A GUIDE FOR PUBLIC AUTHORITIES ON MEETING THE PUBLIC SECTOR EQUALITY DUTY

A guide for public authorities on meeting the Public Sector Equality Duty 1 2 FOREWORD

The Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty are some of the most important legal safeguards for LGBT equality. They go further than prohibiting and harassment - they put a legal obligation on public bodies to act to reduce inequalities faced by LGBT people in day to day life. But too many public authorities struggle with these duties, whether it’s setting equality outcomes that have a direct positive impact on issues LGBT people face, or gathering information about the of their employees.

This guide is here to help you meet your obligations to LGBT people under the Public Sector Equality Duty, and use the duty to create real change. As well as guiding you through writing equality outcomes to tackle the barriers faced by LGBT people, this guide will show you how to find and use data on LGBT people’s experiences. We’ll also share some of the best practice we’ve gathered through working with public authorities all across Scotland, giving you sample templates and equality outcomes to work with.

Public authorities affect our lives every day, making them vital partners in our ongoing work for LGBT equality. Scotland already works with public authorities all over Scotland, from criminal justice agencies and health boards to colleges and local authorities, helping them to support and include their LGBT staff and service users. All our work is driven by your needs, so please do take us up on our offer of support.

Colin Macfarlane Director, Stonewall Scotland

A guide for public authorities on meeting the Public Sector Equality Duty 3 CONTENTS

CONTENTS Overview - 5 A GUIDE Setting Equality Outcomes - 6 Writing specific outcomes FOR PUBLIC for LGBT people - 6 Using equalities data to AUTHORITIES ON develop outcomes - 8 Data on trans people’s MEETING THE experiences - 13 Measuring your progress - 14 PUBLIC SECTOR Templates - 16 Further resources and EQUALITY DUTY support - 21

4 OVERVIEW

OVERVIEW

The Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) was introduced as part of the 2010 Equality Act, to help public authorities reduce inequalities faced by LGBT people and other people with protected characteristics. All public authorities, and anyone delivering a public function on their behalf, needs to meet the General Equality Duty. Some listed organisations (such as colleges and hospital boards) also need to meet the Specific Equality Duties, including setting equality outcomes, gathering equalities information from staff and reporting back on how they’re meeting the general equality duty every year.

These legal obligations aren’t just an arbitrary set of responsibilities – they’re there to support public bodies to remove the barriers that LGBT people still face. When one in six LGBT people still experience discrimination or poor service from a public service, it’s clear that public bodies can and must do more to ensure that LGBT people are treated fairly.

This clear guide is here to show you how you can use these legal duties to create meaningful change for LGBT people, from writing equality outcomes that help dismantle the barriers that LGBT people face, to using equality data and evidence to measure your progress. We’ve also included templates and examples of good practice from throughout the public sector to give you a head start. No matter how small your organisation, or what sector you work in, we hope that this will help you make your services more inclusive and accessible for the LGBT people you work with.

A guide for public authorities on meeting the Public Sector Equality Duty 5 SETTING EQUALITY OUTCOMES

SETTING EQUALITY OUTCOMES

Any listed public body will need to write equality outcomes to help them reduce inequalities within their own organisation and to report back on these every two years. These outcomes are a great opportunity to focus on the specific barriers faced by LGBT people using your service or working within your organisation. But many organisations find LGBT equality outcomes difficult to develop, sometimes because they don’t know enough about the experiences of LGBT people, or how to incorporate these into the rest of their organisation’s strategies and business plan. Here, we look at some of the most common challenges faced in including LGBT equality in writing equality outcomes, and show how you can overcome them. WRITING SPECIFIC OUTCOMES FOR LGBT PEOPLE

Often, it can seem more inclusive to mainstream LGBT issues through your equality outcomes, and set broad outcomes that cover multiple protected characteristics. There are some advantages to this approach, in particular recognising that more than one protected characteristic may be affected by a particular issue. Outcomes such as “reduce barriers to learning caused by bullying” or “ensure equal access to primary healthcare”, could apply to multiple characteristics. Additionally, to really remove barriers and achieve equality in workplace culture or service provision, organisations may need to consider many different aspects of a person’s identity. However, often the disadvantage that some people face due to their protected characteristics can be complex, and people from different backgrounds face different barriers. Broad equality outcomes can risk ignoring the specific barriers that LGBT people face.

