Argyll and Bute HSCP Equality Outcomes & Mainstreaming Report 21-25

Argyll and Bute Council · 28 May 2025
Back to Argyll and Bute HSCP Integration Joint Board (IJB) — 28 May 2025 and its agenda

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Argyll and Bute HSCP
Equalities Mainstreaming Progress
Report 2021-2025 and Equalities
Outcomes 2025-2029

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Contents
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INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................
LEGAL CONTEXT ...............................................................................................................................................
PROGRESS WITH 2021-2025 EQUALITIES OUTCOMES ..................................................................
1. Outcome 1: People from identified groups, such as those with protected
characteristics, will have improved access to the resources needed to support their
health and wellbeing ........................................................................................................................................
1.1. Child Poverty Action Plan .................................................................................................................
1.2. Planet Youth ..........................................................................................................................................
1.3. Secondary Health Drama Programme .........................................................................................
1.4. School Support Services ..................................................................................................................
1.5. Adult Population Screening Programmes ..................................................................................
1.6. Community Link Workers .................................................................................................................
1.7. Living Well Grants ...............................................................................................................................
1.8. Money Counts Training .....................................................................................................................
1.9. Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Training ........................................................................
2. Outcome 2: People from identified groups, such as those with protected
characteristics, will be empowered to have an influence on how services are delivered,
including when changes are made to services .....................................................................................
2.1. Argyll and Bute Joint Strategic Plan (2022-2025) Engagement .........................................
2.2. Coll Health and Social Care Needs Assessment .....................................................................
2.3. Island Strategy .....................................................................................................................................
2.4. Child Poverty Action Plan ................................................................................................................
2.5. United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child ..........................................................
2.6. Alcohol and Drug Partnership Engagement .............................................................................
2.7. Women’s Health .................................................................................................................................
3. Outcome 3: People from identified groups, such as those with protected
characteristics, will have improved experiences of services .........................................................
3.1. Staff Training ........................................................................................................................................
3.2. Equality Impact Assessments .........................................................................................................
3.3. Joint Strategic Plan ............................................................................................................................
3.4. Routine Feedback Mechanisms ....................................................................................................
3.5. Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Standards ....................................................................
NEW EQUALITIES OUTCOMES FOR 2025-2029 ................................................................................
Developing the Outcomes .........................................................................................................................
Engaging the Public ......................................................................................................................................
What We Learned ..........................................................................................................................................
How We Responded .....................................................................................................................................
Outcome 1: Work Towards Fairer Health and Social Care for Everyone ....................................
Outcome 2. Involve People and Communities in Shaping Services ............................................
Outcome 3. Build Services That Feel Safe, Inclusive and Respectful .........................................
Outcome 4. Work Together to Reduce Inequality ...............................................................................
Learning and Future Considerations .......................................................................................................
Next Steps ........................................................................................................................................................
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Introduction
The Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) brings together health and
social care services and was formed in April 2016 by NHS Highland and Argyll and Bute
Council. The HSCP is managed by the Integration Joint Board (IJB), which is responsible for
improving health and wellbeing for people in Argyll and Bute and delivering services to the
local population.
The IJB is committed to integrating equality into all aspects of its work, in line with the Equality
Act 2010 (Specific Duties) (Scotland) Regulations 20121. “Mainstreaming equality” means making
sure that all HSCP functions consider equality, ensuring everyone in Argyll and Bute has equal
opportunities, regardless of their background. It is a long-term commitment that ensures that
equality and diversity is part of cultural change and organisation development and behaviour.
Health inequalities are the systematic, avoidable, and unfair differences in health between
groups, including those defined by protected characteristics, socioeconomic status,
disadvantage, or geography. These disparities prevent everyone from achieving the highest
possible standard of physical and mental health. The HSCP is committed to tackling these
inequalities, ensuring equal access, experience, and outcomes for all residents of Argyll and
Bute, so everyone can lead healthier lives.
The Equalities Outcomes set the HSCP’s equality goals for a four-year period. Progress is
reported every four years, with an interim update every two years. In 2021, the HSCP updated
its equalities outcomes for 2021-2025. An interim progress report was published in 2023, and
this report outlines the progress made since then. It also sets out the new equalities outcomes
for 2025-2029, with an interim report planned for 2027 to track progress.
1 The Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) (Scotland) Regulations 2012
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LEGAL CONTEXT
2 Equality Act 2010
The Equality Act (2010)² combines over 116 separate laws into one single act, providing a legal
framework to protect individual rights and promote equality for all. It also introduced the Public
Sector Equality Duty, which includes both a general equality duty and specific duties.
The ‘General Equality Duty’, part of the Equality Act (2010), requires public authorities to
consider equality and good relations in their daily business. For Argyll and Bute IJB, this means
the legal obligation to pay due regard to the need to;
Eliminate unlawful discrimination,
harassment and victimisation and
other conduct prohibited by the Act.
Advance equality of opportunity
between people who share a
relevant protected characteristic and
those who do not
Foster good relations between
people who share a protected
characteristic and those who do not.
The Equality Act (2010) protects
people from discrimination based on
nine protected characteristics: age,
race, disability, gender reassignment,
marriage and civil partnership,
pregnancy and maternity, race, religion
or belief, sex, sexual orientation. The
three aims of the general equality duty
applies to all protected characteristics,
except marriage and civil partnership,
which only relates to the first aim.
✓
✓
✓

