Working Together for Race Equality, 2005: The Scottish Executive's Race Equality Scheme

SUMMARY

2002 Race Equality Scheme

Our first Race Equality Scheme was published on 30 November 2002- see Working Together for Race Equality: The Scottish Executive's Race Equality Scheme ( http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/society/wtre-00.asp ) . A progress report was published in March 2004- see
Race Equality Scheme Annual Report ( http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/equality/resar-00.asp)
Overarching Commitments Progress ( http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/equality/reapsp-00.asp)

Individual Departmental Action Plans-

New Scheme

The Executive is legally required to assess its functions and policies for their relevance to its performance of the statutory duty to promote race equality every three years. We therefore decided to take this opportunity to review all the other arrangements we have put in place in order to meet the statutory duty and have published this new Scheme.

Scheme Format

Our new scheme comprises this hard copy report as well as an electronic/ web based section i.e. a race equality assessment and action database ( www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/People/Equality/18934/15832). The database records a range of information on Executive policies and initiatives, including whether they are relevant to race equality, if they have been screened for their impact or potential impact on the promotion of race equality, the outcome of race equality impact assessments, action to be taken to remedy any adverse impact identified, and other work being undertaken on race equality in that area.

Purpose of Scheme

The purpose of our Scheme is to ensure that as an organisation we are doing all we can to promote race equality. In doing so we have to identify and overhaul any function or policy that in any way discriminates against or has an adverse impact on any racial or ethnic group. We have to ensure that the behaviour of the people who work for us is not racist, regardless of whether it is intentional or not. And, we have to work with communities, groups, public bodies, voluntary organisations and business to promote awareness of Scotland's cultural diversity, and to address racism, racial discrimination and disadvantage.

Our scheme shows that:

our functions and policies have been subject to a robust screening for their relevance to, and impact on, race equality;
those functions and policies, including new and proposed policies, which have been screened as having high impact have been or will be the subject of a further, more detailed, Race Equality Impact Assessment;
consultations that we carry out will reflect the (potential) diversity of the client or employee group and will seek to include those people affected by the proposals;
monitoring of the impact of our functions and policies will include gathering and analysing data on their impact on different ethnic groups;
publishing of the results of our impact assessments, consultations, and monitoring outputs will reflect their relevance to the promotion of race equality;
access to information and services provided by the Executive will become increasingly sensitive to the needs of our diverse communities (or minority ethnic people);
our approach to staff training includes issues of race equality;
our duties as an employer under the RRA are reflected in the data that we collect and analyse, and the approach that we take to promoting equality of opportunity for staff, or potential staff.

Comments

If you have any comments on our Race Equality Scheme you can send these to Rhona Carr, Development Department, Equality Unit, Scottish Executive, 2-F Victoria Quay, Edinburgh, EH6 6QQ; telephone: 0131 244 5503 or e-mail rhona.carr@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

If you would like a copy of this document, or parts of this document, in a community language or alternative format, e.g. Braille, please contact Rhona Carr at the Scottish Executive - see contact details above.

Page updated: Wednesday, December 07, 2005

Scottish Government