Writing outcomes that specifically relate to the barriers that LGBT people face will help you to tackle these much more effectively. If an equality outcome is appropriate and relevant to multiple characteristics, make sure you plan for different actions or activities to address the different barriers faced by each characteristic (see below for examples), as well as planning specific measurements for how the activity has impacted each of the relevant characteristics.

REMEMBER Your equality outcomes are required to cover all protected characteristics, unless you can give a good reason why they shouldn’t be addressed. Equality outcomes should also be proportionate to the size and scope of your organisation. If your organisation is large, such as an NHS health board or a national authority, you should include equality outcomes that specifically address the barriers faced by LGBT people.

6 WRITING SPECIFIC OUTCOMES FOR LGBT PEOPLE

GOOD PRACTICE CASE STUDY: NHS 24

STRATEGIC OUTCOME: Mental Health – patients, other service users and carers’ mental health will improve through enhanced access to treatment for mental illness, preventative measures and wellbeing initiatives delivered through new technology and person centred, safe and effective services

EQUALITY OUTCOME: LGB&T people’s mental health improves through access to safe, confidential advice and information (see annex A)

NHS 24 recognised that different minority groups experienced high levels of mental ill health, and identified a high level strategic outcome around improving mental health services which would benefit all these groups. They also developed specific equality outcomes for each key group targeted through this high level outcome, including one focusing on LGBT people. This approach ensured that the cross- strand issue of mental health is mainstreamed within NHS 24 policy, but allows for targeted work for specific minority groups.

This equality outcome helped NHS 24 to specifically focus on improving LGBT people’s mental health. They worked with Stonewall Scotland to further identify the needs and experiences of LGBT people. Staff at Breathing Space, NHS 24’s mental health helpline, received training to allow them to provide an inclusive service to LGBT people accessing the service. Breathing Space also developed promotional materials, such as pop up banners and leaflets to promote the helpline as being inclusive, and encourage LGBT people to use the service.

A guide for public authorities on meeting the Public Sector Equality Duty 7 SETTING EQUALITY OUTCOMES

USING EQUALITIES DATA TO DEVELOP OUTCOMES

It’s important to have evidence and data on LGBT people’s experiences when you’re developing your equality outcomes. A strong evidence base helps you understand the specific barriers faced by LGBT people, and write equality outcomes that help to address them. Whatever your sector, there’s data that you can use to get a greater insight into LGBT people’s lives.

NATIONAL LGBT RESEARCH

Over the last five years, a great deal of research has been done into the experiences of LGBT people in various public services. National research has highlighted areas of inequality experienced by LGBT people in health and social care, criminal justice, education and local community services, and this data can provide a starting point to develop equality outcomes specifically focused on LGBT people.

Health and Social Care Criminal Justice Many LGBT people expect to be discriminated One in six (17 per cent) lesbian, gay and against when accessing health and social care bisexual people in Scotland have been the services. More than one in five would not feel victim of a homophobic hate crime or incident comfortable being open about their gender in the last three years. (Homophobic Hate identity or sexual orientation with health and Crime – Scotland Cornerstone, Stonewall social care staff (Your Services Your Say, Scotland, 2013). Stonewall Scotland 2013). More than a third (36 per cent) of LGBT One in eight (12 per cent) practitioners with direct responsibility for patient care are not people would not feel confident reporting confident in their ability to understand and a homophobic or transphobic hate crime meet the specific needs of lesbian, gay or directly to the police (Your Services Your Say, bisexual patients and service users, whilst Stonewall Scotland, 2013). more than one in five (22 per cent) are not confident in their ability to respond to the specific care needs of trans patients and service users. (Unhealthy Attitudes Scotland, 2015).

8 USING EQUALITIES DATA TO DEVELOP OUTCOMES

Further and Higher Education Sport and recreation Almost one in four LGBT people say they One in eight (12 per cent) LGBT people have believe they would be discriminated against had a negative experience which they felt to by other students if they were a student at be related to their sexual orientation or gender college or university (Your Services Your Say, identity when accessing sport and leisure Stonewall Scotland, 2013). facilities. (Your Services Your Say, Stonewall Scotland, 2013). 38 per cent of trans learners had experienced homophobic, biphobic or transphobic bullying at university (Life in Scotland for LGBT Young People, LGBT Youth Scotland, 2012).