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The Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) (Scotland) Regulations 2012 lists the specific duties
which are required to help public bodies meet the general equalities duty. For the IJB, these
duties include:
As the IJB does not employ staff directly, employee and gender pay gap information is
published by the employing organisations—NHS Highland and Argyll & Bute Council—in their
respective equality mainstreaming reports.
• NHS Highland Equality Outcomes and Mainstreaming Report 2021-2025
• Equality and Diversity | Argyll and Bute Council (due to be published shortly).
Report progress on mainstreaming the equality duty
Publish equality outcomes and report progress
Assess and review policies and practices
Consider award criteria and conditions in relation to public procurement
Publish equality information in a manner which is accessible.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

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1.
2.
3.
PROGRESS WITH 2021-2025
EQUALITIES OUTCOMES
In 2021, the HSCP updated its equality outcomes for
2021 to 2025, building on the previous ones:
Examples include:
1.1. Child Poverty Action Plan
The Child Poverty Action Plan is one key
initiative, which has introduced several
programmes aimed at alleviating child
poverty in Argyll and Bute. A graphic
version of the plan was co-produced with
children and young people to make it more
accessible, directingindividuals to support
services related to income, benefits, and
the cost of living.
People from identified groups, such as those with protected characteristics,
will have improved access to the resources needed to support their health and
wellbeing.
People from identified groups, such as those with protected characteristics, will be
empowered to have an influence on how services are delivered, including when
changes are made to services.
People from identified groups, such as those with protected characteristics, will
have improved experiences of services.
The following section highlights the progress made so far, with examples provided. However,
this is not a complete list of all the work done to advance equality in these areas. Through our
review, we have learned valuable lessons that will guide our approach for 2025-2029. This
includes improving how we monitor and report progress across the organisation, especially in
areas where progress has been slower than anticipated.
1. Outcome 1: People from identified
groups, such as those with protected
characteristics, will have improved
access to the resources needed to
support their health and wellbeing.
The HSCP has focused on improving access
to health and wellbeing resources for
children, young people and families, as well
as for adults, including those with protected
characteristics. Together, these initiatives
have made significant progress in improving
access to essential health and wellbeing
resources for individuals in Argyll and Bute.

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Notable initiatives under this plan include
the Flexible Food and Fuel Fund, which
supported 3,218 cases between January
2021 and January 2025, helping low-income
families with a total client gain of nearly
£4.8 million.
The Family Nurse Partnership Programme,
launched in April 2024, has supported
young mothers (aged 21 and under) from
pregnancy through to their child’s second
birthday, providing guidance and connecting
them to other services.
The School Clothing Banks initiative has
helped 72 families in South Kintyre in 2023-
2024, with plans to expand.
The Free Period Products initiative, launched
in 2023-2024, provides free period products
at over 250 locations across Argyll and Bute,
and awareness of the scheme increased by
65% from 2022 to 2023.
1.2.  Planet Youth
Another significant initiative is Planet Youth,
a national pilot in Scotland aimed at reducing
risk-taking behaviours among young people
and strengthening protective factors. From
March 2022 to March 2025, the initiative has
focused on five secondary schools in Argyll
and Bute, with plans to expand to all ten
secondary schools in 2025-2026.
The Planet Youth team conducts a survey
every 2 years with S3 and S4 students to
gather data on risk and protective factors
influencing their behaviour, which helps
inform local action plans. For example, the
surveys have highlighted a rise in vaping
among students over the past three years,
prompting the HSCP to collaborate with
the Behavioural Change Team at Aberdeen
University to develop a comic addressing
the harms of vaping aimed at young people.
This resource will complement the Secondary
Health Drama Programme.

