Guidance for Councillors and Elected Members

Working with the Improvement Service, the Commission has developed a briefing note for Scottish local authority elected members on the Public Sector Equality Duty. The guidance looks specifically at the central role elected members can play in ensuring Scotland’s councils meet their statutory obligations as per The Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) (Scotland) Regulations 2012 as amended.

The briefing note highlights that elected members are required to pay ‘due regard’ to equality in carrying out all of their duties and explains the reporting and publishing requirements under the Regulations. It also demonstrates how their ‘scrutiny’ role relates to the key concepts of mainstreaming, equality impact assessment and outcomes.

The briefing note highlights that elected members are required to pay ‘due regard’ to equality in carrying out all of their duties and  explains the reporting and publishing requirements under the Regulations. It also demonstrates how their ‘scrutiny’ role relates to the key concepts of mainstreaming, equality impact assessment and outcomes.