Housing Community Services One in six (17 per cent) lesbian, gay and One in six (16 per cent) LGBT people say they bisexual people in Scotland have been the have experienced poor treatment because victim of a homophobic hate crime or incident of their sexual orientation or gender identity in the last three years. (Homophobic Hate when accessing a public service in the last Crime – Scotland Cornerstone, Stonewall three years (Your Services Your Say, Stonewall Scotland, 2013) Scotland, 2013).

More than a third (36 per cent) of LGBT people would not feel confident reporting a homophobic or transphobic hate crime directly to the police (Your Services Your Say, Stonewall Scotland, 2013).

See Resources section for more information and links to research.

A guide for public authorities on meeting the Public Sector Equality Duty 9 SETTING EQUALITY OUTCOMES

NATIONAL DATA

Source Topic Summary Characteristics covered Hate Crime in Scotland Crime and Safety Reported hate crimes in Scotland LGBT (COPFS) The Scottish Crime and Safety Rates of harassment experienced by LGB Household Survey LGB people Scottish Crime and Crime and Safety Gender of abusive partners by LGB Justice survey (domestic abuse) gender of respondent

Dimensions of Health and Social Includes a review of health LGB Diversity, Public Care; inequalities faced by LGB people, Health Scotland smoking, drug use, mental health and Sport and Leisure wellbeing, physical activity, Sexual health, access to healthcare Variations in the Health and Social - suggests that LGB patients have LGB Experiences of Care less positive experiences than Inpatients in Scotland: heterosexual patients in a number of Analysis of the 2010 areas. Scottish Inpatient Survey Scottish Core Surveys Health and Social Smoking, mental wellbeing LGB Questions 2014 Care The Scottish Social Education Public attitudes towards employing L, G and T Attitudes survey 2010 lesbian, gay and trans people who have had surgery as part of their transition as primary school teachers. NOTE:This research includes limited data on attitudes towards trans people, focusing on those whose transition has included surgery. We recommend using data that looks at the experiences of all trans people, who are a diverse group.

Scottish Health Survey Sport and LGB people are less likely to meet LGB 2012 Recreation; national recommendations for physical activity Health and Social Care

The Scottish Government’s Equality Evidence finder can also help you find national data for different sectors. You can find this on the Scottish Government website.

10 USING EQUALITIES DATA TO DEVELOP OUTCOMES

LOCAL DATA

Your organisation may have data gathered locally on LGBT people’s experience of your service or community which you can use to develop an evidence base. Consider a range of data sources, including:

Staff monitoring and surveys Service User monitoring Public authorities are required to ask questions Many organisations ask people using their of their staff to get a good understanding of service to fill in demographic questionnaires to the diversity of their workforce. This can be a get a better idea of who is using this service. valuable source of data – a high proportion of People can sometimes be reluctant to give staff declaring they are LGBT indicates that this information, so it’s important to explain to LGBT staff are comfortable being open about people why you are collecting it and how it’s being themselves in your organisation. See our used. Monitoring Guide for more information. Once you have it, this data can give you valuable insight as to how LGBT people use Service User Feedback/Complaints your service. If very few service users are identifying as LGBT, this may mean that LGBT Including a demographic questionnaire with people are choosing not to use your service, any feedback or complaints form gives you the or choosing not to share this information. If opportunity to look specifically at the experiences more LGBT people are using your service than of LGBT service users. If you don’t normally you would expect, this may give you some include demographic questions, start by looking information about the needs of your local through your existing feedback for any possible LGBT community. trends, or instances of feedback directly relating to someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

ENGAGING STAFF

Your staff – whether LGBT or not – will be able to give you great feedback into how inclusive your workplace is. Engaging with existing LGBT staff networks is a great way to get insight into the barriers faced by LGBT employees.

GOOD PRACTICE CASE STUDY: CROWN OFFICE AND PROCURATOR FISCAL SERVICE (COPFS) COPFS set up a network group, ‘Proud in COPFS’, for LGBTI staff. As well as providing a space for LGBTI staff to support each other, the network group has a key role to play in helping to develop equality outcomes and helping create a more inclusive workplace. Network members took part in a reverse mentoring scheme, where they helped senior members of staff develop their understanding of the issues faced by LGBTI staff at work. In 2015, Proud in COPFS won Stonewall Scotland’s Network of the Year Award.

