In 2018, we published our most recent Profile of the Profession report. In response, we launched a blueprint for a more inclusive profession. This outlines our priorities to improve equality and diversity for the five years until 2023. Each year – as part of our annual planning process – we will emphasise the headline projects, processes and events we are focusing on at that time.
The five overarching themes are as follows:
- Retaining talented people
- Ensuring fairness around pay and progression
- Ending bullying and harassment in the profession
- Members being able to be their whole selves at work
- Reflecting Scotland’s population now and in the future
Since the publication of the report in late 2018, we have undertaken a range of major inclusion initiatives, including:
- A series of gender equality roundtables looking more deeply into some of the issues identified in profile
- Launching an inclusion calendar that celebrates the diversity of our membership throughout the year, such as religious festivals, Prides, and days such as International Women’s Day, International Men’s Day, and International Day of People with Disabilities.
- Publishing ground-breaking menopause awareness support, flexible working advice and information and remote working advice and information.
- Launched our One Profession, Many Journeys campaign.
- Hosted a Celebrating Inclusion Law Fair and a Summer School.
- Worked with the International Bar Association on its Us Too? report.
- Collecting diversity data from members at 2020/21 PC renewal for the first time.
For the 2020/21 practice year, the major focuses of our work are to embed a two-year gender equality action plan, which stems from the roundtables above; continue our engaging inclusion calendar; and better understand the experiences of members from a BAME background through the work of our racial inclusion group.
