Chamber and committees

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund initially ran from 2017 to 2020, and was then extended to October 2021 due to the impacts of covid-19. It was superseded by a revised funding programme: the current Equality and Human Rights Fund.

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund was used to fund projects that would contribute to one or more of four outcomes:

• Discrimination against people who share protected characteristics is reduced and multiple discrimination is addressed so that barriers to participation are reduced.
• People covered by hate crime legislation experience lower levels of hate crime.
• People and communities are supported to participate in and engage with services and civic society; their contribution is recognised, and community cohesion is increased.
• Current imbalances in representation in all aspects and levels of public life, including education and employment are addressed to better reflect our communities

The Govan Community Project (GCP) Groups project was funded to support GCP in seeking to further develop, enhance and consolidate the work of its existing groups; weekly women’s group, twice-weekly homework club and weekly men’s group, running out of a community flat.

All groups would provide community and support for people currently seeking asylum in the UK and for those who are refugees and immigrants. The groups would promote integration and solidarity, community connections and safety. The groups would provide opportunities and information about services, provide informal learning and supporting people to take an active role in public life overcoming cultural and language barriers. The groups seek to instil a sense of community and belonging, decreasing social isolation and improving mental health.

In addition to providing gender specific groups, the homework club would offer help and support to children and young in their schoolwork with the assistance of volunteer tutors. The club seeks to enable children to improve their English language skills, numeracy and literacy and provides a space of peer education, safety and support. The club further aims to improve parents understanding of the Scottish curriculum as well as encouraging parent’s involvement in their children’s education.

The specific outcomes to be achieved were:

• Homework Club - Children & young people from an asylum seeking, refugee and migrant background experience reduced discrimination and reduction of barriers in engaging with schools and the wider community
• Women’s Group - Women particularly from an asylum seeking, refugee or migrant / BME background have increased access to services, feeling less isolated, safer & more included in society
• Men’s Group - Men particularly from an asylum seeking, refugee, or migrant / BME background have increased access to services and feel less isolated in the community

The Fund was managed on a day to day basis on the Scottish Government’s behalf by Impact Funding Partners initially and then Inspiring Scotland. You can find a Final Progress Update report for the Fund summarising its impacts here: Promoting-Equality-and-Cohesion-Fund-Final-Report-Jan-Sep-2021-for-SG-publication.pdf

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund initially ran from 2017 to 2020, and was then extended to October 2021 due to the impacts of covid-19. It was superseded by a revised funding programme: the current Equality and Human Rights Fund.

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund was used to fund projects that would contribute to one or more of four outcomes:

• Discrimination against people who share protected characteristics is reduced and multiple discrimination is addressed so that barriers to participation are reduced.
• People covered by hate crime legislation experience lower levels of hate crime.
• People and communities are supported to participate in and engage with services and civic society; their contribution is recognised, and community cohesion is increased.
• Current imbalances in representation in all aspects and levels of public life, including education and employment are addressed to better reflect our communities

The 4Corners project was funded to support work with children aged 8-16 and their families through one-to-one, group work and parent support. The project aimed to promote vulnerable and disadvantaged Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) children’s participation and engagement in the life of their school and community. The majority of the children would be new migrants, refugees and asylum seekers. The group would work in primary schools will include both BME and White Scottish children and would focus on integration and social cohesion.

The specific outcomes to be achieved were:

• Refugees living in Scotland are active advocates for mental health and wellbeing both locally and nationally
• Local and national health and civic society agencies are engaged in refugee led prevention and support approaches to service planning and provision
• Statements and dialogues on mental health and wellbeing are being initiated and led by refugees in places and spaces across Scotland

The Fund was managed on a day to day basis on the Scottish Government’s behalf by Impact Funding Partners initially and then Inspiring Scotland. You can find a Final Progress Update report for the Fund summarising its impacts here: Promoting-Equality-and-Cohesion-Fund-Final-Report-Jan-Sep-2021-for-SG-publication.pdf

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund initially ran from 2017 to 2020, and was then extended to October 2021 due to the impacts of covid-19. It was superseded by a revised funding programme: the current Equality and Human Rights Fund.

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund was used to fund projects that would contribute to one or more of four outcomes:

• Discrimination against people who share protected characteristics is reduced and multiple discrimination is addressed so that barriers to participation are reduced.
• People covered by hate crime legislation experience lower levels of hate crime.
• People and communities are supported to participate in and engage with services and civic society; their contribution is recognised, and community cohesion is increased.
• Current imbalances in representation in all aspects and levels of public life, including education and employment are addressed to better reflect our communities

The ‘Tackling Contemporary Racism v.2’ project was funded to enable Show Racism the Red Card to deliver four education workshops in schools and facilitate young people then attending their local football club for a ‘Challenging Racism’ and a Hate Crime Workshop delivered by Police Scotland. The organisation would also hold an Equalities Creative Competition encouraging young people to champion the Equalities strand of their choice. In addition the organisation would also hold an Annual Fortnight of Action to send a clear message that ‘we are united in our diversity’.

