Hate Crime Strategic Partnership Group minutes: June 2025

Attendees and apologies

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

Police Scotland

Interfaith Scotland

Equality Network

COPFS

Education Scotland

Youthlink Scotland

Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)

COSLA

BEMIS

Victim Support Scotland

NEC Design

Scottish Government Officials

Hate Crime Team

Criminal Law and Licensing

Apologies

RespectMe

Glasgow Disability Alliance

CEMVO

SHRC

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, particularly during the challenging context of recent times.

The Minister also highlighted that the lifetime of this delivery plan will come to an end in April 2026, and as such, work will also be undertaken to measure progress of this iteration against the wider Hate Crime Strategy as well as build understanding of next steps.

 

Hate Crime Strategy – Reflections on activity since January 2025

A discussion paper, shared with members ahead of the meeting, outlined a range of activity that has been undertaken since January 2025, including:

• the publication of an Education Scotland professional learning resource for practitioners to build understanding and awareness of hatred and prejudice within educational contexts
• progress made on the joint toolkit to support local authorities to recognise and address hate crime, developed with Scottish Government and CoSLA
• the national review and refresh of third-party reporting

Education Scotland provide an update regarding awareness-raising activity to support the publication of the professional learning resource for practitioners, which was released in May. Education Scotland will work with partners, including CoSLA, YouthLink, RespectMe and Scottish Government to ensure take-up and build awareness of the resource amongst educational professionals.

Members enquire on the status on release of data tied to the first annual publication of police-recorded hate crime since commencement of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021, under Section 15 requirements.  The report is due to be released later in 2025.

 

Hate Crime Strategy Delivery – Proposed activity until January 2026

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

• the continuation of work on a resource to build understanding and encourage reporting of hate crime, with Police Scotland and the Crown office and Procurator Fiscal Service
• over the next reporting period, the Scottish Government will also publish the first annual report on police-recorded hate crime
• Scottish Government, with Police Scotland, Victim Support Scotland and NEC Design will continue with third-party reporting review
• Scottish Government, with Hate Crime Strategic Partnership Group members, will commemorate National Hate Crime Awareness Week
• Scottish Government will lay a draft SSI to add the protected characteristic of Sex to the Hate Crime Act
• CoSLA and Scottish Government to publish and raise awareness of the toolkit to support local authorities to recognise and address hate crime
• Scottish Government and Hate Crime Strategic Partnership Group members to support development of the calendar of community cohesion and cultural events

Members are content with activity proposed until January 2026.

 

Any Other Business

Victim Support Scotland and NEC Design present an overview of activity to support improvements to support for victims of hate crime.

 

Actions:

• Officials to arrange date for next meeting of Hate Crime Strategic Partnership Group in January 2026, to take place in-person
• Scottish Government and partners to take forward activity agreed between June 2025 – January 2026