Chamber and committees

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 It was superseded by a revised funding programme: the current Equality and Human Rights Fund.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 Connexions project was funded to enable the work done by the agency, mainly in Kirkcaldy, to be ‘rolled out’ into areas of East and West Fife. In addition to services such as language support, information, advice and advocacy, assisting people access rights and employment the project would, through Participatory Action Research, address more determinedly that migrant communities share ownership and integrate with local communities. Cross-community action would help address the demographic changes in Fife and Scotland.

The specific outcomes to be achieved were:

• There will be a significant increase in uptake of information and advice across a range of human rights issues within Fife from members of migrant communities
• People from migrant communities will demonstrate an increased feeling of belonging to local areas and ownership of public places, civic institutions and commit to stay in Fife rather than leave due to uncertainty of status following ‘Brexit’
• More people from migrant communities will move from low paid, low skilled employment (reflecting qualification and skill) and will show an increased willingness to stand for public office

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 Refugee Health Policy and Strategy Action Group project was funded with the intention that refugees in Scotland would develop a greater understanding of the policy landscape and would be advocating for better and appropriate mental health and wellbeing support for themselves and their peers. By incorporating lived experience refugee voices at national and regional forums, knowledge and understanding in local areas across Scotland of refugee health needs would be improved and local action to support this will be led by refugee groups.

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

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 Scottish Pensioners' Forum (SPF) project was funded to enable SPF to work with the STUC, particularly through their equality structures, to engage and consult with trade union members in communities throughout Scotland to provide older people with a democratic voice and the opportunity to influence decisions that affect their daily lives, particularly around health and social care, social security, pensions and transport.

SPF would also utilise the STUC equality structures to engage in specific activities around ageing and the impact that this has within many minority frameworks including LGBT, disability, Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) and youth and would place particular emphasis on women and the focus of inequality in state pensions.

Meetings and consultations undertaken would be used by the SPF to gather evidence on the views and needs of older people, making sure that their voices were heard and that their needs were taken into consideration. This would help them to develop stronger community connections and be more aware of services available to them in their local areas.

Through consultation, the SPF would also work with trade unions and other older people's organisations to inform government policy in key priority areas; care and care homes, social security, transport and health and social care and how they relate to loneliness and isolation in older people.

SPF would also develop intergenerational work between older and younger trade union members to share experiences of the world of work, ageing, and transition into retirement and how the Fair Work Framework can deliver for the ageing workforce .

The specific outcomes to be achieved were:

• People with protected characteristics are confident in asserting their rights on ageing in society, and in the workplace, and feel confident in challenging inequality in pensions and other issues that potentially have an impact on the quality of their retirement.
• Older people have the confidence to have their say on issues affecting them in their local communities and are supported to share the views on future design and delivery of public services at local and national level that can improve their lives.
• The SPF increases and improves engagement with Scottish Government on public policy affecting older people, retired trade unionists and workers by taking their views forward and ensuring that they have access to information on all activities the SPF carry out as representatives on their behalf which will result in less social isolation and more active participation when making the transition from working life into retirement

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 ‘Open Door Project’ was funded to enable Sikh Sanjog to support women into employability by developing life/work skills. The project would create training opportunities through a Social Enterprise Community Café, deliver a strengthened programme of community outreach in support of vulnerable and culturally disadvantaged women, and provide in-depth cultural insight and sharing of good practice across agencies statutory and voluntary to help shape future policy decisions.

The specific outcomes to be achieved were:

• Sikh Women are supported to participate and engage in civic life and are more active in their local community. They will gain employability status, be empowered and have their ‘voices’ heard
• We will influence service provision and policy decision makers of high level local Government and NGOs listed below who are integral to developing policies which will benefit ethnic communities in particular women from the settled Sikh community.
• 25 individuals who access Sikh Sanjog’s holistic therapy service will have improved confidence, well-being and increased opportunities.

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

As part of the “Deaf Sector Partnership (DSP)” project, Deaf Action were funded to support early implementation of the BSL (Scotland) Act 2015, as per previous discussions and proposals devised by the DSP in conjunction with the Scottish Government Equality Unit and Voluntary Action Fund.

The proposed core activities of the DSP were:

• Support delivery of actions set out in the BSL National Plan
• Support the civic participation of a range of BSL speakers across Scotland
• Support engagement between BSL speakers and public bodies
• Increase awareness, confidence & skills in relation to tactile BSL
• Publish the BSL National Plan and raise awareness of such
• Provide guidance to listed authorities in a range of ways

The specific outcomes to be achieved were:

• Identify, engage with and empower Deaf BSL speakers aged 18-30 (16-17 if in full time education within FE/HE sector), including these with protected characteristics, across Scotland so that they can participate in and engage effectively in society and with structures and bodies.
• Support public bodies to better understand and prepare to meet the needs of BSL speakers and meet their obligations under the BSL (Scotland) Act 2015, and support the Scottish Government with implementing the Act.
• Promote the BSL (Scotland) Act 2015 and associated processes on a national & global basis, sharing learning and experiences so that other countries can benefit and contribute to sign language legislations. Ensure Scottish BSL speakers are represented in global citizenship & politics.

