This strategy sets out our approach to diversity and inclusion, particularly our support for our colleagues and customers with lived experience of inequality and disadvantage. This includes those with protected characteristics under the Equality Act (2010).
Diversity and inclusion statement
We are committed to increasing the diversity of our workforce and ensuring we are an inclusive organisation for all our colleagues and customers.
We will mindfully consider those with protected characteristics in everything we do and engage our colleagues across RoS in supporting this work. We will strive to continuously advance diversity and inclusion within RoS, making this integral to our organisation. We will seek opportunities to be innovative and sector leading in addressing inequality.
Diversity and inclusion (D&I) are a priority for Registers of Scotland (RoS), and as an organisation we strive to continually improve in this area. We do, however, recognise that we operate within a wider context in which inequality persists across many areas of life for those with protected characteristics. This includes barriers to securing and sustaining employment and in accessing public services. We also acknowledge that we can play a part in reducing this wider inequality by consciously removing, or avoiding, any barriers in the delivery of our own role, as an employer and service provider.
Evolution of our strategy
We published our strategy for diversity and inclusion in January 2022. Since then, we have developed our approach further. This refreshed strategy reflects our progress. It also sets out how we will continue to advance diversity and inclusion over the next five years.
Our evolved strategy now outlines the:
- pillars of our approach to diversity and inclusion
- enablers that will support us to take this work forward and measure our impact
- maturity models to define our journey to become more diverse and inclusive, going beyond compliance with our legal duties to be responsive, to integrate D&I across our organisation and to strive to be innovative and example of good practice as an employer and service provider
Policy context
Our Diversity and Inclusion Strategy is integral to our wider policy and strategy. It will support us to fulfil our purpose and vision as an organisation and ensure we embed our values. By taking this strategy forward, we will make a critical contribution to our Corporate Plan, specifically to:
- inspire our people to adapt, grow and innovate to empower a thriving and inclusive organisation (Corporate Plan Objective 4)
- be an effective, efficient and future-focussed delivery organisation (Corporate Plan Objective 5)
Our People Strategy aims to ensure colleagues feel valued and are supported to thrive at RoS. Our Diversity and Inclusion Strategy will support this aim for our colleagues with protected characteristics.
Our diversity and inclusion agenda
This strategy sets out our longer-term approach to progressing diversity and inclusion. Every two years we publish our Equality & Diversity Mainstreaming Report. This identifies key areas for improvement. Our Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan is our mechanism for delivering this agenda. It is critical to taking forward this strategy.