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1.3. Secondary Health Drama
Programme
The HSCP funded school-based health
drama programme has been running since
2017, delivered by Raenbow Productions.
The programme, called ‘You Are Not Alone’,
uses interactive drama, comedy, and music
to explore social issues like peer pressure,
social media, stigma, stereotypes, safe
relationships, and the sharing of sexually
explicit images.
The programme has been delivered to S2
pupils across nine secondary schools in
the region, with positive feedback. In 2024,
double sessions were provided for both S2
and S3 pupils, in response to feedback to
target S2 pupils specifically, since many S3
pupils had already encountered some of
the issues addressed. The programme is
effective in raising awareness of available
support services, introducing pupils to
professionals during the sessions, and
encouraging young people to seek help
when needed.
1.4. School Support Services
A review of School Support Services
has taken place, which included an
online survey for young people in
secondary schools and semi-structured
interviews with teachers. Representation
from schools and services also helped
shape the development of the service
specification. The School Support Services
work closely with secondary schools to
provide evidence-based alcohol and drug
education, linking students to specialist
services, such as school counselling.
They work in partnership to ensure young
people can access the support tailored to
their specific needs, at the right time. The
service also provides a listening service
and offers advice on alcohol and drug use,
using GIRFEC (Getting It Right For Every
Child) assessment tools to connect young
people with appropriate services.

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1.5. Adult Population Screening
Programmes
Several initiatives, supported by Scottish
Government funding, have been undertaken
to address inequalities in the Adult
Population Screening Programmes. In
2021, an initiative identified a need for better
training for those assisting under-screened
groups. In response, the HSCP, in partnership
with NHS Highland, developed a TURAS
training module in 2024 to help improve
training for these professionals.
Additional interventions include a Screening
Brief Intervention introduced during
smoking cession appointments between
May 2022 and March 2024 to raise
awareness about screening services. As
well as awareness sessions in 2023 to
encourage screening uptake among partner
organisations supporting under-served
groups, such as those with poor mental
health. For 2024-25, local grants have
been awarded to organisations like Argyll
Wellbeing Hub, MECOPP (for Gypsy/Traveller
communities), and Jean’s Bothy (for people
with poor mental health) to further support
under-screened populations in accessing
screening.
1.6. Community Link Workers
The Community Link Worker (CLW)
Programme has been another key
achievement in supporting individuals with
social issues affecting health and wellbeing,
such as debt, relationships, employment,
housing, and loneliness. Between 2021
and 2024, NHS Highland commissioned
“We Are With You” to provide the service
to 12 GP practices, including across Argyll
and Bute, focusing on areas with higher
socioeconomic deprivation. The most
common reasons for referral included
mental health and wellbeing, loneliness
and isolation, and financial advice.
Positive outcomes were reported, with
90% of individuals who exited the service
demonstrating improved wellbeing (of 58%
of individuals exiting). A new CLW contract
has been commissioned with “With You” for
2024–2028, with an expanded remote and
rural service.

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1.7.  Living Well Grants
The Living Well Strategy (2019-2024)
promotes self-management for people in
Argyll and Bute with long-term conditions
or those at risk of developing them. Since
2021, Living Well Grants have been
awarded to third sector organisations
to support community projects aligned
with the strategy’s goals. In 2024-2025,
£23,000 is allocated to projects aimed at
improving health and wellbeing in rural island
communities, with a focus on connecting
people to the right support, supporting self-
management, and raising awareness of
available community resources.
1.8.  Money Counts Training
The Money Counts Training initiative has
helped individuals build confidence around
discussing financial issues. It offers basic
awareness sessions and promotes the
use of the Worrying about Money referral
leaflet, available in multiple languages, to
guide people facing financial difficulties,
and their support workers, to access local
services. From 2023-2024 to 2024-2025,
53 participants took part in the training in
Argyll and Bute, which helped increase their
knowledge and confidence in discussing
financial issues and signposting individuals
to appropriate services.

