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The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund initially ran from 2017 to 2020, and was then extended to October 2021 due to the impacts of covid-19. It was superseded by a revised funding programme: the current Equality and Human Rights Fund.

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund was used to fund projects that would contribute to one or more of four outcomes:

• Discrimination against people who share protected characteristics is reduced and multiple discrimination is addressed so that barriers to participation are reduced.
• People covered by hate crime legislation experience lower levels of hate crime.
• People and communities are supported to participate in and engage with services and civic society; their contribution is recognised, and community cohesion is increased.
• Current imbalances in representation in all aspects and levels of public life, including education and employment are addressed to better reflect our communities

The Central Scotland Regional Equality Council (CSREC) “Equality in the Community” project was funded to reduce the negative effects of inequality, hate and marginalisation experienced by individuals and groups of Minority Ethnic and Refugee backgrounds; Disabled people and LGBTI people living and working in Central Scotland. The project would take an intersectional approach and would address the challenges faced by those with multiple protected characteristics.

The project was intended to play a supportive role in building the capacity of those community members and community groups to engage with the wider public to enhance community cohesion and prevent incidents of hate crime and discrimination; increase confidence in reporting and reduce barriers to reporting hate crime. The project will engage with local community groups to discuss and address their experiences and concerns and liaison between them and partner public and third sector agencies to ensure that practical solutions are developed and delivered.

To achieve these aims, the project would through its support and advice service and the people’s forums facilitate greater participation in public life and engagement with public authorities and address issues of discrimination, exclusion and hate crime; it would organise events and awareness sessions on hate crime and how it can be challenged by those affected; it would organise community events to facilitate greater community cohesion with particular focus on fighting rising Islamophobia, anti-immigration sentiment and its impact on communities in Central Scotland. It would also help equality community groups to capacity build to organise and achieve their aims and objectives.

The specific outcomes to be achieved were:

• Individuals from Minority Ethnic communities, LGBTI persons and those with disabilities will experience less discrimination and will have reduced barriers to participation in civil society
• Individuals from Minority Ethnic communities, LGBTI persons and those with disabilities will be more aware of hate crime legislation, their rights as victims and will develop the ability to challenge and respond effectively to hate crime against themselves and in the wider community
• Members of Minority Ethnic communities, LGBTI persons and those with disabilities will be more organised and collectively and individually contribute to development of services and feel a part of Scottish society.

The Fund was managed on a day to day basis on the Scottish Government’s behalf by Impact Funding Partners initially and then Inspiring Scotland. You can find a Final Progress Update report for the Fund summarising its impacts here: Promoting-Equality-and-Cohesion-Fund-Final-Report-Jan-Sep-2021-for-SG-publication.pdf

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund initially ran from 2017 to 2020, and was then extended to October 2021 due to the impacts of covid-19. It was superseded by a revised funding programme: the current Equality and Human Rights Fund.

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund was used to fund projects that would contribute to one or more of four outcomes:

• Discrimination against people who share protected characteristics is reduced and multiple discrimination is addressed so that barriers to participation are reduced.
• People covered by hate crime legislation experience lower levels of hate crime.
• People and communities are supported to participate in and engage with services and civic society; their contribution is recognised, and community cohesion is increased.
• Current imbalances in representation in all aspects and levels of public life, including education and employment are addressed to better reflect our communities

The Women in the Highlands project was funded to support the Workers Education Association (WEA) to lay the foundations for five self-governing and sustainable groups for women in the Highlands. Through the founding of these groups, women would be encouraged and empowered to participate in and engage with services and civic society. Links to the Women’s Equality Steering group via a Highland satellite cluster would lead to increased community cohesion and recognition.

The specific outcomes to be achieved were:

• Women in the Highlands will be encouraged and empowered to participate in and engage with services and civic society.
• Women expressing an interest in becoming leaders will be supported and have increased access to development opportunities.
• Five self-governing and sustainable women’s groups will be established in the Highlands.

