Further detail

STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT
The new Joint Equality Outcomes align with the Joint Strategic Outcomes for Policing and are underpinned by the Police Scotland Vision 2030 and the Policing Together Strategy. In addition, the employment focused outcomes are underpinned by the People Strategy and the service delivery focused outcomes are underpinned by the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy, the Hate Crime Strategy, the Corporate Communications Accessibility Strategy, and the Public Contact and Engagement Strategy. The Authority’s Corporate and Forensic Services Strategies also underpin delivery of these. Full strategic alignment can be seen within Appendix A.

The Policing Together Implementation Plan will be a key mechanism through which the Equality Outcomes will be delivered, and the progress monitored and scrutinised from a policing perspective. This delivery and monitoring function is replicated through Authority strategy and delivery planning alignment.

EQUALITY OUTCOME DEVELOPMENT
A similar approach was taken to develop both the service delivery and employment outcomes including conducting gap analysis on current outcomes, collating and reviewing evidence sources and engagement with stakeholders. A non-exhaustive list of evidence sources is within Appendix A.
Service Delivery Outcomes

Although a significant amount of work has been completed in relation to the 2021 – 2025 outcomes and progress made, our gap analysis shows there remains work to be done to achieve our ambitions around minoritised groups reporting crime and community concerns, engagement, and accessibility. In addition to gap analysis, engagement was conducted with key stakeholders and a range of evidence sources were reviewed which demonstrated the need to continue our journey in respect of outcomes 1-3. The outcomes and objectives have been refreshed to be more in line with the organisations 2030 vision and the evidence analysed.

Equality Outcome 4 relates to violence against woman and girls (VAWG). Internal and external engagement, alongside self-evaluation, determined that in the main Police Scotland achieved what it set out to do in the original outcome. However, it is clear from internal assessment, survivor, and partnership engagement that Police Scotland must continue to prioritise preventing violence, safeguarding women and girls and improve the victim journey. Despite the significant improvements to service delivery and investigative approach to VAWG there is a need to continue to learn and enhance processes and collaboration, and engagement with partners and survivors. As such the overarching theme for VAWG remains the same, however the objectives have been redefined and refreshed in line with expectations and needs of survivors and partners.
Employment Outcomes

Gap analysis for the current employment outcomes demonstrated good progress and some areas of ongoing work that informed the 2025 – 2029 outcomes. The evidence review and engagement with key stakeholders identified key themes for the next set of outcomes. The themes were in line with previous commitments but show an evolution in relation to the areas of focus as outlined below:
• Workforce Insights - Feedback highlighted that workforce insights should be wider than just monitoring data and that continuous improvement is ongoing in this area. It was felt that data and insights should now become an enabler across other relevant outcomes rather than an outcome on its own.

• Leadership - Leadership remains a key area of focus. Evidence suggested the future outcome should have increased focus on the impact the improved knowledge skills and behaviours of leaders has on colleague experience.

• Retention - While retention was still seen as important there was a shift of focus to cover colleague experience more widely. Proactively providing support for colleagues to meet their diverse needs was seen as an important priority.

• Recruitment and Promotion -It was recognised that the journey to a representative workforce will be long-term due to turnover and recruitment levels and that work to better hear colleague voice and use data and insights should be undertaken to improve the representation of colleagues in other ways.

The feedback and evidence was used to develop three key employment outcomes: Representation and Colleague Voice, Leadership and Colleague Experience, and Colleague Support.

The outcomes are accompanied by a set of objectives to enable progress to be monitored and understood.

The new joint equality outcomes are presented within Appendix A.

JOINT MAINSTREAMING AND EQUALITY OUTCOMES PROGRESS REPORT 2025
The 2023-2025 Mainstreaming and Equality Outcomes Progress Report has been developed collaboratively by Policing Together, People and Development, Public Protection, the Analysis and Performance Unit and the Authority with input from across the organisations.

The updates within the report were gathered using various sources including:
• The 6 Monthly Policing Together Performance Reports which are in alignment with the Mainstreaming and Equality Outcomes Progress Report.
• Papers providing updates on key activities presented at Policing Together sub-groups including the Policing Together Colleague Group and Policing Together Community Group.
• Engagement with divisional representatives, business areas across the organisation, E&D team members and Statutory and Diversity Staff Associations and Trade Unions.

The report is presented in Appendix B.