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1.9.  Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Training
Finally, Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Training aims to enhance knowledge around
these areas through a variety of courses. These courses help people living or working in the
area to provide brief interventions and signpost individuals to appropriate support services.
Courses have been targeted at people who are more likely to encounter individuals
experiencing poor mental health or suicidal thoughts. Between September 2024 and March
2025, 221 people have attended training courses in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training
(ASIST), Scotland’s Mental Health First Aid, First Aid for Youth Mental Health, and the Ask, Tell
workshops.

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2.Outcome 2: People from
identified groups, such as those
with protected characteristics, will
be empowered to have an influence
on how services are delivered,
including when changes are made
to services.
The HSCP is committed to empowering
individuals, including those from protected
groups, to influence how services are
planned and delivered. This helps ensure
decisions reflect the real experiences and
needs of local communities.
To support this, the HSCP prioritises
meaningful engagement to make services
more responsive and inclusive. Staff and
services follow a clear and consistent
approach set out in the Engagement
Framework, which is aligned to the Scottish
Government’s Planning With People
guidance.
As part of this process, services also
complete an annual engagement tracker, to
record planned and required engagement
activity, helping to ensure that communities
continue to be involved in shaping services.
Examples include:
2.1. Argyll and Bute Joint Strategic
Plan (2022-2025) Engagement
The Argyll and Bute Joint Strategic Plan
(JSP) (2022-2025) strives to ensure that
people in the area will lead longer, healthier,
and more independent lives. A central
focus of the JSP, under the strategic priority
of “Choice and Control and Innovation”
is ensuring that all decisions are made in
consultation with the people of Argyll and
Bute, with a strong emphasis on delivering
positive outcomes for those with protected
characteristics.
In 2022-2023, the HSCP engaged
with the local community on how well
the JSP was meeting its priorities and
commissioning intentions after the first year
of implementation. The engagement process
included a series of community drop-in
events, an online survey, and an online virtual
event (although the latter had no participants).
Additionally, the Chief Officer published an
Online Vlog. These events helped identify
what’s working well, the challenges and
barriers to accessing services, and potential
areas for improvement.

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2.2. Coll Health and Social Care
Needs Assessment
The HSCP has also worked to include local
communities in decision-making. The Coll
Health and Social Care Needs Assessment
(HNA) helped shape a redefined model of
service delivery that addresses the needs
of remote and island communities, including
those with protected characteristics.
The establishment of the Coll Collaborative
Working Group in 2022 brought together local
community representatives and partners to
assess needs and formulate an action plan.
The Coll Community Survey in 2022 was a key
part of this process, enabling the community
to voice its specific concerns and needs
regarding health and social care provision.
The HNA findings have been used to create
an action plan to improve access to services.
2.3. Island Strategy
Community engagement has been a central
component in the development of the
Island Strategy (expected in 2025). In 2024,
engagement on the draft strategy involved
soliciting feedback from island residents,
including those with protected characteristics,
about their specific needs for access. This
was through an online web page containing
the draft document, asset maps, appendices,
and a survey.
A webinar was also held, and people were
encouraged to submit additional feedback
via email. This engagement process was
designed to empower island residents to
have a voice in shaping the strategy and to
ensure their needs are considered in the final
version.
2.4. Child Poverty Action Plan
Addressing child poverty has been another
key focus, with consultations and co-
production to involve children and young
people on key issues like children’s rights
and child poverty in 2024-2025. Feedback
from children and young people was
collected on the child-friendly ‘Plan on a
Page’ and other potential initiatives, helping
to identify what is working and where
gaps exist, and ensure the involvement
of children, young people and families in
shaping future action.
Additionally, the “Taking Action on Rural
Poverty” project, running from September
2023 to August 2026. Led by the Poverty
Alliance and funded by the Robertson
Trust, it collaborates with the Argyll and
Bute Child Poverty Action Group to explore
new ways of addressing rural poverty in
Scotland. The project includes a Lived
Experience Panel, whose input is helping
shape local solutions to poverty, ensuring
those affected have a direct role in
influencing services.

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2.6. Alcohol and Drug Partnership
Engagement
The Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP)
has also made strides in empowering
communities to shape services through a
series of engagements in 2023. A review
of School Support Services was conducted
through an online survey with 226
responses from secondary school students,
alongside nine semi-structured interviews
with teachers (plus one email response). This
input helped shape the development of the
service specification.
2.5. United Nations Convention on
the Rights of the Child
The HSCP has worked to ensure that
children’s rights are embedded in all aspects
of service planning and decision making, and
services better reflect their needs. The United
Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
(UNCRC), which became an Act in Scotland
in 2024, guides this work. In 2024-2025, the
HSCP contributed to the development and
application of a UNCRC tracking tool, to
identify and address gaps in children’s rights.
It has also integrated these considerations
into Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA)
and Child Rights and Wellbeing Impact
Assessment (CRWIA) processes.
Furthermore, it is implementing Argyll & Bute
Council’s Integrated Impact Assessment
(IIA) Tool, which brings together EQIAs
and CRWIAs to support a more systematic
and consistent assessment to identify the
potential impacts of proposed decisions –
such as policies, programmes, and services
– on children and protected characteristic
groups, ensuring they are engaged and their
views are taken into account.
In addition, in 2024-2025, the HSCP created
a graphic plan to inform new parents, single
parents and early years professionals about
children’s rights and the resources available
to them. All schools in Argyll and Bute are
also participating in the Rights Respecting
Schools Programme in 2025, which
educates children and young people about
their rights and promotes respect for the
rights of others.

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2.7. Women’s Health
The HSCP is also focused on women’s
health, recognising the importance of giving
women, including those from protected
groups, a voice in shaping health and social
care services locally. The findings from
two surveys in 2023—the Public Women’s
Health Survey and the Staff Women’s Health
Survey—were used to inform a Women’s
Health Action Plan aimed at addressing the
barriers in accessing health services.
A total of 249 responses provided valuable
feedback on areas like sexual health,
maternity, menopause, and gynaecology.
These findings will directly shape
improvements in services, ensuring that
women’s voices are heard and their needs
are acted upon.
As part of the ADP Strategy Refresh, 23
stakeholder interviews were conducted
between August and November 2024.
Input from people with lived experience
was gathered through recovery cafés,
conferences, and third sector partners. This
engagement ensured that people directly
affected by substance use had a voice in
shaping services and influencing change.
In 2024–2025, a Health Needs Assessment
was carried out to gather views on substance
use and service needs across Argyll and
Bute. An online survey with seven questions
was shared through HSCP and Alcohol and
Drug Partnership (ADP) networks, with 98
responses received. The same questions
were used in nine focus groups involving
94 people with lived experience, including a
group of secondary school pupils with lived
experience of substance use in the home.
These discussions helped identify community
concerns and priorities.

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3. Outcome 3: People from identified groups, such as those with protected
characteristics, will have improved experiences of services
The review acknowledges that it can be challenging to evidence progress towards this
outcome, although there are ongoing efforts to improve the experiences of people accessing
services. Key efforts include staff training, Equality Impact Assessments and the Joint Strategic
Plan. Although specific intervention to progress this outcome have been challenging, steps
have been taken and examples are given below. To ensure meaningful progress, this outcome
.will be carried forward into 2025-2029 with a more focused plan for delivery.
3.1. Staff Training
Improving staff knowledge and skills through
training is a key way the HSCP supports
better experiences of services for all.
Equality and Diversity Training supports
inclusive services and workplace culture.
Health Inequalities Training enables staff
to recognise how their roles may impact
health inequalities and equips them to help
tackle inequalities. Public Health Training
raises awareness of key issues such as
mental health, substance use, and suicide
prevention, helping staff provide informed
support. Together, these training initiatives
contribute to more equitable and positive
service experiences.
3.2. Equality Impact Assessments
The HSCP has a legal responsibility under
the Equality Act 2010 to consider equality in
its public functions. One way to ensure this
is through Equality Impact Assessments
(EQIA), which assess how proposed changes
- such as new or revised policies, strategies,
procedures, or services - may affect different
groups, especially those with protected
characteristics. EQIAs identify potential
negative impacts on specific groups before
decisions are made. This helps to ensure
decision-making processes are fair and no
group is disadvantaged or excluded. They
also help mitigate negative impacts and build
upon positive impacts. All completed HSCP
EQIAs are published on the NHS Highland
website to demonstrate how equality is
considered in our planning and decision-
making.

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3.4. Routine Feedback Mechanisms
In 2024-2025, the HSCP reviewed existing
feedback mechanisms to assess how well
they capture the experiences of people,
including from protected characteristic
groups. This review identified that current
mechanisms are not fully inclusive or
representative, particularly of older adults,
disabled people, and people from ethnic
minority backgrounds. In response, the HSCP
has developed a plan for more inclusive and
representative service feedback.
This includes a mixed-method approach
that gathers both data and lived experience.
While implementation has been delayed
due to challenges with new IT systems,
work on a broader complaints and feedback
mechanism is actively progressing.
3.5. Medication Assisted Treatment
(MAT) Standards
The Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT)
Standards, introduced in 2021 by the Drug
Deaths Taskforce, aim to improve the
treatment experience for individuals with drug-
related issues. MAT combines medication with
psychological and social support, offering a
holistic approach to care. These standards
ensure that MAT is safe, effective, accessible,
and person-centered, providing individuals
with the support they need.
The HSCP is working to ensure that
services in the Argyll and Bute area meet
these standards. The standards focus on
improving access to MAT, helping people
stay in treatment, empowering them to
make informed choices, and ensuring
strong leadership and accountability in their
implementation. By viewing individuals as
more than their drug use, the standards help
reduce inequalities and improve the overall
experience for people accessing these
services.
3.3. Joint Strategic Plan
The HSCP also works to ensure that people
from identified groups, including those with
protected characteristics, have improved
experiences of services through service
improvement, strategic planning and
transformation. The Argyll and Bute HSCP
Joint Strategic Plan 2019-2025 aspires that
people in the area lead longer, healthier,
independent lives. This includes a focus on
improving experiences by 1) ensuring that
everyone who is part of providing support
is trauma informed, and 2) promoting an
inequalities sensitive approach, targeting
resources where they will have the most
impact. Transformation and service redesign
are key elements of the Joint Strategic Plan,
with annual updates on progress to ensure
continuous improvement in services for all
groups.

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NEW EQUALITIES OUTCOMES
FOR 2025-2029
These outcomes aim to reduce disadvantage
and foster inclusion across all aspects
of health and social care, particularly for
individuals and communities with one or
more protected characteristics (age, sex,
race, disability, religion or belief, gender
reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy
or maternity, and marriage or civil partnership).
In line with national guidance, the outcomes
also incorporate our commitments under
the UNCRC and net zero obligations. These
highlight our responsibilities to uphold
children’s rights and to ensure climate action
is fair—recognising that groups with protected
characteristics are often more vulnerable to
environmental change.
The outcomes were shaped not only by
policy frameworks but by lived experience,
captured through public engagement and
local feedback.
Following this, the review of progress
against the 2021-2025 outcomes
highlighted a need to carry forward
Outcome 3: “People from identified
groups, such as those with protected
characteristics, will have improved
experiences of services.” While this request
came after the main engagement phase
had closed, we have also reflected on
how this intent is captured in the revised
outcomes.
Rather than presenting this as a standalone
outcome, we have embedded its core
purpose ensuring inclusive and equitable
service experiences—across all four new
outcomes. This includes a strong emphasis
on improving access, promoting respectful
and inclusive service delivery, and ensuring
meaningful participation from people who
are often underrepresented in decision-
making.
This approach also responds to feedback
from our public survey, which highlighted
that some previous wording—such as
“identified groups”—felt distancing or
reinforced a sense of “us and them.” By
embedding the needs of people with
protected characteristics throughout
all outcomes and using more inclusive
language, we hope to avoid unintentionally
creating division while maintaining
a clear focus on our legal and moral
responsibilities.
Developing the Outcomes
We started by reviewing the 2021–2025
Equality Outcomes and comparing them with
NHS Highland and Argyll & Bute Council’s
strategies. From this, four outcomes were
drafted to balance continuity with ambition.
While these were aligned with strategic
aims, they were initially written in a policy-
heavy style. Before finalising them, we tested
their clarity and relevance with the public
particularly those outside professional or
clinical roles.
As part of our duties under the Equality Act 2010, Argyll
and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) has
developed new Equality Outcomes for
2025–2029

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Argyll and Bute HSCP Equalities Mainstreaming Progress Report 2021-2025 and Equalities Outcomes 2025-2029 Page 19
Although protected characteristics are not
individually listed in the outcome titles, they
remain central to the delivery and monitoring
of our work. We will continue to meet our
duties under the Equality Act 2010 by
embedding equality considerations across
services and assessing their impact through
Equality Impact Assessments (EQIAs), Child
Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessments
(CRWIAs), and inclusive engagement.
Engaging the Public
A short public survey was launched in
April 2025 to gather feedback on the draft
outcomes. It received 157 responses, 116
of which were valid (from people living or
working in Argyll & Bute). Notably, 89% of valid
respondents reported one or more protected
characteristics (excluding sex and marriage).
Who responded?
What We Learned
Clarity was a key issue.
While 66% found the outcomes clear or
very clear, 43% described them as unclear,
very unclear or neutral. Within the 43% who
found the outcomes neutral or unclear, we
noted the following patterns:
This suggested that language used in
the original draft didn’t always resonate—
particularly with older men, those outside
the sector, and some religious or disabled
respondents.
43 respondents reported a disability
90 were aged 50 or over
13 identified as LGB+
3 identified as transgender
4 were from an ethnic minority
background
2 were pregnant or had recently
given birth
These numbers are broadly consistent
with local demographics but highlight a
need for future targeted engagement with
underrepresented groups.
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Calls for plain English and practical,
real-world language
Frustration with aspirational
statements lacking clear action
Strong demand for joined-up,
respectful services—especially in rural
areas
A mix of views on protected
characteristics—some felt excluded or
confused
A desire for fairness and support
without a sense of division
78% were over 50
63% were male
37% had a disability
47% held a religious belief
80% did not work in health or social
care
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“Sometimes equality talk just makes
me feel like I don’t belong anymore.”
Themes from open-text
responses included:

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Argyll and Bute HSCP Equalities Mainstreaming Progress Report 2021-2025 and Equalities Outcomes 2025-2029Page 20
How We Responded
Based on what we heard through the survey,
we revised the outcomes and actions to be
Equality Outcomes and Actions
(2025–2029)
Outcome 1: Work Towards Fairer
Health and Social Care for Everyone
We want to improve access to care for
everyone, especially people who face extra
barriers or have worse health outcomes than
others.
What we’ll do:
Easier to understand, using plain
English and avoiding policy jargon
Grounded in real-life action, with
practical, achievable steps rather than
abstract ambitions
More accessible and inclusive,
removing language that might create an
“us and them” dynamic
More thoughtfully aligned with our
duties under the UNCRC and our
commitment to a fair transition to net
zero
Rather than listing protected characteristics
directly in the outcome statements, we
chose to reflect their importance through
the actions—such as improving accessible
communication, involving children and
young people, and considering the needs
of disabled people or those affected by
rural isolation. This approach recognises
that many people do not realise they have
a protected characteristic and avoids
reinforcing a sense that equality work is “for
other people.”
Importantly, we also recognised that
improving clarity isn’t about “over-simplifying”
but about opening up the conversation—
so that more people see themselves
reflected in this work, and so that fairness is
understood as something that benefits whole
communities, not just specific groups.
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Provide health and care information
in clear, accessible formats that meet
different needs (e.g. large print,
translations), especially when materials
are updated.
Use data that includes protected
characteristics to check whether our
services are reaching everyone fairly
and to spot areas for improvement.
Identify what might be stopping
people from accessing services—such
as transport, appointment systems,
digital exclusion, or lack of face-to-face
options—and take practical steps to
reduce those barriers where possible.
Carry out Equality Impact Assessments
(EQIAs) and Child Rights and Wellbeing
Impact Assessments (CRWIAs) when
making service changes, so we
understand how different groups might
be affected.
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“Just say what you mean in plain
English. If I don’t understand it, I’ll
ignore it.”

