Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Our journey to becoming anti-racist
At Young Scot, we’re working hard to become an explicitly anti-racist organisation. We are doing this by taking a close look at our organisation and identifying what it is we do that contributes to structural racism.
In the past, we’ve had a strong focus on ‘Equality and Diversity’. However, we recognise that we must always work harder and with a continued focus to create positive change.
We have heard from young people from all communities and backgrounds that we must act to tackle racism – not just words and demonstrations. We recognise that we are at the beginning of this journey, with ongoing developments including:
Embedding a culture of learning to build on training that was delivered by educators in diversity, Radiant and Brighter.
Developing our volunteer recruitment process in line with our recently reviewed staff recruitment – ensuring it is anti-racist and representative of the 11-26-year-olds we are here to serve.
Delivering anti-racist digital information, activities, and opportunities for young Black people and young people of colour. This follows an external audit from brand consultants, Brand by Me.
Developing and sustaining strong partnerships with Black and people of colour-led organisations, to support and enhance our services.
Creating an anti-racist model for bids for future work.
Regularly reviewing our systems and policies and embedding diversity, equity and inclusion at their core.
Undertaking the Investors in Diversity accreditation programme – aiming to achieve by March 2022.
Continuing to embed our Equalities Impact Assessment process across Young Scot and ensuring it’s expanded across more levels of activity.
This work is part of our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy (DEI). Our DEI Staff Programme Board is responsible for delivering this and we will soon be recruiting a diverse group of young people to partner with us on this. The DEI staff team now produce an annual Young Scot Equalities Outcomes Report
Please keep an eye on this page for updates on this work – and please do hold us to account too!
Our anti-racist approach to recruitment
As part of our work to become an anti-racist organisation, we’ve reviewed our recruitment processes and made several changes.
We’ve changed how we communicate with potential candidates:
Published clear information about our new recruitment processes.
Improved our guide on how to complete our new online application form.
Published what flexible working options candidates can apply for.
Worked to advertise our roles to a wider and more diverse network of stakeholders.
Made our recruitment correspondence more inclusive.
Let candidates know that we don’t expect them to dress smartly at interviews.
We’ve updated our recruitment processes:
Created a new standard template for job descriptions and recruitment adverts.
Ensuring we are advertising all roles both internally and externally at the same time.
‘Returning to market’ if we don’t attract applications from candidates from a diversity of backgrounds.
Redesigned our application form and removed competency-based questions.
Will now share interview questions with candidates before their interview.
Are scheduling a limited number of interviews per day, to take account for interviewer fatigue leading to less engagement in the process.
Created an updated marking framework for scoring of interviews.
Created a sign-off process to ratify that our new recruitment processes have been adhered to.
Created a post-recruitment review process using data.
Staff on interview panels must take part in unconscious bias training.
Staff taking part in shortlisting and interview panels must have attended a minimum of a half day of unconscious bias training in the previous 12 months.
Working to create a culture of inclusivity, including:
We are creating resources for Black people and people of colour who work at Young Scot about specific groups, networks and support for them.
We will create a staff network for Black people and people of colour who work at Young Scot, when appropriate.
We are publicising our refreshed complaints procedures for staff who feel they are discriminated against (new procedure to be launched in 21/22).
We are reviewing our Young Scot staff handbook to ensure it communicates our anti-racist work and aspirations.
Creating a ‘Your First 100 Days at Young Scot’ plan to support onboarding for new staff members.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy aligns with our strategic plan, and will drive systematic change across our internal services, policies, practice and values as an employer – but also in our role as the national information and citizenship charity for all young people aged 11-26 across Scotland.
This strategy is designed to support us to deliver key strategic goals, specifically to:
Create an inclusive working culture, recognising the value of diversity and fostering a culture where everyone feels valued and respected.
Ensure our services for young people are accessible to all young people, recognising the intersectional diversity of their needs.
Learn from and share best practice in the third sector, demonstrating our work to eliminate discrimination, recognise and promote equality and diversity, address inequity and be inclusive in all that we do.
The strategy and accompanying action plans will help us drive progress to ensure that we are embedding diversity, equity and inclusion into our day-to-day work and taking account of these across all our services, policies, practice and values.
