All public bodies in Scotland – including local authorities, health boards, services like the Police, etc – are required to set, take action towards, and report on Equality Outcomes (EOs). This process takes place on a five-yearly basis, with interim reporting after two years.
Unfortunately, it is difficult to compare EOs for different local authorities, because approaches vary widely. Some local authorities have two or three EOs, with one or two actions under each, while others have six to ten outcomes and dozens of actions. Some EOs are broad and vague, while others are more specific and practical. Some are based around themes like housing, education and employment, while others are based around specific characteristics like race, gender and age.
Despite this, the 2021-25 Equality Outcomes for Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray are outlined below.
Reports for the three local authorities can be found here:
- Aberdeen City Equality Outcomes and Mainstreaming Progress Report 2021-2023
- Aberdeenshire Council Equality Mainstreaming and Outcomes Progress Report 2021-2025
- Moray Equality Outcomes 2021-25, Moray Progress Report 2023
Aberdeen City Council
Equality Outcome 1
All people with protected characteristics will access information, goods and services knowing that social and physical barriers are identified and removed.
Focus: Age, Gender reassignment and Disability.
Equality Outcome 2
Diverse communities in Aberdeen will have an increased sense of safety and belonging within their neighbourhood and City.
Focus: Race (including Gypsy/Travellers), Religion and Sexual Orientation.
Equality Outcome 3
Representation in civic participation of people with protected characteristics will be improved by ensuring our leaders, staff and organisation champion the equality agenda in the City.
Focus: Disability, Race and Sex.
Aberdeenshire Council
Equality Outcome 1
In Aberdeenshire, disabled people have an improved experience in accessing services that meet their needs through more regular and systematic involvement in design of service delivery across the Council.
Equality Outcome 2
People in Aberdeenshire, particularly those who face barriers through literacy, language and digital exclusion, are provided with accessible information on services provided by the Council and are supported to access these digitally where appropriate.
Equality Outcome 3
In Aberdeenshire, people have opportunities to fulfil their potential throughout life.
Equality Outcome 4
Aberdeenshire Council as an employer continues to create a fair and inclusive place to work where differences between people are celebrated and barriers are reduced for women, disabled people, minority ethnic people, LGBTI+ people and young people.
Equality Outcome 5
An increased proportion of women, black and minority ethnic people, younger people, disabled people and LGBTI+ people are supported to enter employment or training.
Equality Outcome 6
LGBTI+, disabled, religious, faith and black and minority ethnic people have increased confidence to report hate crime through our work with partners to: prevent hate crime; encourage people to report hate crime when it happens; and improve service responses to victims.
Moray Council
Equality Outcome 1
Provide opportunities for people to the best they can be throughout their lives with a strong and sustained focus on those individuals and groups in our society who experience the most disadvantage and discrimination.
Action areas:
- bullying in schools
- domestic violence
- housing (specifically for older, disabled and Gypsy/Traveller people).
Equality Outcome 2
Drive development to create a vibrant economy of the future.
Action area: inclusive economic growth, specifically for women.