At the SSSC we aim to treat everyone fairly and with respect, irrespective of age, gender, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, race, religion, pregnancy and maternity or sexual orientation. We are refreshing our Equality and Diversity Policy to reinforce this commitment in our varied roles as a public body, regulator and employer.
Our Codes of Practice for Social Service Workers and Employers state that any form of discrimination is unacceptable and that workers and employers should not condone any discrimination. The Codes state workers and employers need to support people using services to be respected, uphold their rights and work in a way that promotes diversity and respects different cultures and values.
Social work has a key role to play in anti-oppressive practice, promoting social justice and fairness for all. Upholding public trust and confidence in social services relies on these values and behaviours.
All social care and social work training and education embeds the fundamental requirement that practitioners work in a way that supports and protects people and challenges discrimination in all forms.
Equality and diversity feature prominently throughout Scottish Vocational Qualifications and the National Occupational Standards. The recently revised Standards in Social Work Education (SiSWE) strengthen the focus on the social context of practice and are underpinned by clear ethical principles.
What we’re doing
Later this year we will consult stakeholders on our next equality outcomes. A key priority is how we contribute to the Race Equality Framework for Scotland 2016-2030. We are monitoring research into the disproportionate effects of COVID-19 on the BAME community and will consider the implications for the workforce.
Our management teams recently took part in development sessions on equality and diversity and we are developing a programme for all staff to do refresher training. We use Equality Impact Assessments (EIAs) to demonstrate that our policies and functions do what they are intended to do and for everybody they may affect.
We are committed to promoting equality and diversity in our work and being part of the societal change needed to tackle racism.