Our duties

Falkirk’s Integration Joint Board is committed to promoting fairness and respect by delivering services and support options which advance opportunity for all and protect the rights of individuals.

We know some people will experience barriers to accessing care or support because of their background or demographics – such as race, age, sexual orientation, or disability. These factors are called ‘Protected Characteristics’ and have been identified in law to help public bodies plan services which address discrimination and inequality.

There are several pieces of legislation which help public bodies, such as Falkirk’s Integration Joint Board, protect people’s rights while developing and delivering services. These include the Equality Act (which introduced both the Public Sector Equality Duty and the Fairer Scotland Duty) and the Human Rights Act 1998.

Together, these regulations ensure the Board meets the needs of everyone who accesses local services through Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership by removing or minimising disadvantages they may experience due to their protected characteristics. Learn more about our duties under:

The Equality Act

Every public body in Scotland, including Integration Joint Boards (IJBs) must comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) as set out in the Equality Act 2010. As a public body, Falkirk’s Integration Joint Board must work to:

Eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited by or under the Equality Act;
Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not share it, and;
Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not share it,

In addition, the Scottish Government introduced a set of Scottish Specific Duties, which require Integration Joint Boards to:

Publish a report on mainstreaming the equality duty, every four years;
Publish Equality Outcomes and report on progress every two years;
Assess and review policies and practice;
Publish in a manner that is accessible, and;
Gather and use Board member information.

These duties mean every time the Integration Joint Board reviews or develops a policy or service, it must consider how developments can impact or reduce inequalities.

Human Rights Act

This legislation sets out everyone’s fundamental rights and freedoms. It incorporates the rights set out in the European Convention on Human Rights into UK and Scottish law. The Partnership’s human rights-based approach ensures people’s rights are at the centre of policy and strategy decisions.

Equality Publications

Outcomes and Mainstreaming Report

Equality Outcomes are the results we want to achieve to improve experiences for our service users and ensure we deliver fair and equitable services, in line with our Equality Duties.

We provide progress updates against our equality outcomes within our Annual Performance Report and publish an Equality Outcomes and Mainstreaming Report every 4 years, which demonstrates how Falkirk’s IJB puts equality at the heart of everything we do.

Equality Outcomes and Mainstreaming Report 2024 – 2028

Equality Outcomes and Mainstreaming Report 2022 – 2023 (and 2017-22 Progress Report)

Equality Outcomes and Mainstreaming Report 2017 – 2021

Equality & Poverty Impact Assessments (EPIAs)

Before we make decisions about our services, we look at evidence to see if there could be a positive, negative, or neutral effect on people who share protected characteristics. This process is called an Equality and Poverty Impact Assessment (EPIA). It is designed to help us meet the Public Sector Equality Duty and Fairer Scotland Duty, by addressing inequalities related to both protected characteristics and socio-economic demographics. This allows us to think about the impact of our proposals before putting them into place.

When the Board is taking decisions, an EPIA will be completed and published with the report papers. Published EPIAs are made available below: