Equality Outcomes
Sharing Good Practice
Daniel Aldridge
Policy Manager
Stonewall Scotland
Alison Tobia
Corporate Planning Manager
Neil MacGowan
Head of Corporate Affairs
Scottish Qualifications Authority
Welcome
 Welcome
 Agenda
– Presentations
– Discussion
– Workshops
– Plenary feedback
– Aim for 12.30 close
 Housekeeping
SQA draft Equality Outcomes
- Getting started
Duties & guidance
Equality structure,
schemes, action
plans
SQA 2020
Corporate Plan
Internal mgmt
information
Ongoing
engagement
External statistics
and other
evidence
SQA draft Equality Outcomes
- Getting started
SQA 2020
Corporate Plan
Duties & guidance
Equality structure,
schemes, action
plans
Internal mgmt
information
Ongoing
engagement
External statistics
and other
evidence
Proposal to ESG and
Exec Team
Areas of focus:
Expenditure
Functions
Process:
Timetable
Responsibilities
Resources
Outcomes development process
- led by Directorate equality groups
Evidence
Ongoing
engagement
Mgmt
information
External
evidence
Issues
What are the
most
significant
equality issues
for SQA in
relation to this
area of focus?
Draft outcomes
Evidence
statement
Involvement
approach
Contributory
actions
Measures of
success
Involvement and revision
Employees
Appointees
Centres
Equality
contacts
Committees
Approval
Draft Equality Outcomes are
appropriate for SQA - responses
Stonewall Good Practice Programme
LGBT Equality at SQA
Neil MacGowan
Head of Operations
22 February 2013
Our journey…...so far
Strategic Direction
- ‘One of Scotland’s leading public sector organisations’
- Staff engagement
Support from the Top!
“I appreciate, respect and fully support the contribution our
LGBT colleagues bring to SQA. I know prejudice and
intolerance are endured by LGBT people across many
areas of our society and I want to stress that these attitudes
have no place in SQA where talent and achievement is
paramount and sexual orientation irrelevant. We will work
with Stonewall to make SQA a fair, inclusive and welcoming
place to work”
Dr Janet Brown
Chief Executive
August 2012
LGBT Staff – Actions so far
• Equality and Diversity Weeks – supported by Stonewall
Scotland
• Diversity Champions Programme
• What’s it got to do with you? Campaign
• LGBT Staff survey
Staff Survey Results
SQA
WEI Average
The workplace culture in my organisation is inclusive of lesbian, gay and bisexual
(LGB) people
86%
80%
My line manager supports me as an LGB member of staff
64%
66%
Senior management are supportive of LGB staff
64%
66%
My straight/heterosexual colleagues are well-informed on LGB issues
29%
43%
I would feel confident reporting anti-gay bullying in my workplace
100%
80%
I would feel comfortable declaring my sexual orientation to my employer on a
monitoring form
86%
81%
I feel able to be myself in the workplace
93%
81%
There are visible and open LGB role models in my organisation
57%
54%
Open with all colleagues
50%
64%
Open with all managers/senior colleagues
54%
61%
Open with clients/service users
8%
37%
Equality Outcomes Survey Results
SQA Draft Equality Outcomes - Feedback and Equality
Questionnaire (Staff)
Please rate how far you agree that SQA is supportive of colleagues who are lesbian, gay
or bisexual.
Answer Options
Strongly agree
Agree
Disagree
Strongly disagree
I don’t know enough to comment
Response
Percent
22.7%
32.7%
0.9%
0.0%
43.6%
answered question
skipped question
Response
Count
25
36
1
0
48
110
0
Please rate how far you agree that SQA is supportive of colleagues
who are lesbian, gay or bisexual.
Strongly agree
Agree
Disagree
Strongly disagree
I don’t know enough to
comment
Change Action Plan
• LGBT Staff Forum established and consideration of
best practice for strong LGBT voice in the workplace.
• Direction to ‘main stream’ LGBT issues not present in
isolation
• Plan for 2013 Stonewall WEI – Is SQA ready?
Business Benefits
• Inclusive organisational culture
• Motivated and confident staff
• Meeting strategic goals
• Positive external image of SQA
• We are keen to learn from you and share our experiences so far
Our journey….continues
Catherine Somerville
Policy Officer
Stonewall Scotland
The Good Practice Programme
Through the Good Practice Programme we offer:
• Support in mainstreaming LGB and T equality
(including 2013 and 2015 mainstreaming
reports and procurement support)
• Providing research and evidence to undertake
meaningful Equality Impact Assessments
• Support in developing effective service user
networks
• Access to dedicated on-line learning resource
• Multi-agency training and information
seminars
• support in setting Equality Outcomes as
well as delivering and reporting on
progress
Key improvement areas
• Reducing homophobic bullying in
education
• Reducing instances of homophobic hate
crime
• Reducing health inequalities
experienced by LGB&T people
• Improving workplace equality
NHS 24: Good Practice example
people’s mental health will improve
through access to new services and by
adding to our existing services
LGB&T people’s mental health improves
through access to safe, confidential
advise and information
Situation
Activities
Outputs
Equality
Outcomes
General Duty
10 Research shows
that lesbian and
bisexual women
have higher levels of
self harm compared
to the general
population and that
there is a higher risk
of gay men harming
themselves than the
general population
a) Involve
Stonewall and other
LGB&T led voluntary
organisations to
identify
needs/barriers
a) Improved
understanding by
operational leads of
the impact that a
person’s sexual
orientation can have
on a their mental
health is achieved
LGB&T peoples
mental health
improves through
access to safe,
confidential advise
and information
Advance equality of
opportunity
b) Stonewall to
support impact
assessments of NHS
24’s services,
functions and staff
policies
c) NHS 24’s outreach
work to include
attending at LGB&T
focused events
b)
Recommendations
by Stonewall lead to
improvements in
NHS 24’s processes
to support improved
metal health for
LGB&T people
c) Improved
awareness by
LGB&T people of
the range of services
provided by NHS 24
Foster good relations
Further research
shows that 58% of
trans people or
people with a trans
history who
responded to the
Trans Mental Health
Study 2012 felt that
they had been so
distressed at some
point that they
needed to seek help
or support urgently
and 53% of
participants had self
harmed at some
point 84% of
participants had
thought about
ending their lives at
some point
d) NHS 24’s services
to promote
awareness of issues
which can affect
LGB&T peoples
mental health by
linking activities to
key dates on the
calendar
d) Improved
awareness by NHS 24
staff of sexual
orientation identity
is achieved leading
to improved patient
safety and personcentred safe and
effective services
f) Stonewall to
support NHS 24
secure LGB&T
representation on the
NHS 24 Public
Partnership Forum
f) A person who is
able to represent the
views of LGB&T
people sits as a
member of the
Public Partnership
Forum Steering
Group
g) NHS 24 to engage
with other LGB&T led
voluntary
g) Enhanced
organisations to
awareness of the
promote metal health range of services
provided by NHS 24
h) NHS 24 will display is achieved
the Stonewall Good
Practice logo on NHS
h) NHS 24’s
24 Internet sites
commitment to
sexual orientation
equality is promoted
www.lgbtgoodpractice.org.uk
Breakout session
Developing LGB&T specific outcomes
Amanda Turner
Client Account Associate
Stonewall Scotland
Breakout Session
Using the Workplace Equality Index to
meet your internal outcomes