A guide for public authorities on meeting the Public Sector Equality Duty 11 SETTING EQUALITY OUTCOMES

ENGAGING WITH LGBT SERVICE USERS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS

Your LGBT service users are also a valuable source of knowledge – engaging with them can help you identify the specific problems LGBT people face in your organisation. You can also engage with the wider community to access a bigger pool of people, including people who may not be accessing your service because of equality barriers. Local LGBT groups, including youth groups, are often very willing to support local organisations in making their services more accessible.

GOOD PRACTICE EXAMPLE: CITY OF GLASGOW COLLEGE

EQUALITY OUTCOME: LGBT students and staff have access to support networks and facilities. When developing their 2013 equality outcomes, City of Glasgow College held a focus group with their LGBT Student Society, drawing on their experiences of college life and allowing their voices to be heard. This led to the development of a specific equality outcome (see above) to improve LGBT students access to support. Based on this equality outcome, the college has invested in providing support for LGBT students. The Student Association has launched an LGBTQ+ society to allow students to meet and support each other. By 2015 nearly 40 students had joined, with nine on average attending every week. Facilities have become more inclusive for trans and non-binary students, with at least one gender neutral, accessible toilet provided in each building. The Students’ Association, Student Engagement Team, and Diversity and Equality Team are working towards LGBT Youth Scotland’s Silver Charter Mark, including training which will help them better understand the needs of LGBT students. In 2014, City of Glasgow College’s student questionnaire found that 87 per cent of LGB students agreed or strongly agreed that “student services provides useful support relevant to my circumstances”. Repeating this questionnaire will allow the college to see how LGB students perception of support improves over time, and how they meet their equality outcome.

TOP TIP People can get ‘consultation fatigue’ when they are frequently asked them to fill in surveys. Try and work collaboratively with other local services to reduce the number of surveys they get, and to get more respondents for across your services.

12 DATA ON TRANS PEOPLE’S EXPERIENCES

DATA ON TRANS PEOPLE’S EXPERIENCES

Unfortunately, very little public data is currently available on trans people’s experiences of public services. However, even if you’re struggling to find data, there are steps you can take and other resources you can use to develop effective equality outcomes to improve the experiences of trans people. 1. Make use of research While it can be hard to find public data on the problems trans people face, there is a growing amount of research on their experiences. The Scottish Transgender Alliance have produced a number of research reports – see the resources section for more details. The Scottish Government Equality Outcomes Evidence Review 2013 is also a valuable resource, which gathers and reviews existing evidence on trans people’s experiences of education, employment, poverty, housing, transport, health, sport and criminal justice.

2. Make gathering data part of your planned activities If you find that there is genuinely no data available on the experiences of trans people using services in your sector, then make finding that data one of your planned activities, with a clear and measurable target for success in this area. Learning more about the barriers trans people face is the first step to removing them, making this a valuable activity under an equality outcome relating to service provision. And it’s well worthwhile spending time investigating what stops people making the most out of your services to make sure you reach everyone. Make sure you consult local and national LGBT groups (see section on Local Data)

3. Share data with others in your sector and local area If you’re struggling to find any data relevant to your sector, it’s likely that other organisations are too. Talk to other organisations in your sector, and in your area, and see if you can share data you’ve gathered. You may even be able to collaborate on gathering it. Share your knowledge and resources, and avoid duplicating work where you can.

A guide for public authorities on meeting the Public Sector Equality Duty 13 MEASURING YOUR PROGRESS MEASURING YOUR PROGRESS

All public authorities are required to report back on what progress they have made towards their equality outcomes. But we know that some public authorities find it challenging to find or collect data that they can use to measure progress, particularly for LGBT related outcomes. Here are just a few of the ways that you can collect data and measure your progress.

Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index (WEI) is Britain’s largest LGBT workplace benchmarking tool, measuring how inclusive participating workplaces are. Each participating organisation is marked and ranked, giving them a measurable way to track their progress in improving staff inclusion. Because the WEI captures how you comply with equalities legislation , it’s a very useful measurement to include in your equality outcomes. Staff in participating organisations take part in the anonymous staff survey, which is a really useful way to get data on various measures of LGBT workplace inclusion:

• How comfortable are lesbian, gay and bi people in disclosing their sexual orientation at work? • How supported are lesbian, gay, bi and trans employees supported by managers and senior managers? • How confident are staff in reporting homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying in the workplace?