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 Scottish Seniors Alliance (SSA) project was funded to take forward the agendas for older people that had been developed and nurtured by SSA through the seniors forum model. The methodology would be to support extant forums, and grow and support those groups of older people who wanted to take forward their issues in a cohesive way. From that grassroots approach the project would be able to provide the authentic voice to statutory sector, government agencies and others who serve older people and the wider community.

The specific outcomes to be achieved were:

• Older people with sensory and physical impairment, and from the minority communities will be supported to better influence policy and service developments and be recognised for their contributions.
• 6 bi-monthly senior forum meetings per-year will be held. These will be attended by older people representing grassroot members from 32 local authorities in Scotland with 20-30 members attending per meeting.
• Provide a high quality information service which includes email, news bulletins, policy briefings and 6 Newsletters per year to approximately 100 forums per year in the 32 local authority areas in Scotland.
• SSA will continue the collaborative process between older people's groups and local and national government, health boards etc, representing the voices of older people .
• SSA will be proactive in responding to issues of concern to older people both at a local and national level, involving older people in policy debates and responding to consultations.

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 New Migrants Action Project was funded support work to counter the uncertainty that was facing European Economic Area (EEA) nationals living in Scotland. The project was intended to provide excellent, up-to-date, accessible and impartial advice, information and support on welfare rights, residence rights and housing and homelessness rights. Its service was intended to reach out to otherwise “easy to ignore” EEA nationals to prevent crises of poverty and homelessness as far as possible and tackle crises effectively where they arise.

The specific outcomes to be achieved were:

• EU nationals, especially Romanian Roma people, will better understand and be more able to assert their welfare rights, maintain tenancies and fulfil their responsibilities.
• EU nationals, especially Romanian Roma people, will better understand and be more able to assert their housing and homelessness rights and fulfil their responsibilities.
• EU nationals, especially Romanian Roma people, will better understand and be more able to assert their UK residency rights.

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 Making It Work project was funded to support Scottish Association of Sign Language Interpreters (SASLI) in its work as the only government funded organisation in Scotland specifically working towards monitoring, supporting and developing the profession of sign language interpreting and associated functions, SASLI aims to broaden and develop its scope to meet legislative, demographic and societal changes. The project would focus on developing new pathways to validate skills, protecting user communities through driving up and maintaining professional standards will increase accountability to deaf and deafblind people.

The specific outcomes to be achieved were:

• Deaf people have a greater choice of appropriately skilled and registered communication support professionals, making possible effective communication and inclusive participation in daily and public life and in educational/learning environments.
• Deaf people have a greater choice of appropriately skilled and registered communication support workers, to ensure effective learning and inclusive contribution in educational/learning environments.
• Deaf and deafblind people are trained and employed to provide training to enhance skills of communication support professionals
• The SASLI Register includes a specific category to recognise deaf people who have developed life and work skills through their lives. This replaces the need of accredited qualifications to encourage recognition and value of skills gained through life and not through education pathways.

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 Highland Equality and Fair Work in Action Project was funded to provide a local specialist “Equality and Employment Rights Advice and Representation Service” to empower workers in the Highlands who (due to having a protected characteristic and in particular a disability) may suffer unlawful discrimination and/or disadvantage when their rights are breached which will reduce barriers to justice; reduce discrimination and inequality; will promote early intervention; increase in ‘fair work’ practice; increase cohesion/community participation and progress social policy issues.

The specific outcome to be achieved was:

• 1600 Highland workers who (due to having a protected characteristic – mostly notably those who have a disability) suffer unlawful discrimination or related breaches of their equality/employment rights will have improved access to a local specialist advice and representation service which will advise of their individual rights and options and improve access to justice in order to reduce discrimination; reduce disadvantage; increase fair work and reduce barriers to participation.

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 Parents’ Project was funded to build on the People First’s Parents’ Group work in reducing the discrimination experienced by parents with learning disabilities and supporting parents to participate in, and engage with, services and society. The project would employ a part-time development worker to support a self-advocacy group of parents with learning disabilities (Parents’ Group), provide individual advocacy, support parents to provide training and participate in strategic planning fora.

The specific outcomes to be achieved were:

• Parents with learning disabilities are more aware of their rights and responsibilities and have increased confidence and skills both in parenting and in contributing to training and policy
• Parents with learning disabilities have access to more information in appropriate formats, helping them to engage with services, participate in society and be the best parents they can be
• Professionals have an increased awareness and understanding of the issues for parents with learning disabilities, they are more likely to adopt a supported parenting approach in line with current policy so parents with learning disabilities experience fewer barriers to exercising their right to family 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