Gender Equality Scheme

ACCOUNTANT IN BANKRUPTCY

Core Functions of Agency

We supervise the process of sequestration in Scotland and act as trustee in bankruptcy when appointed by the Court. In doing so, we:

administer Government policies as regards personal insolvency and the process of corporate insolvency in Scotland, and monitor the implementation of these policies;
maintain a public register of sequestrations, Protected Trust Deeds ( PTDs) and company insolvencies;
ensure that those involved in the sequestration process, principally trustees and commissioners, properly carry out their responsibilities and take appropriate action when they fail to do so;
undertake the functions of commissioners in sequestrations where none may be or are elected to that office; and
act as interim and permanent trustee in sequestrations where no insolvency practitioner is appointed to do so.

The Accountant also appoints private insolvency practitioners to act as her agents.

We also maintain the Debt Arrangement Scheme ( DAS) register, approve Debt Payment Programs and approve money advisors and payment distributors.

Agency Priorities in 2006 - 2009

To successfully deliver Bankruptcy Reform agenda.
To enable electronic/automated transactions and communication to ensure the efficient management of Bankruptcy cases and the Debt Arrangement Scheme.
To build the capability to store all documents and records electronically.
To renegotiate the Agency Contract, which governs the use of external Insolvency Practitioners to handle bankruptcy cases, taking into consideration the changes brought about through the Bankruptcy Reform legislation.
To provide an efficient and effective business, through excellence in key business support services such as Financial Management, Human Resource Management, Procurement and ICT.
To develop and improve capabilities to allow the business to be managed effectively and to be agile and responsive to change.

Agency Statement of Objectives/Aims to Advance Gender Equality

Our aim is to ensure that women and men from all groups of the community feel effectively engaged in decision and policy making around issues that have a direct effect on them.

Our overarching gender equality objective will be to effectively and appropriately ensure that our policies and practices are subject to gender impact assessment. We recognise that we have more to do if we are to effectively understand the potentially differing experiences of women and men in terms of debt and bankruptcy.

ACCOUNTANT IN BANKRUPTCY

Gender Equality Duty Action Plan

Please identify key policy areas where the department is or will take forward gender equality
Policy	Action	By whom	By when	Outcome expected
Data collection and analysis.	We will ensure that our data collection and analysis takes full account of the need to disaggregate data.	Corporate Strategy	Ongoing	Policies and practices that have taken full account of any potential gender equality issues.
Working to eliminate harassment by raising awareness of gender issues.	We will develop and deliver a diversity training session for all staff.	Corporate Strategy	June 2007	Promote an environment where everyone is valued equally.
Ensure that all staff equally take advantage of training opportunities.	We will undertake an audit of those applying for training and identify trends.	HR	December 2007	Any barriers to people taking up training will be identified with a view to addressing.
Ensure that Agents working on behalf of AiB take account of public sector equality duties.	We will liaise with OSSE and SE Procurement to ensure that the Agency contract, when renegotiated takes account of the public sector equality duties.	Corporate Strategy COB, OSSE, Procurement colleagues	December 2007	Agents complying with equality legislation when dealing with our customers.
Arrangements for delivering the general duty to promote gender duty
	Action	By whom	By when	Outcome expected
1. What arrangements will you put in place to ensure that your policies, services, functions pay due regard to the need to eliminate any unlawful discrimination between women and men?	We will ensure that all staff are made aware that discrimination on the grounds of gender is unlawful and unacceptable by incorporating gender discrimination into equality and diversity training.	Corporate Strategy	June 2007	A working environment which is free of harassment, bullying and discrimination.
	We will ensure that when the Agency contract is renegotiated, that it will take account of equality duties.	Corporate Strategy, COB, OSSE Procurement, colleagues	December 2007	Our customers will be able to expect the same level of service regardless of whether case is administered in- house or by Agent.
2. What arrangements will you put in place to ensure that your policies, services, functions are able to pay due regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity between women and men?	We will develop an option appraisal process which incorporates equality impact assessment. We will ensure the Office Technical Manual includes an assurance that the procedure in question has been equality impact assessed.	Corporate Strategy	April 2007	Our procedures meet the needs of all people irrespective of gender.
3. How will you identify gender equality goals and outcomes for your area of work?	We will ensure that when conducting any research or evaluation the analysis will be broken down into gender to highlight any issues and identify trends.	HR	December 2007	We will be able to address gender related issues identified as a result of the findings.
4. How will you ensure that employees, stakeholders and/or service users are consulted in the process of setting gender equality goals and outcomes for your area of work?	We will introduce an equality forum.	Corporate Strategy	April 2007	Expert advice will be provided on how procedures and policies developed within the Agency affect minority groups.
5. What arrangements will you put in place to ensure that we are able to report on progress on an annual basis?	This requirement will be included in the Corporate Strategy Business Plan and individual work objectives will reflect this.	Corporate Strategy	November 2007	We will able to produce evidence of progress on an annual basis.

Page updated: Friday, March 30, 2007

Scottish Government