The specific outcomes to be achieved were:

• Young people in the educational programme will have an increased awareness of the implications of different types of racism which will result in a decrease in discriminatory behaviour exhibited toward ethnic minority communities.
• An increased awareness of racism amongst communities to challenge racist behaviour
• Decrease in use of racist language and behaviour by young people taking part in the anti-racism 'Scotland for All' Creative Competition.

The Fund was managed on a day to day basis on the Scottish Government’s behalf by Impact Funding Partners initially and then Inspiring Scotland. You can find a Final Progress Update report for the Fund summarising its impacts here: Promoting-Equality-and-Cohesion-Fund-Final-Report-Jan-Sep-2021-for-SG-publication.pdf

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund initially ran from 2017 to 2020, and was then extended to October 2021 due to the impacts of covid-19. It was superseded by a revised funding programme: the current Equality and Human Rights Fund.

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund was used to fund projects that would contribute to one or more of four outcomes:

• Discrimination against people who share protected characteristics is reduced and multiple discrimination is addressed so that barriers to participation are reduced.
• People covered by hate crime legislation experience lower levels of hate crime.
• People and communities are supported to participate in and engage with services and civic society; their contribution is recognised, and community cohesion is increased.
• Current imbalances in representation in all aspects and levels of public life, including education and employment are addressed to better reflect our communities

The ‘Safety Net’ project was funded to increase the capacity of the community to identify and address issues around radicalisation. The next steps and proposed project were to deliver a range of workshops to adults and young learners to raise awareness of online safety issues and in particular cover extremism in all its forms. In addition the plan was to deliver a suite of knowledge transfer events to relevant agencies in Scotland to widen the awareness and impact of Safety Net.

The specific outcomes to be achieved were:

• Women will have improved understanding how extremist groups target young people and what to do if they have concerns.
• Other organisations are equipped and have the skills and knowledge to support their client groups

The Fund was managed on a day to day basis on the Scottish Government’s behalf by Impact Funding Partners initially and then Inspiring Scotland. You can find a Final Progress Update report for the Fund summarising its impacts here: Promoting-Equality-and-Cohesion-Fund-Final-Report-Jan-Sep-2021-for-SG-publication.pdf

Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund initially ran from 2017 to 2020, and was then extended to October 2021 due to the impacts of covid-19. It was superseded by a revised funding programme: the current Equality and Human Rights Fund.

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund was used to fund projects that would contribute to one or more of four outcomes:

• Discrimination against people who share protected characteristics is reduced and multiple discrimination is addressed so that barriers to participation are reduced.
• People covered by hate crime legislation experience lower levels of hate crime.
• People and communities are supported to participate in and engage with services and civic society; their contribution is recognised, and community cohesion is increased.
• Current imbalances in representation in all aspects and levels of public life, including education and employment are addressed to better reflect our communities

The "Promoting community support and rights for older people facing additional challenges" project was funded to support work with older people who live with disabilities and/or face other challenges and who want more services that give them real choices and enable them to live as independently as possible. The project would work alongside those older people to improve the number, range and quality of community services and to raise public and professional awareness and change attitudes to this group of older people. The project would bring people together, share good practice and publicise positive examples.

The specific outcomes to be achieved were:

• Older people with disabilities are better able to shape the services they use and so get support that reflects their circumstances and gives them a good quality of life.
• Public and professional awareness about older people and the contribution they make is increased and older people with disabilities have more opportunities to participate

The Fund was managed on a day to day basis on the Scottish Government’s behalf by Impact Funding Partners initially and then Inspiring Scotland. You can find a Final Progress Update report for the Fund summarising its impacts here: Promoting-Equality-and-Cohesion-Fund-Final-Report-Jan-Sep-2021-for-SG-publication.pdf

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund initially ran from 2017 to 2020, and was then extended to October 2021 due to the impacts of covid-19. It was superseded by a revised funding programme: the current Equality and Human Rights Fund.

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund was used to fund projects that would contribute to one or more of four outcomes:

• Discrimination against people who share protected characteristics is reduced and multiple discrimination is addressed so that barriers to participation are reduced.
• People covered by hate crime legislation experience lower levels of hate crime.
• People and communities are supported to participate in and engage with services and civic society; their contribution is recognised, and community cohesion is increased.
• Current imbalances in representation in all aspects and levels of public life, including education and employment are addressed to better reflect our communities

The Minority Communities Service Development in Dumfries and Galloway project was funded to take forward work on:

• providing advice, information and practical assistance tailored to the individual needs of people from minority communities

• raising awareness and increasing uptake from minority communities

• promoting volunteering opportunities and recruiting, training and supporting individuals to become volunteer advisers/administrative workers.

• working with local employers to improve their knowledge and understanding of their employment responsibilities

The specific outcomes to be achieved were:

• Minority communities will have increased access to advice and knowledge of their rights which in turn will empower individuals to make positive choices to improve their longer term health and well-being.
• People from minority communities will gain the skills and confidence needed to improve their long term prospects of securing employment.

