The Scottish Government's Equality Unit provides the secretariat for, and Chairs, the Equality in Audit & Inspection Group, which meets regularly to discuss how the equality agenda can be supported and progressed by the work of scrutiny bodies in Scotland.
The Group is made up of the Scottish Government, the three equality commissions (Equal Opportunities Commission, Commission for Racial Equality and the Disability Rights Commission) and a number of scrutiny bodies (Audit Scotland, the Care Commission, Communities Scotland, the Crown Office Inspectorate, HE / FE Inspectorate, HMI Constabulary, HMI Education, HMI Fire, the Social Work Inspectorate, Mental Welfare Commission, HMI Prison, the Public Services Ombudsman and the Scottish Social Services Council).
The Group works to assist scrutiny bodies in identifying and planning developmental activity with a view to increasing their capacity to inspect public authorities' performance against the disability, gender and race duties.
The Group also works to share noteworthy practice between scrutiny bodies and allows the Scottish Government and the Commissions to brief scrutiny bodies on new and emerging equality issues. In February 2007, it was agreed that the work of the Equality in Audit & Inspection Group would be temporarily suspended to allow the Commissions and the Scottish Government to work closely with a small number of scrutiny bodies with the objective of developing some helpful tools or guidance for the broader group. The work of this group - Auditing for Equality - has culminated in the development of a draft guidance document: Building towards equality: the role of scrutiny bodies in promoting equalities in Scotland.
This draft publication is for Scottish scrutiny bodies. It offers a starting point for up-scaling their approach to implementing the equality duties, by helping them to take an outward look at what can be achieved through their scrutiny regimes.
You can read the publication on the Scottish Government website.