the rights to social security and a healthy environment. Respondents highlighted larger skills gaps in more technical areas of human rights practice and a preference for applied learning through peer networks and live training rather than one‑off or e‑learning formats. The survey also reinforced that the wider sector generally has stronger equalities knowledge than human rights knowledge.

Officials gave an overview of the event at the Gathering. Scottish Government, Third Sector Human Rights and Equalities (THRE) and the Poverty Alliance engaged widely with organisations through an exhibition stand and a session on embedding human rights. Discussions at the session focused on a desire for clearer, more accessible human rights language, support to build confidence, and recognition that many organisations already apply rights‑based approaches without naming them as such. THRE have also piloted their new Core Concepts in Human Rights training, with positive early feedback. Overall, engagement showed strong appetite for practical, ongoing capability building.

Members’ reflections

Members noted that interest in human rights approaches had grown significantly across their networks over the past year. They observed that organisations were increasingly curious about applying human rights principles in practice, and many had begun integrating human rights language into their operations. Members also reflected on the value of connecting with peers through the Working Group, which had facilitated collaboration beyond scheduled meetings. For example, participation in wider sectoral events such as The Gathering helped extend the reach of human rights capability building work and encouraged engagement from organisations that had not previously been involved.

Despite the positive developments, members also described ongoing challenges. They noted that engagement on human rights remains uneven across the third sector, with some organisations still finding it difficult to participate due to limited resources. While the use of human rights language had increased, members expressed concern that it was not always embedded deeply enough to influence decision making. Capacity constraints, gaps in disaggregated data, and the absence of a legislative driver were also highlighted as barriers that continued to limit progress.

Improvement Service and NHS Education for Scotland

Representatives from the Improvement Service and NHS Education for Scotland provided detailed reflections on their delivery of public sector capability building projects. They described how engagement with local authorities, health boards and health and social care partnerships broadened over the year, with growing appetite among public bodies to integrate human rights thinking into their existing systems and processes. Training sessions, leadership events and tailored learning opportunities were delivered across a wide range of networks, while practical resources were developed to support officers in applying human rights approaches within their specific professional contexts.

Both organisations reflected on shared challenges, including limited staff time, competing priorities and the need to strengthen leadership buy‑in to sustain progress. They also noted that many frontline staff were already applying rights‑based approaches without necessarily using human rights terminology, and that capability building work has included a focus on supporting staff to reframe existing practice. Members welcomed these developments and emphasised the importance of ensuring that contracted and third sector providers could also access relevant learning and training.

Looking forward – priorities for 2026–27 and beyond

Officials confirmed that funding has been extended for another year for the Equality and Human Rights Fund, as well as for the capability building programmes delivered by the Improvement Service and Public Services Delivery Scotland (PSD Scotland) (formerly NHS Education for Scotland) from 1st April 2026. Members welcomed this continuity, emphasising that sustained investment is essential for meaningful, long‑term progress.

Looking ahead, the Group identified several priorities for the coming year. This included strengthening leadership engagement, embedding human rights within training pathways and workforce development frameworks, and extending capability building work to sectors that had been less involved to date, including criminal justice bodies and non‑departmental public bodies. The Group also recognised the importance of aligning future work with Scotland’s Second National Human Rights Action Plan (SNAP2) and United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024 implementation, and ensuring that human rights concepts continue to be communicated in a practical, accessible manner that supports everyday application across sectors.

Any Other Business

Members expressed their appreciation for the collaborative environment fostered by the Working Group and welcomed plans for continued engagement beyond its current iteration. The Chair closed the meeting by thanking members once again for their commitment and contributions over the past year.