The Fund was managed on a day to day basis on the Scottish Government’s behalf by Impact Funding Partners initially and then Inspiring Scotland. You can find a Final Progress Update report for the Fund summarising its impacts here: Promoting-Equality-and-Cohesion-Fund-Final-Report-Jan-Sep-2021-for-SG-publication.pdf

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund initially ran from 2017 to 2020, and was then extended to October 2021 due to the impacts of covid-19. It was superseded by a revised funding programme: the current Equality and Human Rights Fund.

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund was used to fund projects that would contribute to one or more of four outcomes:

• Discrimination against people who share protected characteristics is reduced and multiple discrimination is addressed so that barriers to participation are reduced.
• People covered by hate crime legislation experience lower levels of hate crime.
• People and communities are supported to participate in and engage with services and civic society; their contribution is recognised, and community cohesion is increased.
• Current imbalances in representation in all aspects and levels of public life, including education and employment are addressed to better reflect our communities

The Empowering, Engaging, and Connecting Diverse Communities project was funded to support the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities (SCOJEC) to improve understanding by providing public bodies and others with evidence about matters that affect Jewish people, and promoting accurate education about Jews and Judaism; and to build capacity of Jewish people by engaging them through networks, newsletters, events, mutual support, to improve resilience to hate crime, increase confidence, safety, and involvement in Scottish society. As well as to expand volunteering and empower minority communities to engage in civic society.

The specific outcomes to be achieved were:

• Improved community cohesion and safety: people with Jewish heritage feel better supported, networks are strengthened, people feel better able and more confident in reporting antisemitic hate crime, and the Jewish Community as a whole is more cohesive and resilient.
• Education and community cohesion: accurate, authoritative, and engaging educational materials about Jews, Judaism, and the Jewish Community are available for schools, teachers, and community groups; and accurate information is provided for, and accessed by, government, public authorities, other communities and the media.
• Participation and representation: Minority communities will be better informed about policy matters and better able to engage effectively with public bodies, including Government, in order to tackle racism and inequality, promote the rights and political empowerment of those communities to influence policy and service delivery, and to support the effective implementation of the public sector equality duty. Since evident that the resource is produced by a Jewish organisation, it will also engender positive feelings towards the Jewish community, and thus contribute to improved community relations and a reduction in antisemitic attitudes.

The Fund was managed on a day to day basis on the Scottish Government’s behalf by Impact Funding Partners initially and then Inspiring Scotland. You can find a Final Progress Update report for the Fund summarising its impacts here: Promoting-Equality-and-Cohesion-Fund-Final-Report-Jan-Sep-2021-for-SG-publication.pdf

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund initially ran from 2017 to 2020, and was then extended to October 2021 due to the impacts of covid-19. It was superseded by a revised funding programme: the current Equality and Human Rights Fund.

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund was used to fund projects that would contribute to one or more of four outcomes:

• Discrimination against people who share protected characteristics is reduced and multiple discrimination is addressed so that barriers to participation are reduced.
• People covered by hate crime legislation experience lower levels of hate crime.
• People and communities are supported to participate in and engage with services and civic society; their contribution is recognised, and community cohesion is increased.
• Current imbalances in representation in all aspects and levels of public life, including education and employment are addressed to better reflect our communities

The “Hearts of Govanhill” project was funded to enable the organisation to build on relationships with local people and knowledge of the context which has proven effective in addressing longstanding and emergent tensions between different social groups in the Govanhill area through community interventions that build bridging (social) capital.

The 3 main strands of Hearts of Govanhill were:

• Understanding Each Other (UEO) – a schools outreach project, which by building on links already made with local primary schools would be developed in collaboration and delivered with a focus on Hate Crime;
• Feel Good Women’s Group (FGWG) – continuing the group and related development activities, as a space for women to increase physical and mental health and gain peer support, eventually working towards a dedicated women’s centre space;
• Work with the Roma community – continue to build the capacity of the local Roma community, with a move towards issue-based citizen advocacy to deal with shared issues, the popular Tuesday Evening Drop-in, and developing the activity of the Baking Group.

Additionally, they would continue with:

• Streetwork – a community engagement project;
• Community events – providing opportunities for locals of different cultural backgrounds to come together through shared interest;
• One-to-one support to vulnerable individuals.

The specific outcomes to be achieved were:

• Local people from ethnically diverse and deprived areas of Govanhill experience fewer barriers and more opportunities to participate in local life.
• People in Govanhill have increased awareness of Hate Crime and the impact of discrimination and experience less discrimination as a result.
• Local people with protected characteristics have increased opportunities to build relationships of trust with others.

The Fund was managed on a day to day basis on the Scottish Government’s behalf by Impact Funding Partners initially and then Inspiring Scotland. You can find a Final Progress Update report for the Fund summarising its impacts here: Promoting-Equality-and-Cohesion-Fund-Final-Report-Jan-Sep-2021-for-SG-publication.pdf

The Scottish Government has no plans to change the Human Tissue (Scotland) Act 2006 (the 2006 Act) and believes that the Act sufficiently addresses consent and the handling of tissue in relation to post-mortem examinations.

The Human Tissue Act 2004 applies in its entirety in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It allows for tissues/samples to be returned to the next of kin, whereas under the 2006 Act in Scotland these become part of the medical record. The 2006 Act includes a schedule for disposal of medical records in Scotland.

The current situation in Scotland is that where a post-mortem is instructed by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) as part of an investigation into a death, consent is not required and some samples may be retained for future evidentiary purposes. COPFS endeavour to inform the family in advance of such steps. Where a post-mortem is not part of a COPFS investigation into a death, for example where the death occurs in a hospital, consent is always required for the post-mortem from the next-of-kin or the deceased themselves in advance.

The Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee is currently considering the petition PE1911 – Review of Human Tissue (Scotland) Act 2006 as it relates to post-mortems. The petition calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to review the Human Tissue (Scotland) Act 2006 and relevant guidance to ensure that all post-mortems can be carried out only with the permission of the next of kin, do not routinely remove brains, and offer tissue samples to the next of kin as a matter of course.

On 8 August 2024, the Committee wrote to the Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health seeking views on the petition and asking about pathology services in Scotland. The Minister responded to the Committee on 19 September 2024, taking into account views from the Office of the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and COPFS. The Minister noted that the Scottish Government had responded to the Committee’s call for a review of the 2006 Act, in particular regarding tissue sample handling, in the submissions of 15 November 2021 and 5 January 2022. The position has not changed, as it is essential that COPFS are able to undertake independent investigations into a cause of death, without which the death cannot be registered.

Scottish Government officials continue to work with COPFS and other partners to consider how current and future forensic pathology services may be improved.

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund initially ran from 2017 to 2020, and was then extended to October 2021 due to the impacts of covid-19. It was superseded by a revised funding programme: the current Equality and Human Rights Fund.

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund was used to fund projects that would contribute to one or more of four outcomes:

• Discrimination against people who share protected characteristics is reduced and multiple discrimination is addressed so that barriers to participation are reduced.
• People covered by hate crime legislation experience lower levels of hate crime.
• People and communities are supported to participate in and engage with services and civic society; their contribution is recognised, and community cohesion is increased.
• Current imbalances in representation in all aspects and levels of public life, including education and employment are addressed to better reflect our communities

The Roma Opportunities Project was funded to continue to increase the capacity of the various Roma communities in Glasgow, particularly focussing on young Roma people. The project would provide peer education training and opportunities for Roma young people and would deliver activities designed to promote Roma self-confidence and self-esteem, increase knowledge of local and national services and socio-political structures, and challenge negative perceptions.

The specific outcomes to be achieved were:

• Roma youth increased confidence and self-esteem; and develop the skills they need to support their communities. Discrimination faced by Roma people is reduced and the intercultural dialogue is promoted
• Roma youth increased their knowledge of the local and national services and socio-political structures and youth members of Friends of Romano Lav are more active in community and social political debates
• Roma and non-Roma people increase a more positive sense of Roma identity and culture. Roma youth increase their social media skills to better represent Roma communities and challenging negative representations

The Fund was managed on a day to day basis on the Scottish Government’s behalf by Impact Funding Partners initially and then Inspiring Scotland. You can find a Final Progress Update report for the Fund summarising its impacts here: Promoting-Equality-and-Cohesion-Fund-Final-Report-Jan-Sep-2021-for-SG-publication.pdf

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund initially ran from 2017 to 2020, and was then extended to October 2021 due to the impacts of covid-19. It was superseded by a revised funding programme: the current Equality and Human Rights Fund.

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund was used to fund projects that would contribute to one or more of four outcomes:

• Discrimination against people who share protected characteristics is reduced and multiple discrimination is addressed so that barriers to participation are reduced.
• People covered by hate crime legislation experience lower levels of hate crime.
• People and communities are supported to participate in and engage with services and civic society; their contribution is recognised, and community cohesion is increased.
• Current imbalances in representation in all aspects and levels of public life, including education and employment are addressed to better reflect our communities

The "Enhancing lives of ethnic minorities in Perth and Kinross" project was funded to help the Perth and Kinross Minority Communities Hub (MCH) to support ethnic minority communities through focusing on building the capacity through 1-1 support and group work, promoting good relations through celebrations of multi-cultural festivals and participation and engagement of ethnic minority communities in consultations and other initiatives such as Perth City of Culture 2021 bid, reducing isolation and loneliness through activities such as walking groups, lunch clubs, peer support groups etc. and challenging discrimination by advocating, and connecting its clients to appropriate legal support provided by its partner agency (EMLC), and by providing cultural awareness and equality and diversity training to statutory and voluntary services.

The specific outcomes to be achieved were:

• Services will have enhanced understanding and capacity to address the needs of ethnic minority communities with equality, reducing discrimination.
• People from ethnic minority communities will have increased capacity to access services with equality
• Ethnic minority communities will engage more fully with opportunities to participate in the economic and cultural life of the community

The Fund was managed on a day to day basis on the Scottish Government’s behalf by Impact Funding Partners initially and then Inspiring Scotland. You can find a Final Progress Update report for the Fund summarising its impacts here: Promoting-Equality-and-Cohesion-Fund-Final-Report-Jan-Sep-2021-for-SG-publication.pdf

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund initially ran from 2017 to 2020, and was then extended to October 2021 due to the impacts of covid-19. It was superseded by a revised funding programme: the current Equality and Human Rights Fund.

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund was used to fund projects that would contribute to one or more of four outcomes:

• Discrimination against people who share protected characteristics is reduced and multiple discrimination is addressed so that barriers to participation are reduced.
• People covered by hate crime legislation experience lower levels of hate crime.
• People and communities are supported to participate in and engage with services and civic society; their contribution is recognised, and community cohesion is increased.
• Current imbalances in representation in all aspects and levels of public life, including education and employment are addressed to better reflect our communities

As part of the “Deaf Sector Partnership (DSP)” project, Deaf Action were funded to support early implementation of the BSL (Scotland) Act 2015, as per previous discussions and proposals devised by the DSP in conjunction with the Scottish Government Equality Unit and Voluntary Action Fund.

The proposed core activities of the DSP were:

• Support delivery of actions set out in the BSL National Plan
• Support the civic participation of a range of BSL speakers across Scotland
• Support engagement between BSL speakers and public bodies
• Increase awareness, confidence & skills in relation to tactile BSL
• Publish the BSL National Plan and raise awareness of such
• Provide guidance to listed authorities in a range of ways

The specific outcomes to be achieved were:

• Identify, engage with and empower Deaf BSL speakers aged 18-30 (16-17 if in full time education within FE/HE sector), including these with protected characteristics, across Scotland so that they can participate in and engage effectively in society and with structures and bodies.
• Support public bodies to better understand and prepare to meet the needs of BSL speakers and meet their obligations under the BSL (Scotland) Act 2015, and support the Scottish Government with implementing the Act.
• Promote the BSL (Scotland) Act 2015 and associated processes on a national & global basis, sharing learning and experiences so that other countries can benefit and contribute to sign language legislations. Ensure Scottish BSL speakers are represented in global citizenship & politics.

