Proposed outcome 1: We make access to information and services easier for people with protected characteristics.
This outcome relates to our duties to: Advance equality of opportunity; foster good relations. The outcome relates to all protected characteristics. The reasons why we are suggesting this outcome: We want our services to be as accessible as possible to people with protected characteristics. The outcome links to work encouraging more inclusive communication. This includes, making sure we provide information in a range of languages and formats so that as many people as possible can access it. This outcome links to one of the council’s priorities which refers to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and ensuring views of children and young people are considered in decision making. In turn, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child requires us to produce child-friendly documents. This outcome also aligns with other areas of work, for example our British Sign Language plan.
Proposed outcome 2: Our communities are safe for, and welcoming to, people with protected characteristics.
The outcome relates to our duties to: Advance equality of opportunity, foster good relations.
The outcome relates to all protected characteristics.
The reasons why we are suggesting this outcome:
This outcome covers a range of activities carried out by the council and the Education authority which ensures people are able to access safer spaces. Areas of work it ties into include the prevention gender-based violence by the Violence Against Women Partnership and work carried out by Education to prevent bullying in schools.
Proposed outcome 3: We raise awareness of issues and challenges faced by people with protected characteristics along with ways to overcome them.
The outcome relates to our duty to: Foster good relations; advance equality of opportunity.
The outcome relates to all protected characteristics.
The reasons why we are suggesting this outcome:
Awareness raising activities keep issues and challenges associated with protected characteristics in the public eye. It helps people to understand each other better. In turn, this enables us to better accommodate one another’s needs and preferences.
Proposed outcome 4: ºúÌÒÅ®Éñ and Bute is a welcoming place for New Scots to come to and settle in.
The outcome relates to our duty to: Foster good relations; advance equality of opportunity.
The outcome relates to all protected characteristics with particular focus on ethnicity.
The reasons why we are suggesting this outcome:
We want to ensure refugees feel welcome in ºúÌÒÅ®Éñ and Bute and are supported to settle here.
The work with our refugee communities has been identified by the Council’s administration as one of its priorities. Additionally, this outcome ties in with SG’s New Scots Integration Strategy
Proposed outcome 5: We ensure people with protected characteristics are enabled to progress.
The outcome relates to our duty to: advance equality of opportunity.
The outcome relates to all protected characteristics.
The reasons why we are suggesting this outcome:
We aim to close gaps between different groups so that people with protected characteristics have equity of access to opportunities to progress, whether this be in schools or in our workplaces. The outcome covers work around closing education attainment gaps as well as linking into work around our workforce planning activities.
Proposed outcome 6: Our work relating to equalities and people with protected characteristics is coordinated across the organisation and strategically aligned.
The outcome relates to our duty to: advance equality of opportunity; foster good relations; eliminate discrimination.
The outcome relates to all protected characteristics.
The reasons why we are suggesting this outcome:
This outcome focuses on how the different parts of our organisation work together. The council (including the Education authority) does a lot of good work around equalities and with disadvantaged groups, but the work is not always linked together. We wish to make sure different parts of the organisation have greater awareness of what is going on elsewhere. We also wish to achieve more consistency across the organisation.
Areas of work to which this outcome is relevant include community engagement and the use of data to drive evidence-based decision making.
About you:
To help us understand who has responded to this consultation, please could you tell us more about yourself?
