Equality is about ensuring that every individual has an equal opportunity to make the most of their lives and talents.
It is also the belief that no one should have poorer life chances because of the way they were born, where they come from, what they believe, or whether they have a disability.
Equality recognises that historically certain groups of people with protected characteristics such as race, disability, sex and sexual orientation have experienced discrimination.
Find more information below
Equality Legislation
Equality Act 2010
The Equality Act 2010 legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society. It protects the rights of people who have certain personal, protected characteristics. Fife Integration Joint Board has a legal duty to advance equality through the Equality Act 2010 and assess any positive or negative impact on the protected characteristics when developing or reviewing policies, procedures, strategies or practices. The Equality Act 2010 places a general duty on public authorities to have “due regard” to the need to:
- Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other prohibited conduct.
- Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.
- Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.
Fairer Scotland Duty 2018
The Fairer Scotland Duty, part 1 of the Equality Act 2010, came into force in Scotland on 1 April 2018 and places a legal responsibility on public bodies to actively consider how they can reduce equalities of outcome caused by socio-economic disadvantage when making decisions.
Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014
Under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) children have the right to participate in decisions which affect them. Section 2 of the Children & Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 sets out that steps must be taken to secure better or further effect the requirements of the UNCRC.
Armed Forces Act 2021
This act came into force on 22 November 2022. This Act builds on existing legislation and makes it a statutory duty to consider the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant and any supporting guidance, when planning, funding and delivering specific functions in healthcare, education and housing.
Carers (Scotland) Act 2016
This Act came into effect on 1 April, 2018 and places an emphasis on recognising the significant contribution carers make to their local communities and support carers to thrive and to continue to make a long lasting and positive contribution for as long as they wish to.
Protected Characteristics
Under the Equality Act 2010, it is against the law to discriminate against someone because of a protected characteristic.
The protected characteristics are:
- Age (including older people aged 65+)
- Disability (mental, physical and sensory)
- Gender Reassignment
- Marital Status (marriage and civil partnerships)
- Pregnancy and Maternity
- Race (all race groups including gypsy/travellers)
- Religion, Belief and Non-Belief
- Sex (women and men)
- Sexual Orientation (heterosexual, gay, lesbian and bisexual)
Additional groups that require special provision include:
- Armed Forces Community
- Carers
- Care Experienced and Care Leavers
Equality Act 2010 – Specific Duties
As a Public Body IJB are required to publish a set of equality outcomes at least every 4 years and publish a report on the progress made at least every 2 years.
IJB have identified five Equality Outcomes for 2023 - 2026
Mainstreaming the Equality Duty and Equality Outcomes Progress Report – March 2023
Equality Outcomes
- Improved collection and use of equality data, including protected characteristics, to support service planning and delivery, and promote mainstreaming of equality rights.
- Individuals with lived experience of inequality and exclusion will have more opportunities to get involved and share their views, concerns, and suggestions for improvement across the Partnership.
- Increased collaboration with communities and partners that have experience and expertise working with groups that have a protected characteristic, leading to improved health outcomes for individuals, their families and carers.
- Greater diversity and an inclusive workforce culture, with employees from all backgrounds and cultures reporting that they feel increasingly valued.
- Improved understanding and better relations between individuals and groups who share a protected characteristic, and those who do not.
The Fife Strategic Plan (2023 – 2026) and all our supporting strategies are linked to these outcomes
Equality Impact Assessments (EQIA’s)
An Equality Impact Assessment is an assessment that public bodies must complete when implementing or reviewing any policy, procedure, strategy or practice. This should be done at the very onset of the work and reviewed as the work progresses. The purpose of an EQIA is to identify how a policy or service impacts on one or more of the protected characteristics. In Fife we have incorporated Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment into our EQIA.
Completion of equality impact assessments is a legal requirement under equality legislation. The Public Sector Equality Duty requires public authorities to: -
- Assess the impact of any policy, procedure, strategy or practice against the needs of the general equality duty
- Consider relevant evidence relating to persons who share a protected characteristic
- Publish within a reasonable period, the results of any assessments (Equality Impact Assessment) - See our published EQIA's here.
- Make arrangements to review and where necessary revise the policy, procedure, strategy or practice
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Fife Health and Social Care Partnership is committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment where every individual feels valued and respected. To achieve this, we have established a set of clear and actionable objectives aimed at enhancing our Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) efforts over the next three years. The goals are designed to create a supportive and inclusive workplace culture, promote ongoing learning and awareness, and ensure our initiatives are effective and responsive to the needs of our workforce. By focusing on these goals, we aim to build a solid foundation for sustained EDI progress and continuous improvement across the whole of Fife Health & Social Care Partnership
Equality, Diversion and Inclusion Action Plan 2024-2027
Children and Young People
Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA)
As set out in Section 2 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, the IJB must take steps to secure better, or further effect, the requirements of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Children have the right to participate in decisions which affect them. A Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment is a tool that can help to inform and record the anticipated impact of any proposed policy, procedure, strategy or practice on children’s human rights and wellbeing. The CRWIA encourages the participation of children and young people in decision making. Fife IJB have incorporated this into their Equality Impact Assessment.