improving government service delivery to minority ethnic ... - NCCRI

Targeting
Although the policy emphasis in Scotland has been on mainstreaming equality it is recognised that there is still
a need for targeted initiatives and for positive action.
173_The Scottish Executive,
(2002) Equality Strategy:
Working Together for
Equality.
The Executive’s Equality Strategy 173 recognised the need to consider a number of approaches:
“ The equal treatment approach: recognising that the same treatment of different groups
may lead to different (and unequal) outcomes. There is a need therefore to provide
policies and practices that take account of different needs.
Positive action approach: taking into account the disadvantage that a particular group
has experienced and recognising the need for specific actions to support/enable the
disadvantaged group. This may be said to be ‘achieving a level playing field’.
Equality perspective approach: recognising that there are differences amongst groups,
and ensuring that the needs of all the groups are considered in developing policy and
decisions about resources. This approach assumes that policy resources and practice
may need to change to better reflect the needs of all.”
The Executive’s Strategy and Action plan “provides both an overarching approach and specific and focussed
measures when required, that are consistent with the mainstreaming approach.”
The CRE, in their submission to the Scottish Executive’s Strategic review proposed that, “The key priority for
the Scottish Executive should be narrowing the gap in experience and outcome between Scotland’s different
communities.”
The 2001 Census data and other sources indicate that ethnic minority communities are disadvantaged in a
number of key areas such as employment, housing, access to health and social care, and education. The CRE
also drew attention to the need to address the specific needs of some of Scotland’s communities of interest
including Gypsies/Travellers, Asylum Seekers, new migrants and religious minorities.
They argued that much race equality activity was piecemeal rather than strategic and while they recognised
the importance of the mainstreaming approach they argued that the pressure to mainstream service delivery to
the black and minority ethnic communities could reinforce indirect racial discrimination because services were
unable to respond to different expressions of need.
One of the key issues relating to targeting services within mainstream provision relates to the need for
additional resources. In some instances, targeting resources simply means re-focusing and the cost is not
great. In other instances it requires addition funding and experience suggests that it is often the work that is
most resource intensive that gets cut back in times of crises.
The Director of one voluntary organisation commented:
“ Sometimes the establishment of a targeted project hinders the development of
mainstream provision as the white staff in the mainstream of the institution never learn.”