Publication: Working towards a more equal society in Scotland

Covid-19 has disproportionately affected both the health and prosperity of groups such as black, Asian and ethnic minorities, women and the disabled, reinforcing many of the inequalities that underlie our society with a stark brutality.

Having worked for many years on women’s equality in the labour market, and supporting people facing multiple disadvantages such as homelessness, poor mental health and substance abuse, I worry that the progress we had achieved is now at risk in the aftermath of the pandemic.

I recognise that the public sector will have to face multiple challenges as we emerge from this crisis. Nevertheless, I feel it’s vitally important that providers of public services remain aware of the consequences of inequality as well as adopt strategies to protect those facing disadvantage.

As a member of the Accounts Commission I welcome our commitment to focus on equality. Indeed, it will be a core theme underpinning our future work. Auditors will embed equality and human rights issues into their work, helping us consider how decisions made by local councils impact the whole of our society, communities and individual lives. We will be exploring how well the services councils provide meet the needs of all, how they address disadvantage and inequality, and the ways in which they provide opportunities for people to escape the multiple impacts of poverty, substance abuse and low educational attainment.

Our commitment to this approach is outlined in the recent publication of our Mainstreaming equality and equality outcomes progress 2019-21 and Equality Outcomes 2021-25 reports, alongside Audit Scotland. The Equality Outcomes 2021-25 report highlights how we will approach our statutory obligation to fulfil our equality duties, and also act with purpose and intent to deliver on equality outcomes that are more ambitious than ever.

This recognises how urgent it is to tackle the disproportionate impact of Covid-19. We will highlight where councils are making good progress in addressing inequalities. But the Accounts Commission will also support councils to take action where there are gaps in service provision or where services need improvement to ensure that our resources are fairly distributed and used to enhance and enrich the lives of all.

The Accounts Commission reports on how well councils are demonstrating Best Value. That’s a council’s duty to continuously improve, and specifically includes fairness and equality. So in our own work and our joint reporting with the Auditor General for Scotland, we will be looking to understand how equality, diversity and human rights are embedded at all levels in councils, from their vision for local people to their everyday work of service delivery. Audit teams will monitor risks around inequalities and human rights issues, alerting the Commission to changes which might increase disadvantage, as well as making us aware of good practice which can be shared.

I am very aware that the user voice is vital in understanding whether services are effective. So, I’m looking forward to finding more ways for the voice of service users to be heard in our reports, and as part of the audit evidence. This in turn will give us greater insight into the needs of those who are marginalised and those living in disadvantaged communities. I am particularly interested to see how community empowerment can be used as a means to support equality and diversity in communities across Scotland.