The criteria explore ten areas of employment policy and practice: • Employee policy • Line managers • Training • Monitoring • Employee network group • Procurement • All-staff engagement • Community engagement • Career development • Additional work

The WEI is about sharing good practice, not ‘naming and shaming’. Only the highest performing organisations are named publically, but we want to work with all participants to help them improve their workplace inclusion. Participation is free, and open to all employers.

The Stonewall Education Equality Index benchmarks education authorities in how they support LGBT young people, looking at how homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying is tackled. Like the Workplace Equality Index, participants are marked and ranked, allowing them to track their improvement and compare their progress to other local authorities. Participation is free, and open to all education authorities.

14 DATA ON TRANS PEOPLE’S EXPERIENCES

GOOD PRACTICE EXAMPLE: POLICE SCOTLAND

EQUALITY OUTCOME: We have a workplace where people feel valued and are encouraged to maximise their potential to ensure the most efficient and effective service is delivered.

MEASURES: Improve Stonewall Workplace Equality Index score each year

As part of measuring their experiences of LGBT staff, Police Scotland have entered into the Workplace Equality Index for several years. Their ranking in the index each year gives them an indication of how LGBT inclusive their workplace is compared to others, and gives them a measurable metric. In 2016, they entered into the UK’s top 100 employers for LGBT people, jumping from 119 to 83. Tracking their performance over the years also allows them to see how they’ve improved year on year. The confidential staff questionnaire also gave them qualitative feedback as to how their LGBT staff felt compared to non LGBT staff.

Any local data that you gather as part of an evidence base – such as focus groups with staff networks – can also be used to track your progress. Any quantitative, measurable forms of data, such as rates of staff taking part in diversity monitoring can be compared both when setting outcomes and reporting back.

Take care when interpreting your data. Many organisations find that when they first start recording bullying, incidents of discrimination or even incidents of crime, these incidents actually appear to go up. While this can feel a little disheartening, it’s often not that the rate of these incidents is increasing, but that people feel more confident in reporting them. That is why it is important to consistently and regularly monitor staff and service users, and use additional sources of information, including qualitative feedback to help interpret your data. Make use of support from national LGBT organisations if you are unsure about what your data says.

TOP TIPS • When you set your equality outcomes, make sure you’re already thinking about how you will measure progress and what data on LGBT REMEMBER people you will need to measure it. Useful and The targets you set for your equality accurate data will be critical for reporting and outcomes aren’t arbitrary – they have the publishing the progress you’ve made towards potential to make a real difference. So whilst your equality outcomes. it’s important to be realistic, try and set targets • When you’re developing your business plan, that will stretch you and your organisation – discuss your equality outcomes at the same these will make the biggest changes to LGBT time so you can link them to your corporate people’s lives. objectives.

A guide for public authorities on meeting the Public Sector Equality Duty 15 TEMPLATES TEMPLATES There is no set format for equality outcomes. However, the templates below have been developed on the basis of existing good practice from public authorities. Remember to distinguish between outputs (activities or actions that you take) outcomes (the overall end result of your activities).

EQUALITY OUTCOME What is your overall outcome? What should the situation look like after your activities and outputs? Remember that these should be measurable, and demonstrate a clear improvement that will be made to LGBT people’s lives. EXAMPLE: LGBT EMPLOYEES WORK IN AN ENVIRONMENT FREE FROM HARASSMENT AND DISCRIMINATION, AND WHERE THEY FEEL SAFE AND RESPECTED. EVIDENCE EXAMPLE: • In the business • In our staff monitoring, WHAT EVIDENCE • The Stonewall year 2014-15 our staff only 50 per cent of staff Workplace Equality made 15 complaints of disclose their sexual IS YOUR EQUALITY Index suggests that homophobic, biphobic orientation. Of those OUTCOME BASED ON? only 21 per cent of LGB and transphobic who do disclose, only people in Scotland are language from other 2 percent identify as happy being totally out staff. lesbian, gay or bisexual. in the workplace. Fewer than five staff disclosed they identified as trans. OUTPUTS EXAMPLE: • Use Stonewall’s • Promote Stonewall’s • Raise awareness NoBystanders LGBT Role Models and WHAT WILL YOU of the procedures for campaign to encourage Allies programmes, and DO TO MAKE YOUR reporting bullying or staff to challenge support and encourage EQUALITY OUTCOMES harassment in the discriminatory LGBT staff in becoming HAPPEN? workplace, particularly language. more visible. for homophobic, biphobic and • Show an organisa- • Include monitoring transphobic incidents. tional commitment to questions in staff survey LGBT equality, including year on year to increase through attending Pride the amount of data on and celebrating LGBT the characteristics of History Month. our staff. MEASUREMENT EXAMPLE: • More staff complete • Annual Organisational • Staff Survey from the monitoring questions Staff Survey indicates WHAT WILL YOU Workplace Equality in staff questionnaires, that more LGBT staff DO TO MAKE YOUR Index indicates and more feel able to feel safe and respected EQUALITY OUTCOMES an increase in the use them to say that at work. HAPPEN? percentage of staff they are LGBT. who are comfortable in • Annual Organisational being open about their Staff Survey indicates sexual orientation or that staff hear fewer gender identity. discriminatory remarks.

16 TEMPLATES

TEMPLATE EQUALITY OUTCOME: CRIMINAL JUSTICE

EQUALITY OUTCOME TRANS PEOPLE ARE SAFE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND FEEL CONFIDENT IN REPORTING HATE CRIME WHEN IT OCCURS. EVIDENCE • In 2015/2016, there • More than a third were 30 reported (36 per cent) of LGBT transphobic hate people would not feel crimes and incidents in confident reporting Scotland (COPFS, Hate a homophobic or Crime Statistics). transphobic hate crime directly to the police (Your Services Your Say, Stonewall Scotland, 2013).

OUTPUTS • Engage with trans • Show an • Promote Stonewall’s communities and organisational LGBT Role Models and individuals to increase commitment to trans Allies programmes, and confidence in reporting equality in particular, support and encourage including through trans staff in becoming • Promote methods attending Pride and more visible. of reporting hate observing Trans Day of crime, and stress the Remembrance importance of reporting hate crimes and incidents, including verbal abuse.

MEASUREMENT • The number of • Our organisation’s reported transphobic annual community hate crimes increases engagement survey year on year, indicating shows that confidence an increased rate of from trans communities reporting. in reporting crime is increasing year on year.

A guide for public authorities on meeting the Public Sector Equality Duty 17 TEMPLATES

TEMPLATE EQUALITY OUTCOME: HOUSING

EQUALITY OUTCOME LGBT PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO LIVE SAFELY IN OUR ACCOMMODATION, AND FEEL CONFIDENT IN REPORTING ABUSE, DISCRIMINATION AND HATE CRIME WHEN IT OCCURS.

EVIDENCE • More than a quarter • Only 40 per cent of our (27 per cent) of LGBT service users declare people would expect to their sexual orientation face discrimination from through monitoring a housing officer were forms. Of these, only 0.5 they to apply for social per cent disclose that housing (Your Services they are lesbian, gay or Your Say, Stonewall bisexual. Fewer than Scotland, 2013). 0.5 per cent of residents have disclosed that they are trans.

OUTPUTS • Provide training for • Show an • Raise awareness of front line staff on the organisational why your organisation needs of LGBT service commitment to LGBT asks questions about users. equality, including sexual orientation through attending Pride and gender identity, • Promote Stonewall’s and celebrating LGBT including through LGBT Role Models and History Month. posters and booklets. Allies programmes, and support and encourage • Raise awareness of • Develop a LGBT LGBT staff in becoming your organisations’s residents forum to more visible. complaints procedure, provide an insight into particularly for their experiences in homophobic, biphobic our accommodation, and transphobic abuse. and feedback on the development and impact of new initiatives.

MEASUREMENT • The proportion of • Our residents • Feedback from the service users disclosing survey shows that new LGBT residents their sexual orientation the proportion of forum indicates an or gender identity, and LGBT residents who improvement in their that they are LGBT, feel safe living in our sense of safety and increases year on year. accommodation has confidence in our increased. accommodation.

18 TEMPLATES

TEMPLATE EQUALITY OUTCOME: BEGINNERS

EQUALITY OUTCOME OUR ORGANISATION WILL UNDERSTAND THE BARRIERS EXPERIENCED BY OUR LGBT SERVICE USERS AND STAFF.

EVIDENCE • One in six LGBT people access our • Only 40 per cent of our people say that they organisation, or what service users declare have experienced their experience is like their sexual orientation discrimination or poor of our sector. through monitoring service from a public forms. Of these, only 0.5 service in the last three per cent disclose that years (Your Services they are lesbian, gay or Your Say, Stonewall bisexual. Fewer than Scotland). However, 0.5 per cent of residents there is little evidence have disclosed that about how LGBT they are trans.

OUTPUTS • Engage with local • Ensure that service • Raise awareness of and national LGBT user surveys include why your organisation organisations and space for individuals asks questions about individuals to hear to disclose their sexual sexual orientation about the experiences orientation and gender and gender identity, of LGBT people identity. including through accessing your service posters and booklets. • Assess how inclusive • Engage with service our workplace is by • Show your users through focus taking part in the organisation’s groups, anonymous Workplace Equality commitment to surveys to ask about Index. LGBT equality , their experiences. including through using Stonewall’s No Bystanders campaign.

MEASUREMENT • Our organisation that they are LGBT, • Our organisation’s has identified three increases year on year. ranking in the key concerns of LGBT • The proportion of staff Workplace Equality service users and staff disclosing their sexual Index increases year • The proportion of orientation or gender on year service users disclosing identity, and that they their sexual orientation are LGBT, increases or gender identity, and year on year.

A guide for public authorities on meeting the Public Sector Equality Duty 19 20 FUTHER RESOURCES AND SUPPORT

FURTHER RESOURCES AND SUPPORT STONEWALL RESEARCH AND RESOURCES • Your Services Your Say (2013) – LGBT people’s experiences of public services, including community services, emergency services, housing, health and social care and policing

• Unhealthy Attitudes Scotland (2015) – the experiences of LGBT people (both staff and service users) in health and social care in Scotland

• The School Report (2012) – LGB young people’s experiences of school

• Homophobic Hate Crime - Scotland Cornerstone (2013) – LGB people’s experiences of hate crime

• Stonewall Workplace Equality Index (published annually) – highlights experiences of LGBT employees from across the country, as well as sharing best practice in LGBT workplace inclusion

• Monitoring guide - Stonewall Scotland’s monitoring guide is full of practical tips on how you can monitor the diversity of your staff and service users effectively, and how it can help your organisation become more inclusive. FURTHER RESEARCH • Trans Mental Health Study - Scottish Transgender Alliance (2012) – the mental health needs and experiences of trans people, including when accessing services

• Out of Sight, Out of Mind? Transgender people’s experiences of domestic abuse – Scottish Transgender Alliance

• Complicated? Bisexual people’s experiences of and ideas for improving services – Equality Network (2015)

• Life in Scotland for LGBT Young People – LGBT Youth Scotland (2012)

A guide for public authorities on meeting the Public Sector Equality Duty 21 FURTHER SUPPORT

FURTHER SUPPORT Stonewall Scotland’s programme is the country’s leading best-practice employers’ forum for sexual orientation and gender identity equality, diversity and inclusion. We currently work with over 700 organisations across public, private and third sectors to help them create inclusive and accepting environments for almost a quarter of the UK workforce. The programme offers support for public authorities in developing equality outcomes and monitoring staff and service users, as well as reviewing policies and practices to create a more inclusive workplace.

Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index is an evidence based benchmarking tool helping organisations to assess their achievements and progress on LGBT equality in the workplace. Running every year, organisations must demonstrate how they support their LGBT staff in a number of areas. Participants are also encouraged to survey their LGBT staff, providing valuable equalities data.

For more information on the Diversity Champions programme or the Workplace Equality Index, contact the Membership Programmes Team on 0131 474 8019

22 A GUIDE FOR PUBLIC AUTHORITIES ON MEETING THE PUBLIC SECTOR EQUALITY DUTY

Written by Sophie Bridger e: [email protected] Designed by Alex Long w: www.stonewallscotland.org.uk t: 0131 474 8019 Published by Stonewall Scotland, Reg Charity No 1101255 (England and Wales) September 2016 and SC039681 (Scotland) A guide for public authorities on meeting the Public Sector Equality Duty 23 A GUIDE FOR PUBLIC AUTHORITIES ON MEETING THE PUBLIC SECTOR EQUALITY DUTY

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