Introduction to Diversity in the Scottish Court Service
I am pleased to introduce our revised equality schemes for 2010-11 which address the Scottish Court Service’s general and specific duties in regard to race, disability and gender equality. We have undertaken a review and updated all of the three schemes and their accompanying action plans to ensure compliance with the legislation and that we can identify and eliminate any discrimination or bias towards any specific group in our service delivery and employment practice.
However, during 2010-11 we will be totally revising our approach and will move towards the creation of a single equalities scheme in anticipation of new legislative requirements being place upon public bodies to develop schemes that address all of the “protected characteristics” (race, sex, gender reassignment, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership and pregnancy and maternity).
As is detailed in the updated schemes and their accompanying action plans, we have undertaken, and are continuing to progress, a range of activities specifically to promote equality and monitor our record in ensuing that our employment practices and service delivery comply with the general and specific equalities duties.
Compliance with the duties isn’t our only goal in publishing these schemes and developing the action plans within them. We aim to go as far as we can in achieving a culture where diversity and equality is “mainstreamed” and becomes just a normal, everyday part of the way we do our business.
People coming to court or making applications to the Office of the Public Guardian need to have confidence in our services, whatever their background or their needs.
Through national court user surveys and local and national feedback processes, we want to understand the needs of all court users so that we can identify and target the areas in which we can improve our services.
We want to attract people from all sections of the community to our organisation and retain them in our employment. We want a diverse and well motivated workforce where all staff are treated equally and with respect.
In revising our schemes, as part of our wider work on diversity and equality, we have a framework for action to achieve equality both in the service we provide and in the employment terms and conditions that we offer to our staff. We have a firm foundation on which to build a single scheme to address all of the protected characteristics.
We have made good progress in recent years but we know that there is still more that we can and must do to meet our equality and diversity goals and to further promote equality in our employment and service delivery.
I welcome your comments on equality in the Scottish Court Service and how we can continue to improve our approach.
Eleanor Emberson
Chief Executive