The Hate Crime Strategic Partnership Group: terms of reference

Background

Hate crime and prejudice have a harmful impact on individuals, communities and wider society and they are never acceptable. We continue to be resolute in our determination to prevent and tackle hatred and prejudice in all of its forms in order to build a more a cohesive society.

The Scottish Government published a new Hate Crime Strategy for Scotland on 24 March 2023. The strategy sets out our vision for ‘a Scotland where everyone lives free from hatred and prejudice’ and 3 overarching aims for tackling hatred and prejudice:

• victims of hate crime are treated with fairness, compassion and in a trauma-informed manner in which their safety and recovery is a priority
• the nature, characteristics, and extent of hate crime in Scotland are more fully understood and effectively inform appropriate interventions and policy development
• communities are empowered, inclusive and safe, and the underlying causes of hate crime are challenged

The strategy sets out a number of commitments in support of these aims, including effective implementation of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021. The strategy’s associated Delivery Plan was published in November 2023, and sets out our immediate actions over the next two years.

Scope

The Hate Crime Strategic Partnership Group was established in April 2022 to ensure a multi-agency, strategic approach towards the development of the Hate Crime Strategy. 

The Hate Crime Strategic Partnership Group will support the implementation of the Hate Crime Strategy, and the activity in its associated delivery plan. The Scottish Government and named partners will be responsible  for the delivery of relevant actions. However, they  will be guided in their decision-making by the advice and recommendations of the Hate Crime Strategic Partnership Group

We are committed to supporting a range of on-going, participatory engagement to help inform every stage of our delivery. Those who contribute these lived experiences must be empowered to participate in a safe way. The Scottish Government will support SPG members in the facilitation of engagement through their networks.

Objectives

The group will:

• oversee delivery of actions as set out in the delivery plan, monitor progress and provide challenge as appropriate
• ensure that actions agreed by the group are progressed in a collaborative way
• ensure that the views and needs of those with lived experience of hate crime is taken into account in the delivery of the strategy
• ensure the intersectional nature of hate crime is considered in the delivery of the strategy
• maintain oversight of key decisions and recommendations relevant to the implementation of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021

Critical to this will be alignment with other strategies including but not limited to: 

• the Vision for Justice in Scotland
• Respect for All: The National Approach to anti-bullying for Scotland’s Children and Young People
• Disability Equality Strategy
• National Youthwork Strategy
• Social Isolation and Loneliness Strategy: Recovering our Connections 2023 to 2026
• Race Equality Framework (2016-2030) 
• New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy
• Equally Safe strategy to prevent and eradicate violence against women and girls
• Scottish Government response to the recommendations of the Independent Working Group on Misogyny and Criminal Justice in Scotland

Membership

Members of the Hate Crime Strategic Partnership Group have specific expertise in tackling hate crime and prejudice and championing equality, inclusion and human rights. This expertise allows members to represent the interests and views of their organisation and/or communities. Members are free to express these views both within the context of the Hate Crime Strategic Partnership Group, and independently. 

The Hate Crime Strategic Partnership Group will work in an inclusive and accessible way.

The Group will be chaired by the Minister for Victims and Community Safety and members will be drawn from the following organisations:

• Age Scotland
• BEMIS
• Council of Ethnic Minority Voluntary Sector Organisations (CEMVO) 
• COPFS
• COSLA
• Education Scotland
• Equality Network
• Glasgow Disability Alliance
• Interfaith Scotland
• Police Scotland
• Respectme
• Youthlink Scotland

Attending meetings of the SPG in observer status:

• Equality and Human Rights Commission Scotland (EHRC)
• Scottish Human Rights Commission (SHRC)

Other individuals and organisations may be consulted on relevant issues, including organisations representing intersex/variations in sex characteristics interests. Such individuals and organisations may be invited to attend meetings as and when appropriate. 

Short life working groups will be established to take forward specific actions identified in the delivery plan, with invitations to join these groups being extended beyond the Hate Crime Strategic Partnership Group as necessary. 

Secretariat support will be provided by the Mainstreaming and Inclusion Division within the Scottish Government. 

Deliverables

The Hate Crime Strategic Partnership Group will oversee the development of the delivery plan, providing advice on immediate and medium-longer term activity required to fulfil Scotland’s new Hate Crime Strategy. Thereafter, the group will oversee delivery of actions outlined in the delivery plan. The group will: 

• progress activity outlined in the delivery plan, engaging with relevant Short Life Working Groups as appropriate
• where appropriate, carry out engagement beyond the Hate Crime Strategic Partnership Group, including with communities affected by hate crime to ensure actions meet the needs of communities
• oversee progress of the delivery of actions as outlined in the delivery plan, providing challenge as appropriate
• maintain oversight of key decisions and recommendations relevant to the implementation of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021

Frequency of meetings

The group will meet approximately every 6 months, to oversee progress of the delivery of activity outlined in the Hate Crime Delivery Plan.

The meeting will be chaired by the Minister for Victims and Community Safety, or Scottish Government officials, depending on topics for discussion.

Review 

The terms of reference may be reviewed and amended at any time during the duration of the group’s activities. Revision(s) should be requested by written communication and will be considered by Secretariat and the Chair.