The Fund was managed on a day to day basis on the Scottish Government’s behalf by Impact Funding Partners initially and then Inspiring Scotland. You can find a Final Progress Update report for the Fund summarising its impacts here: Promoting-Equality-and-Cohesion-Fund-Final-Report-Jan-Sep-2021-for-SG-publication.pdf

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund initially ran from 2017 to 2020, and was then extended to October 2021 due to the impacts of covid-19. It was superseded by a revised funding programme: the current Equality and Human Rights Fund.

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund was used to fund projects that would contribute to one or more of four outcomes:

• Discrimination against people who share protected characteristics is reduced and multiple discrimination is addressed so that barriers to participation are reduced.
• People covered by hate crime legislation experience lower levels of hate crime.
• People and communities are supported to participate in and engage with services and civic society; their contribution is recognised, and community cohesion is increased.
• Current imbalances in representation in all aspects and levels of public life, including education and employment are addressed to better reflect our communities

The Community Development and Cultural Programme project was funded to support creation of new, and development of existing projects within Hidden Gardens’ Community Development & Cultural Programme, for people with protected characteristics to: engage in intercultural dialogue; learn skills; reduce inequality; increase resilience and promote community cohesion & societal engagement.

The specific outcomes to be achieved were:

• To deepen connection between peoples of all cultures, faiths, backgrounds and abilities - this outcome underpins everything we do at the Hidden Gardens. Through engaging in shared activities, people will have an understanding and appreciation of other cultures, faiths, backgrounds and abilities, thereby developing safe and stable relationships between communities.
• Improve Learning and Participation, thereby reducing disadvantage and inequality in public life

The Fund was managed on a day to day basis on the Scottish Government’s behalf by Impact Funding Partners initially and then Inspiring Scotland. You can find a Final Progress Update report for the Fund summarising its impacts here: Promoting-Equality-and-Cohesion-Fund-Final-Report-Jan-Sep-2021-for-SG-publication.pdf

Statutory responsibility for commissioning and delivering appropriate social care services at a local level lies with local authorities and Health and Social Care Partnerships. In doing so, they take account of local population needs which includes the number of people being delayed in hospital unnecessarily. This may mean expanding care home capacity where needed but it will also mean investing in a range of community based support to ensure people receive the right care in the right place at the right time.

The Scottish Government is committed to reducing delayed discharges and addressing the variation in delays across the country. No one should remain in hospital when they no longer need to be there. That is why the Scottish Government is working with CoSLA, Health and Social Care Partnerships, Health Boards and Healthcare Improvement Scotland, alongside people with lived experience, to reduce variation and support improvements locally.

This sustained focus means that we are identifying and addressing the challenges, and that progress is beginning to show in the monthly figures. I am confident that this improvement can continue, delivering better outcomes for patients so that they are cared for in the right setting and hospital beds are there for those who need them.

Although local systems remain accountable for their own decisions and performance, the Collaborative Response and Assurance Group (CRAG) acts as the national oversight function to aid decision making and address variation in performance; agreeing the actions we can take to address the issues facing the system. It also provides a space for local leaders to engage meaningfully and provide assurances to Ministers and CoSLA on this important work.

Alongside the record investment of £15 billion to local authorities in 2025-26, the Scottish Government’s Budget for 2025-26 sets out a clear plan to reduce waiting times and delayed discharges, supported by £200 million targeted investments. We have also published an Operational Improvement Plan, setting out whole system improvement actions to improve access to treatment and shift the balance of care from acute hospital services to the community, and to ensure people receive the right care in the right place.

We are committed to supporting people to stay at home or in a homely setting with maximum independence, for as long as possible. We also aim to attract and retain the right people into social care support and social work. To develop people in their roles and raise the status of the sector as a valued workforce. We believe this is key to improving the quality of care.

The Continuous Professional Learning framework provides a more flexible approach to learning that supports the workforce to develop the right skills at the right time in their career journeys. The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) and NHS Education for Scotland (NES) have also recently launched a new National Induction Framework for Social Care, alongside a new Career Options tool. These are important assets, whether someone is new to the sector or is looking to advance their career.

I am confident that with all the new measures we have set out we will continue to see an improving picture on the level of delays across the country and that people will have access to high quality care, in the setting that is right for them.

A delayed discharge occurs when a hospital patient who is clinically ready for discharge from inpatient hospital care continues to occupy a hospital bed beyond the date they are ready for discharge. Information held nationally on delayed discharges can identify the number of people aged 18 and over who were delayed in their discharge from hospital.

People delayed due to a lack of available social care packages can be identified using Delay Reason code 25D – “Awaiting completion of arrangements - in order to live in their own home – awaiting social care support (non-availability of services)”.

Table 1 shows, for Scotland, how many people were recorded as a delayed discharge with a Delay Reason code 25D, and the total number of people who were a delayed discharge, in the financial year 2024-25.

Table 1: Number of people delayed due to awaiting completion of social care support in order to live in their own home and the total number of people delayed in their discharge, in the financial year 2024-25, Scotland.

The Scottish Government and its subsidiaries apply the policies and principles set out in the Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM) to any procurement, as well as adhering to Scottish Procurement legislation.

I refer the Member to the answer to the question S6W-38424 on 18 June 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers