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Equality and Human Rights Fund six month Impact Report October 22 March 23

This is the third progress report of the Scottish Government’s Equality and Human Rights fund (E&HR). The fund covers a period of three years, and this report reviews the six- month period of October 2022-March 2023. It provides data on the activities, impact, and contribution to fund outcomes and highlights the key themes and challenges of the 48 E&HR funded organisations.

The E&HR fund is aligned to seven Scottish Government policy areas within the Equality, Inclusion and Human Rights Directorate including: age equality; disability equality, British Sign Language (BSL), gender equality, LGBTI+, race equality and human rights.

Intersectionality is a priority for the fund, and many groups continue to demonstrate how they support and champion the rights of people facing disadvantage due to multiple and interconnected inequalities.

Some key themes for this reporting period included new collaborations that have enhanced existing work or led to spin-off projects and funding opportunities. For example, the Legal Services Agency’s experience of handling complex cases is leading to a conference to bring health, social and legal work together to explore working more collaboratively.

The cost of living crisis continues to be one of the biggest challenges facing the sector. Many organisations collect data and evidence of its impact on the people they support, who are struggling to manage increased costs of food and fuel. For example, mainstream services that are needed more than ever are often not accessible to people with greater support needs.