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CHAPTER 2 - SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT APPROACH TO DISABILITY EQUALITY
Background
2.1 The Scottish Government's stated purpose is to focus the Government and public services on creating a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through increasing sustainable economic growth. This will be achieved through five strategic objectives and a suite of national outcomes. Progress on outcomes will be measured through national indicators and targets.
2.2 A number of the national outcomes relate to disability equality work.
- We have tackled the significant inequalities in Scottish society.
- We have strong, resilient and supportive communities where people take responsibility for their own actions and how they affect others.
- We live in well-designed, sustainable places where we are able to access the amenities and services we need.
- We have improved the life chances for children, young people and families at risk.
- Our young people are successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens.
Mainstreaming
2.3 Since 2000 the Scottish Government has been pushing forward activities to embed equality, including disability equality, into all its activities and in 2005 gave this work a particular focus with the establishment of a Mainstreaming team within the Scottish Government's Equality Unit. The focus of their work has been to encourage thinking across Government about equality issues in the development of policies and programmes and to ensure that the systems of the Scottish Government are geared to supporting staff in this. Some examples of the progress which has been made are:
- Equality issues, including disability, are incorporated into the Better Policy Making guidance available to staff;
- Updated guidance on equalities is provided to bill teams and an equality clause is considered for all Scottish Government bills;
- The Good Consultation Guide was reviewed for its equality content;
- Equalities is included in the guidance for public bodies on Best Value;
- Business planning guidance for Scottish Government directorates and agencies highlights the need to consider equality issues; and
- The guidance on preparation of the Scottish Government's draft budget requests information on equality.
Consultation and communication
2.4 The duty sets a framework to help us deliver better dialogue and communication mechanisms and to go further to involve disabled people in Scottish Government policy making. Since 2002 we have been supporting 2 national grassroots disability organisations to develop networks and structures with disability communities across Scotland. Our funding for Inclusion Scotland and the Scottish Disability Equality Forum has helped us to reach and engage directly with disabled people. The disability equality duty gives an opportunity to strengthen the way that we work with disabled people and this is discussed further in chapter 4. We remain committed to working with national disability led organisations.
2.5 We also have direct links and close working relations with key service providers in the disability sector who in turn have networks of disabled people. We have been keen to engage their experience and have valued their work with us.
2.6 Several directorates have fostered strong links with disability communities and will be seeking to maintain and broaden these links in the period ahead. Parts of Government which have not traditionally had much contact with disabled groups directly recognise the value of doing so and a programme of work will be undertaken to assist them.
Developing research and statistics
2.7 Developing the information base in relation to disability has also been a key strand of our work. We published the Social Focus on Disability in August 2004 and a report on High Level equality statistics in November 2006. Our plans for developing this work further are discussed at chapter 9.
Looking ahead
Cross Government work
2.8 The Scottish Government is a large and complex organisation. To ensure cohesion and consistency in our approach to disability equality a number of cross Government structures exist. These include the Equality Scheme Implementation Group, an Analysts working group, and an advisory group for the Scottish Ministers' reports (see paragraph 2.13 below).
Public Sector Equality Forum
2.9 The Scottish Government is committed to continuing to work with the ehrc, disabled people and public authorities in Scotland to encourage and support the implementation of the disability equality duty. As part of this we plan to establish a Public Sector Equality Forum and will use this as a route to promote shared or joint approaches by public authorities. This Forum will be able to consider the issues arising from all three public equality duties.
Scottish Ministers duty
2.10 The specific duties set out in the Disability Discrimination (Public Authorities) (Statutory Duties) Regulations 2005 require the Scottish Ministers to publish reports by 1 December 2008 (and every 3 years thereafter) giving an overview on progress towards equality of opportunity between disabled people and other people made by public authorities. The duty will also require Ministers to set out proposals for the co-ordination of action by public authorities to progress disability equality.
The Concordat with COSLA
2.11 The concordat agreed between the Scottish Government and Convention of Scottish Local Authorities ( COSLA) sets out the new relationship between the Scottish Government and local government and accepts that although the Scottish Government will set policy direction, it will stand back from micro-managing service delivery. Single Outcome Agreements are a major part of the concordat and free up local authorities and their partners to meet the varying local needs across Scotland. Local authorities are expected to set out their contribution to each National Outcome, and national outcome 7 states 'we have tackled the significant inequalities in Scottish society'.
2.12 Joint Guidance produced by the Scottish Government, COSLA, the Improvement Service, the Society Of Local Authority Chief Executives and Audit Scotland was issued in February 2007. Under the section on scope, councils are advised to set out their duties in relation to equalities.
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