The Fund was managed on a day to day basis on the Scottish Government’s behalf by Impact Funding Partners initially and then Inspiring Scotland. You can find a Final Progress Update report for the Fund summarising its impacts here: Promoting-Equality-and-Cohesion-Fund-Final-Report-Jan-Sep-2021-for-SG-publication.pdf

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund initially ran from 2017 to 2020, and was then extended to October 2021 due to the impacts of covid-19. It was superseded by a revised funding programme: the current Equality and Human Rights Fund.

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund was used to fund projects that would contribute to one or more of four outcomes:

• Discrimination against people who share protected characteristics is reduced and multiple discrimination is addressed so that barriers to participation are reduced.
• People covered by hate crime legislation experience lower levels of hate crime.
• People and communities are supported to participate in and engage with services and civic society; their contribution is recognised, and community cohesion is increased.
• Current imbalances in representation in all aspects and levels of public life, including education and employment are addressed to better reflect our communities

The Making It Work project was funded to support Scottish Association of Sign Language Interpreters (SASLI) in its work as the only government funded organisation in Scotland specifically working towards monitoring, supporting and developing the profession of sign language interpreting and associated functions, SASLI aims to broaden and develop its scope to meet legislative, demographic and societal changes. The project would focus on developing new pathways to validate skills, protecting user communities through driving up and maintaining professional standards will increase accountability to deaf and deafblind people.

The specific outcomes to be achieved were:

• Deaf people have a greater choice of appropriately skilled and registered communication support professionals, making possible effective communication and inclusive participation in daily and public life and in educational/learning environments.
• Deaf people have a greater choice of appropriately skilled and registered communication support workers, to ensure effective learning and inclusive contribution in educational/learning environments.
• Deaf and deafblind people are trained and employed to provide training to enhance skills of communication support professionals
• The SASLI Register includes a specific category to recognise deaf people who have developed life and work skills through their lives. This replaces the need of accredited qualifications to encourage recognition and value of skills gained through life and not through education pathways.

The Fund was managed on a day to day basis on the Scottish Government’s behalf by Impact Funding Partners initially and then Inspiring Scotland. You can find a Final Progress Update report for the Fund summarising its impacts here: Promoting-Equality-and-Cohesion-Fund-Final-Report-Jan-Sep-2021-for-SG-publication.pdf

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund initially ran from 2017 to 2020, and was then extended to October 2021 due to the impacts of covid-19. It was superseded by a revised funding programme: the current Equality and Human Rights Fund.

The Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund was used to fund projects that would contribute to one or more of four outcomes:

• Discrimination against people who share protected characteristics is reduced and multiple discrimination is addressed so that barriers to participation are reduced.
• People covered by hate crime legislation experience lower levels of hate crime.
• People and communities are supported to participate in and engage with services and civic society; their contribution is recognised, and community cohesion is increased.
• Current imbalances in representation in all aspects and levels of public life, including education and employment are addressed to better reflect our communities

The Scottish Seniors Alliance (SSA) project was funded to take forward the agendas for older people that had been developed and nurtured by SSA through the seniors forum model. The methodology would be to support extant forums, and grow and support those groups of older people who wanted to take forward their issues in a cohesive way. From that grassroots approach the project would be able to provide the authentic voice to statutory sector, government agencies and others who serve older people and the wider community.

The specific outcomes to be achieved were:

• Older people with sensory and physical impairment, and from the minority communities will be supported to better influence policy and service developments and be recognised for their contributions.
• 6 bi-monthly senior forum meetings per-year will be held. These will be attended by older people representing grassroot members from 32 local authorities in Scotland with 20-30 members attending per meeting.
• Provide a high quality information service which includes email, news bulletins, policy briefings and 6 Newsletters per year to approximately 100 forums per year in the 32 local authority areas in Scotland.
• SSA will continue the collaborative process between older people's groups and local and national government, health boards etc, representing the voices of older people .
• SSA will be proactive in responding to issues of concern to older people both at a local and national level, involving older people in policy debates and responding to consultations.

The Fund was managed on a day to day basis on the Scottish Government’s behalf by Impact Funding Partners initially and then Inspiring Scotland. You can find a Final Progress Update report for the Fund summarising its impacts here: Promoting-Equality-and-Cohesion-Fund-Final-Report-Jan-Sep-2021-for-SG-publication.pdf