Scope of the EQIA
4.1
The Policy will principally affect ESS staff and Board members, it will also have an impact on those who apply to work with ESS, and how staff interact with service users. The policy seeks to support staff to help understand and deliver the public sector equality duty. This includes ongoing learning in equality and diversity, supporting an inclusive work culture, bringing equalities considerations into decision making and in delivering our services and, in our recruitment.
4.2
ESS does not consider that this is a major policy in terms of significance for undertaking our functions. However, it will influence the make-up and culture of the organisation. It will also influence how equalities and diversity considerations are brought into ESS policies and decision making, which are a fundamental part of undertaking its functions.
4.3
ESS is a fairly small organisation with 23 staff (as of March 2024). This means that the protected characteristics of an individual can significantly alter and impact the overall diversity statistics within the organisation, whilst having a very small impact in terms of protected characteristics within the wider community.
4.4
The assessment looked at published evidence available for the protected characteristics listed within the Equality Act 2010: Age, Disability, Sex, Pregnancy and Maternity, Gender Reassignment, Sexual Orientation, Race and Religion or Belief. The evidence includes data and qualitative information arising from ESS’ equality and diversity survey, and wider discussions as part of the work on developing its equalities outcomes. Statistics are not included due to the size of the organisation as the information contains categories with disclosive numbers of respondents.
Key statistics
4.5
The evidence gathered suggests that the makeup of the Scottish population is fairly evenly split between sex, 51% female and 49% male, however beyond that, other characteristics are less balanced and more varied.
4.6
With regard to age, the Scottish population is ageing, and projections are that this will continue. Over a third of the adult population in Scotland in 2021 were living with limiting long-term conditions. Over half of the Scottish population report no religion, closely followed by a majority of mixed Christian faiths at 46%. The ethnic makeup of the population is largely white Scottish/British with only 4% of the population from minority ethnic groups. The majority sexual orientation reported is heterosexual (at 95%).
4.7
The evidence suggests that for some groups there are additional barriers to employment, in particular people in younger age cohorts, people with a disability, or from a minority ethnic group were more likely to be unemployed.
4.8
The evidence also shows that working patterns can act as a barrier for some, for example faith groups, and different sexes. Inflexible working patterns and holidays can limit the ability to participate in religious practices and discourage applicants, women are also significantly more likely to work part time than men.
4.9
A study by LGBT health and wellbeing found fears of prejudice for trans people and a lack of awareness from interview panels as particular barriers for trans people.
4.10
The evidence shows that some groups in particular are more likely to have experienced discrimination, for example in 2021 adults with a long-term limiting physical/mental health condition were twice as likely to have experienced discrimination in the previous 12 months than adults without any health conditions.
4.11
In 2019 adults who identified who themselves as ‘gay, lesbian or bisexual’ were over three times as likely to have experienced discrimination in the previous 12 months than those who identified as heterosexual.
4.12
Recent research by the EHRC found that around three quarters of pregnant women and new mothers in Scotland experience negative or potentially discriminatory treatment at work each year.
