Scottish Human Rights Commission - Work of The Commission

Work of The Commission

The Commission is currently working from its Strategic Plan 2012-2016. The strategic priorities for this time period are as follows:

1. Empowering people to realise their rights through promoting greater awareness and respect for human rights. 2. Supporting the implementation of human rights in practice. 3. Improving human rights protection in Scotland through influencing law and policy. 4. Progressing the realisation of human rights of people in Scotland and beyond through further developing our international role. 5. Ensuring the Commission is effective, efficient, professional and accountable.

The Commission presented its first Strategic Plan to the Scottish Parliament in June 2009, after a national consultation which took in a wide range of responses from civic society, individuals, public authorities and representatives from local and national government. It identified its key priorities as promoting and protecting human dignity in Scotland, addressing emerging human rights issues, bringing human rights to life and supporting human rights in the world.

The work of the Commission focuses on implementing a human-rights–based approach at the heart of policy choices and practice in Scotland to ensure that human rights are at the centre of how organisations in Scotland work, as well as how they measure success.

• Scotland's National Action Plan for Human Rights (SNAP)

During the course of its previous Strategic Plan the Commission undertook research to map gaps and good practices in the realisation of human rights in Scotland. The Commission published this research in 2012 in a document called 'Getting it Right' . The results of this mapping research is the basis for SNAP. SNAP is currently being developed through participation with civil society and other relevant stakeholders and it is planned to be launched in December 2013.

• Human Dignity and Care

This project aims to increase awareness, understanding and confidence in the care sector about human rights in order to improve conditions for those in care and for their carers. Particular emphasis has been placed on the needs of older people through a training package called Care about Rights.

• Acknowledgement and Accountability Forum for victims of Historic Child Abuse

In February 2010 the Commission published a comprehensive human rights framework to address historic child abuse through an Acknowledgement and Accountability Forum.]. The framework was positively received by many survivors and international experts. The Commission continues to monitor the process of acknowledgement and accountability in Scotland and the implementation of its recommendations. The Commission is currently working with the Centre for Excellence for Looked After Children in Scotland to deliver a series of InterActions with to develop an Action Plan on Justice and Remedies. You can read more about the InterActions here:

• Human Rights in Healthcare

In May 2009 the Commission undertook a major evaluation of the experience of a Special NHS Health Board which had sought to adopt a human-rights–based approach into their policies and organisational culture. The evaluation identified clear evidence of the success of the human rights based approach and several public authorities have expressed an interest.

• Human Rights Impact Assessments for Education and Training

In order to fulfil its mandate concerning education and training the Commission has developed training materials on human rights for staff in local authorities. In January 2010 the Commission piloted human rights training for staff within the Services for Communities Division of the City of Edinburgh Council. In the following month research was also conducted into international best practice and various experiences of carrying out human rights impact assessments. In 2013 the Commission is piloting a joint Equalities and Human Rights Impact Assessment with two partner organisations, Fife and Renfrewshire Councils. The project will begin by establishing an understanding of current practices and approaches to assessing equality and human rights impacts, and develop appropriate means for the partner organisations to move beyond the legal requirement to carry out equality impact assessment towards having the capability to assess equality and human rights impacts together. The pilot bodies will contribute to the development of ideas and also to the road-testing of such approaches.