Whole Family Support Third Sector Delivery Fund: Equality Impact Assessment

Recommendations and Conclusion

The EQIA concluded that the Fund should proceed and that it is likely to have an overall positive effect on equality outcomes.

The EQIA directly influenced policy development in a number of ways:

• It reinforced the decision to target support towards priority family groups who experience the highest risk of poverty.
• It informed assessment criteria requiring organisations to demonstrate how positive outcomes would be achieved for those groups.
• It strengthened expectations that funded organisations provide inclusive, accessible and responsive services.
• It highlighted the importance of reaching underserved and marginalised communities.
• It informed the development of monitoring and evaluation arrangements, including the collection of equality information throughout delivery.

No negative impacts or discriminatory effects were identified. However, several delivery risks were recognised, including accessibility challenges, limited data on some protected groups, barriers affecting participation for marginalised communities and the need to ensure consistent access across Scotland. These risks will be mitigated through ongoing partnership working, monitoring and evaluation.

There are resource implications associated with implementing robust monitoring, evaluation and equality data collection arrangements. Funded organisations will be expected to gather evidence on participation and outcomes to support ongoing assessment of equality impacts and future funding decisions.

Monitoring and review

The EQIA will be reviewed regularly throughout the delivery period. Scottish Government officials will work with funded organisations to develop consistent monitoring arrangements and collect information on participation, reach and outcomes for relevant equality groups wherever proportionate and appropriate.

Monitoring will focus on:

• Reach among priority family groups.
• Accessibility and inclusivity of services.
• Equality outcomes for protected groups where data are available.
• Evidence of barriers to participation.
• Emerging unintended impacts or inequalities.
• Effectiveness of funded interventions in advancing equality of opportunity.

Findings from monitoring and evaluation will be used to inform future funding rounds, policy development and any revisions required to the EQIA.

Sign off

Name: Andrew Drought

Job title: Deputy Director, Place-based Social Justice

Date: 4 August 2026