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Argyll and Bute HSCP Equalities Mainstreaming Progress Report 2021-2025 and Equalities Outcomes 2025-2029 Page 21
Outcome 2. Involve People and
Communities in Shaping Services
We want to work alongside people—
especially those often left out of decision-
making—to help shape local services.
What we’ll do:
Ask about protected characteristics
(where relevant) to help us understand
who we’re reaching—and who we’re
not.
Involve children and young people in
decisions that affect them, in line with
our UNCRC duties.
Be open about what we’ve heard and
show how this has shaped decisions,
for example using ‘You Said, We Did’
updates.
Use engagement methods that
are accessible and consider the
environment, including options that
reduce the need for travel.
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Outcome 3. Build Services That Feel
Safe, Inclusive and Respectful
We want everyone—patients and staff—to feel
welcome, respected and supported in our
services.
What we’ll do:
Review how our services and spaces
work to make sure they feel inclusive
and meet different needs.
Provide training to support staff
in treating everyone with fairness,
kindness and respect.
Support staff wellbeing and promote a
workplace culture that values inclusion,
dignity and safety.
Reduce our environmental impact in
ways that are fair and accessible—for
example, using energy more efficiently
without creating barriers for service
users.
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Use a mix of feedback methods—
such as surveys, focus groups, and
interviews—so that people can share
their views in ways that suit them. “Equality should bring people
together, not split us up.”
“We need to
stop making it
‘us and them’.”
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Argyll and Bute HSCP Equalities Mainstreaming Progress Report 2021-2025 and Equalities Outcomes 2025-2029Page 22
Outcome 4. Work Together to Reduce
Inequality
We will work with others to tackle the wider
issues that affect people’s health, inclusion and
access to services.
What we’ll do:
Use Argyll & Bute Council’s Integrated
Impact Assessment (IIA) tool to
complete Equality Impact Assessments
(EQIAs) and Child Rights and Wellbeing
Impact Assessments (CRWIAs), helping
us understand and address the impact
of decisions on different groups.
Partner with Argyll & Bute Council
and local community and third sector
organisations to design more joined-up,
inclusive services.
Include people with protected
characteristics in planning for climate
change, recognising they are often
most affected by environmental risks.
Support fairer local economies by
promoting local jobs, community-led
services and inclusive employment.
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“It all feels a bit vague and
corporate.”
“I didn’t realise I had a protected
characteristic until I filled out this
survey.”
“Sometimes equality talk just makes
me feel like I don’t belong anymore.”

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Argyll and Bute HSCP Equalities Mainstreaming Progress Report 2021-2025 and Equalities Outcomes 2025-2029 Page 23
Learning and Future
Considerations
Next Steps
Finally, the survey responses surfaced some
sensitive and complex issues around sex,
gender reassignment, and perceptions
of fairness. While sex and gender
reassignment—both protected characteristics
under the Equality Act 2010—are not explicitly
referenced in the wording of the outcomes,
they remain a core consideration in how we
implement and monitor our work.
We are committed to creating inclusive
services that uphold legal duties and human
rights, and to navigating this space with care,
clarity, and respect for the diverse views and
lived experiences within our communities.
We also acknowledge that this is an
evolving area and will remain responsive to
forthcoming guidance from the Equality and
Human Rights Commission (EHRC).
This work has taught us that language
matters—not just for clarity, but for inclusion
and trust. Many people didn’t realise they had
a protected characteristic and felt equality
work was for “others.” A next step will be to
improve awareness of how the Equality Act
applies to everyone and why these outcomes
matter. We plan to develop simple, engaging
communications to support this.
We also acknowledge the need for continued
engagement with underrepresented
groups—such as ethnic minorities, pregnant
women, and trans people—whose small
numbers in this survey still offered valuable
insights. Future efforts will explore more
tailored engagement methods.
By continuing to listen and adapt, we aim to build a fairer, more inclusive health and
social care system for everyone in Argyll and Bute.
Share the new outcomes across staff and communities
Develop materials to explain protected characteristics and their importance
Monitor delivery through routine feedback and impact assessments
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May NC25-00131 Raigmore Hospital, Inverness
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read, please get in touch with us to discuss your requirements at:
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